An original 7×5 antique photo from a large archive of Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey 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 dynamic downtown street scene shows Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey’s spectacular 16-camel hitch, four abreast, pulling the ornate “Egypt” tableau wagon during the circus’s 1900 advertising parade. Feather-plumed camels stride past storefronts marked “Expert Tailoring, ” “PHOTOGRAPH STUDIO, ” and laundry signs while the drivers, perched high on the gilded wagon, guide the team amid curious onlookers and gas-lamp streetlights. Ringling’s free street parades were legendary marketing events, drawing huge crowds hours before the big top opened and giving townspeople a glimpse of exotic animals seldom seen outside a menagerie. The “Egypt” wagon-built in 1900 and now preserved at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin-was one of the most elaborate tableau wagons ever constructed. Text Present Back, upper left: “x596″ Back, center: Ringling Bros. Circus famous 16 camel team, four abreast, drawing the Egypt,’Tableau’ Wagon in 1900. ” Front signage, upper left building: “Your Credit” Front signage, awning: “EXPERT TAILORING” Front signage, façade: “PHOTOGRAPH STUDIO” Front signage, far right wall: partially visible “. Is the only. ” and “Hotel A. 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.
