Dear Wade-
I read with great interest on your blog about the high diving horse acts. I thought maybe you and your readers would be interested in the attached photo's concerning the O'Brien horse act that appeared on the Ringling show ca. 1899. It truly must have been a spectacular sight to behold. All the items were found in the library at Circus World in Baraboo, WI.
Flint
"I am not sure who sent these pictures, either Dick or Stephen Flint but they are indeed incredible. I am still not convinced that the "carousel" was a "liberty act" in the true sense, as folks have tried to convince me. There just isn't room in a standard ring for that many horses. I believe it was a "posed", "statue", "platform", or any name you want to give it act. That takes nothing away from the accomplishment, because it must have been spectacular."
"I am not sure who sent these pictures, either Dick or Stephen Flint but they are indeed incredible. I am still not convinced that the "carousel" was a "liberty act" in the true sense, as folks have tried to convince me. There just isn't room in a standard ring for that many horses. I believe it was a "posed", "statue", "platform", or any name you want to give it act. That takes nothing away from the accomplishment, because it must have been spectacular."
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3 comments:
Anything signed "Flint" is indeed Stephen T. Flint.
For decades, until half tone technology was available, engravings for publication were made from actual photographs. That was the reason for referencing photography with line drawings.
Camera and film technology had not yet reached a point of perfection at O'Brien's time where action could be documented. Thus, animals and people were placed in static poses so that they wouldn't be mere blurs.
Further research would likely yield an insight into the motion, or lack thereof in these large horse ensembles. Seems to me that mere standing in position would have been boring in a fast-paced circus program.
Anonymous,
Although an actual photograph may have been used by the engraver for reference, what he chose to portray was still open to his "interpretation." I have a 24 X 36 engraving in my collection from 1910 of John O'Briens Carousel and the "horses prancing" around on the ring curb are dapple grey ponies. It is where I got the idea to have a miniature horse run around on the ring curb, in the previously mentioned liberty act I trained for Ringling Bros. Yet I have never seen anything but horse's mentioned, depicted, or photographed. Also, Mr. O'Brien is depicted riding a grey horse, not a palomino. Given the engraving is black and white, how do I know it is a grey and not a palomino? Because it has shoulder and hip dapples like the ponies below it, high stepping around the ring curb.
I don't think it moved, anymore then possibly one group of horses in the actual ring going around. I think they were brought in in groups and walked up to where O'Brien was mounted on top, and the next group kept the previous group in place and prevented them from "falling off." I believe it was a "large" statue type act, which were popular at the time.
Wade
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