The nineteenth century saw the American circus move from a reviled and rejected form of entertainment to the “Greatest Show on Earth.” Circus Life by Micah D. Childress looks at this transition from the perspective of the people who owned and worked in circuses and how they responded to the new incentives that rapid industrialization made possible. The circus has long been a subject of fascination for many, as evidenced by the millions of Americans that have attended circus performances over many decades since 1870, when the circus established itself as a truly unique entertainment enterprise. Yet the few analyses of the circus that do exist have only examined the circus as its own closed microcosm—the “circus family.” Circus Life, on the other hand, places circus employees in the larger context of the history of US workers and corporate America. Focusing on the circus as a business-entertainment venture, Childress pushes the scholarship on circuses to new depths, examining the performers, managers, and laborers’ lives and how the circus evolved as it grew in popularity over time. Beginning with circuses in the antebellum era, Childress examines changes in circuses as gender balances shifted, industrialization influenced the nature of shows, and customers and crowds became increasingly more middle-class. As a study in sport and social history, Childress’s account demonstrates how the itinerant nature of the circus drew specific types of workers and performers, and how the circus was internally in constant upheaval due to the changing profile of its patrons and a changing economy. MICAH D. CHILDRESS received his PhD in history from Purdue University and currently works as a Realtor® in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His articles have appeared in Popular Entertainment Studies and American Studies.

Love Death Circus is a love letter to the Bay Area circus community that has been the author's artistic home for over four decades. The novel follows Frank Singer, a veteran clown, through a year of death and dying, first a colleague, then his mother, his best friend and a mentor. As exotic as the characters are on-stage, they face the same scary world as everyone else when illness hits their community. Framed by a series of benefit performances, Love Death Circus takes you deep into an idiosyncratic community of artists with an outrageous sense of adventure reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen or Walter Mosley.

Reproduction of the original: Theatrical and Circus Life by John J. Jennings

Circus Life and Circus Celebrities presents an exciting account of the lives of some well-known personalities in the circus during late 19th century England. The book is full of engaging reminiscences and adventures of the lives of celebrities in the field, including Philip Astley, Andrew Ducrow, Van Amburgh, John and George Sanger, and many more. The author interests the readers by describing some fascinating tricks and performances of the circus during the period. The book contains vivid descriptions of the methods of training and practicing used in the circus, such as animal training, gymnastics training, rope dance practice, etc. English writer and journalist Thomas Frost has attempted to present a fresh perspective of the circus and its people. He portrays them not as poor and deprived but as talented and respectable individuals who prospered in their field.

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

Boys' Life is the official youth magazine for the Boy Scouts of America. Published since 1911, it contains a proven mix of news, nature, sports, history, fiction, science, comics, and Scouting.