Is this ornate wagon still around?
Friday, May 25, 2012
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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9 comments:
I'm pretty sure it is up at Circus World Museum. Mr. Flint would know for sure.
Bob
The den with the 4 corner figures is indeed at Baraboo. This is a Fielding built den commonly referred to as the Whiskers Cage.
FLINT
It`s the Wiskers Cage, So called fro the bearded corner statues.
Bobby, Flint, Hal,
Does the wagon still have the same side boards with the carved, it looks like Lynx or Bobcat? Strange, but I don't recall seeing this wagon in the barn on my trek to the Holy City 3 years ago.
Wade
Wade- The answer is yes- kind of. The wagon was part of a series of dens built by Fielding. At CWM is a mate to this wagon. It is #66, painted green and gold, commonly referred to as the Barnum, Bailey, Hutchinson den. Theses dens were all "singled sided", meaning that they only had cage bars on ONE side. There is great coverage of these wagons in Richard Conovers book entitled "The Fielding Bandchariots.
When the Whiskers arrived in Baraboo (from Disney) the coverboards were gone and bars were installed in BOTH sides. It was painted red and trimmed in gold.
We restored this wagon sometime back in the early 1990's and the decision was made to replace all of the missing carvings and remove the bars on the one side.It is now painted orange and is trimmed in silver.
The reason that you missed seeing this wagon is probably due to it NOT being on the property at the time you were in Baraboo. This wagon is one of the dozen or so that went to California for the making of the movie "Water For Elephants".
FLINT
Flint,
Great history lesson, thank you. Why the paint scheme of orange and silver, when it was originally green and silver. Did Ronald McDonald own it at one time? :) Did you skilled folk's actually "recarve" the animals on the side's? I had no idea so much work went into restoring these wagons. I was always under the assumption they were basically stripped and repainted.
Wade
Wade,
Rest assured, some master carvers have given their all up there over the years to re-create and preserve these glorious wagons.
Bob
Wade- This wagon was originally orange with silver trim. The #66 den is the green and gold wagon. The color schemes were chosen by analyzing the black & white photo's that were available. These were sometimes sent to camera labs for analyzing the shades of gray. High tech stuff here.
Any pieces that were missing were replaced by handcarving them out of wood. The CWM had thier staff carvers (Cap Jacobs, Dick Lueth) for most of the carving. For larger, more intricate jobs Homer was called in. He is a professional woodcarver and has done some phenomenal work over the years. Both for CWM and privately.
I guess the most intense wagon project, in terms of carving, was the US Bandwagon. CWM received 3 original figures and a couple of scrolls. The whole wagon fit into a Ford van when it was delivered in Baraboo. A new body, along with wheels, springs, etc. was built. In the meantime Homer set to work carving the rest of the trim. It took about 2 years from start to finish. In fact, the lady carvings above the rear wheels were finished 2 nights before the Milwaukee parade took place. Photo's of the wagon on the trip to Milwaukee can be distinguished by the lack of these 2 carvings on the wagon.
FLINT
Flint,
Just amazing!!!! Thanh's again for the lesson. All the year's I wintered in Richmond, Ill. I often times contemplated driving to Baraboo a couple times a week and just sit and observe the magic that went on in the wagon barn, but it always seemed like bad weather sloughed it each time I had time to go. I regret that, and would have been willing to sweep the shop at the end of the day, just to be allowed to hang out and observe.
Wade
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