The Case of the Crumbling Circus Posters--By Stephanie Lile

Washington State Historical Society

What would you do if you discovered a stack of old posters that brought to life the amazing days of the circus gone by? But what if, as you went through them, you began to notice tight-rope walkers that dangled over a torn edge? Equestrienne acrobats and their horses that were fading into a background of blue? Rhinos that charged into ripped corners? A humongous hippo that was crumbling around the edges? Clowns that cried at cracks, crinkles, and curling corners? What would you do? How would you save the circus? Or would you?

Circus posters are colorful reminders of the animals, acrobats, and amazing feats required to bring a circus to town — and to bring people into the Big Top once it arrived. Posters were used to create excitement in small towns and large cities all over America. Plastered by the tens of thousands on poles, fences, walls, and windows all over town, these posters of fierce lions, terrifying tigers, enormous elephants, blood-sweating hippos, gigantic gorillas, clever clowns, and amazing acrobats called people to the exotic. It was one of the earliest forms of mass marketing, and boy did it work!

Today, however, many circus "menageries" and trained animal shows have given way to zoos and wildlife parks that provide better treatment of the animals. The days of "old fashioned" lion tamers and astonishing elephant acts are nearly gone, and the posters have, over time, quieted their call to a whisper. Yet even so, there are those who can still hear the circus song. Are you one of them? If so, you’re in good company. Our archivist, Ed Nolan, heard those posters whispering in the backroom of the Washington State Historical Society Research Center and came to their rescue.

"I started out by cleaning and flattening them," he said. "They deserved to be preserved." Then he placed the posters into huge clear mylar envelopes to protect them. Each poster was given a special number (so that we can find it when we need it). And some, especially the big ones that measure nearly 45-50 inches across, were scanned on a large-format scanner. Almost all of the big posters require conservation.

Conservation? If you’re wondering, and I know you are, what it means to "conserve" a poster (or a painting or a puppet for that matter), just know that to "conserve" means to "save." Conservation, done by a "conservator," is the act of repairing and stabilizing broken or damaged works of art and artifacts. Paper conservators specialize in fixing things made of paper, like crumbling circus posters. They piece the torn edges back together, fix tears, and flatten fold lines. They also can put badly damaged posters onto a new paper background so that they are strong enough to be framed and shown in an exhibit.

But the biggest conundrum of all is, "Why Save Them?’

"Most of the circus posters in our collection came from a man named Ernest O. Jensen. He was a circus lover to the core," says Nolan. "He collected what other people were throwing away." And thanks to him, we have a better idea of how people in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s spent their free time. We know what types of animals from around the world people saw. We know how people with unique traits were used as side-show acts. And most of all, we know which circuses traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest and when. In a time when fewer people traveled beyond their state lines, circuses brought sights that were impossible to see anywhere else. Think about it, when was the last time you saw an elephant parade down your town’s Main Street?

Following those parades, young kids, mostly boys, were recruited to help raise the tents and set up bleachers. The deal included free tickets in exchange for a half-day’s hard labor. Kids lined up for the opportunity, and, of course, stayed for the show.

While present-day zoo-goers may know that the "blood-sweat" of a hippopotamus is a naturally occurring secretion that works as an antiseptic and sunscreen, we can’t deny that circus posters were a fabulous form of over-the-Big-Top promotion. With animal rights activism and transportation costs on the rise, most old-time circuses have vanished. The posters, however, live on. Digital scans allow us to show posters that are too fragile to put on exhibit. Want a sneak peek? Check out this slide show. Who knows, maybe you’ll hear the posters whisper, too. …One day only! America’s most fearless and daring…

Circus Slideshow