Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Cleveland Ohio Elephant Parade 1915 Original Photo

Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Cleveland Ohio Elephant Parade 1915 Original Photo
Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Cleveland Ohio Elephant Parade 1915 Original Photo

Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Cleveland Ohio Elephant Parade 1915 Original Photo
An original 10×8 antique photo from a large archive of Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus photos acquired from the estate of a collector. This is a unique antique/vintage silver gelatin photograph — it is not a modern print. Photo Overview A magnificent single-file line of eighteen Hagenbeck-Wallace elephants strides down a bustling downtown Cleveland street during Circus Day, c. A clown in a giant mock tire rides the lead elephant beneath a bold “USE REPUBLIC TIRES” banner, while uniformed handlers perch on each pachyderm. Crowds in straw boaters and parasols pack the sidewalks and lean from second-story windows of storefronts such as the Ohio Gas Co. Cutter & Long Clothiers, and the Colonial Theatre, capturing the excitement as the parade rumbles over the cobblestone trolley tracks. Founded by Carl Hagenbeck and Ben Wallace, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was America’s second-largest railroad show and its elephant pageants were legendary publicity generators. Circus Day parades like this drew tens of thousands, boosting local commerce and cementing the circus as a key part of early 20th-century popular culture. Own an iconic slice of Cleveland history and the golden age of the American traveling circus-grab it now before another collector trumpets it away! Text Present Front, on banner draped over lead elephant: “USE REPUBLIC TIRES” Front, storefront signs (left to right): OHIO GAS CO. “, “Cutter & Long Clothiers”, “POOL PARLOR”, “COLONIAL THEATRE” Back, stamped in blue: “Courtesy P. Box 87, Kennerdell, Pa” Back, handwritten in pencil: “Circus Day in Cleveland about 1915 (This is one of the best elephant pix) Condition : Good to very good vintage condition. Please see photos for scans of the surface. Photo may have natural curling or other imperfections from age.
Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Cleveland Ohio Elephant Parade 1915 Original Photo