Jumbo -- October 15, 2017

Theatrical and Circus Life by John Joseph Jennings, 1883

Jumbo was an African elephant, born in Sudan and displayed in France and Britain.  PT Barnum brought him to America in 1882 to appear in the Barnum and Bailey circus.  Jumbo was popular everywhere he went.  In 1885, Jumbo was being walked through a train yard in Toronto when he tripped and fell on his tusk, which killed him.  Shortly after, a locomotive ran him over.  Barnum had sections of him preserved so he could show them at different places. 

Marvelous Foot-Ball Dogs -- June 19, 2017

I'm still in shock about the conclusion of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus last month.  One of its major components, and the source of its famous motto, the Greatest Show on Earth, was the Barnum and Bailey circus.