The Five Graces Bandwagon Has a New Home

http://www.ticketsarasota.com/2011-08-25/section/arts/historic-circus-wagons-moved-at-ringling-museum/





From the Circus Historical Society:

The "queen" of the tableau wagons at the Ringling Museum is the beautiful old Forepaugh wagon, commonly called the Five Graces. It is most familiar to wagon historians. For those who want the best account available of the early history of the wagon I would refer them to member Richard E. Conover's excellent little publication "The Telescoping Tableaus," in which the author has given the most complete and accurate account of it to date. Best evidence is that the wagon was built by Sebastian in 1878 for Adam Forepaugh. The designers evidently tried to copy an earlier telescoping tableau wagon imported from England by Howes Great London Show, commonly called the Globe Wagon. All accounts seem to tell us the Five Graces, like the Globe Wagon, was originally a telescoper, but to date no photos have turned up to prove that fact. Our earliest photos show it in essentially the same form as it is today. The wagon served on the Adam Forepaugh show until James A. Bailey purchased the show in 1890. Exactly when the wagon was moved over to the Barnum & Bailey show I don't know but it was on that show during the 1898-1902 European tour and was used as the 40 horse lead bandwagon.

When the show returned to the States for the 1903 season the new Two Hemispheres wagon took over as the lead bandwagon with the 40 horse team but it is assumed the Five Graces was present in this giant parade which was given for the 1903 and 1904 seasons. Barnum & Bailey did not parade in 1905 for sure and probably not in 1906 or 1907 either. Whether the wagon was still carried on the road or remained in Bridgeport quarters during these years I don't know. After Ringling purchased the show they restored the parade for the 1908 and succeeding seasons and it is assumed the Five Graces was again used in the Barnum & Bailey parades. Sometime in the period 1908-12 the wagon was moved over to the Ringling Bros. show. For sure it was there for the 1912 through 1918 seasons. In 1919 and 1920 it was in the final street parades of the RBBB Combined Shows and then was stored at Bridgeport from 1921 to 1927.

The Five Graces and the United States were the only two bandwagons retained by Ringling-Barnum, the others being sold to Christy Bros., Robbins Bros., the Floyd and Howard King shows, and carnivals in the 1920's. These two were moved to the new Sarasota quarters in 1927. Eventually the old United States wagon was left to rot and ruin but fortunately that fate did not befall the Five Graces.

In 1934 the wagon was sent to Peru and that season served as the No. 1 bandwagon in the Hagenbeck-Wallace street parade. As regular parades were eliminated in 1935 the wagon remained in Peru quarters and in 1936 the show did not go out at all. In 1937 the wagon went out on the Hagenbeck-Wallace show that was leased by Arlington and Hatch and later by Howard Y. Bary where it remained for the short time that daily street parades were given. Then it was returned to Peru quarters where it remained until shipped to Sarasota about 1943.

In 1945 it was fitted with modern gears and dual pneumatic tires and went on the road with Ringling-Barnum where it appeared in the spec. In March that year it rolled again through the streets of New York City in the big war bond parade. From 1946 to 1948 it was stored in Sarasota quarters until it was moved to the newly established Museum of the American Circus on the grounds of the John Ringling estate. In 1956 it was moved back to quarters to appear in a TV program and remained there for a couple of years but finally in 1959 it was sent back to the museum on extended loan. Off came the pneumatic tires and back on went the traditional sunburst wheels. It has been completely restored, painted red with the carvings done in gold leaf, and looks just like a million.