Loading ...That brought back a great memory from my youth . It was the last year (1954) of the Big Top – the five ring tent in which the circus acts were performed , and kids could earn a pass to the sideshow tent and the matinee circus performance in the Big Top by helping haul on the ropes to raise the tents ( along with the circus elephants in harness) . I was one of those kids who did so . As I recall we also hauled water by bucket for the circus animals .
After that , the circus was held in arenas and other buildings . It was also around the time that the movie ‘Big Top’ , featuring a performance by the great clown Emmett Kelly hit the theaters , which made it even more exciting .
If any of you reading this get to Sarasota , FL , the Ringling Museum there is well worth a visit . There is also an excellent art gallery on the site .
I must write about that experience in my memoirs to my grandkids .