Ladies and gentlemen, Children Of All Ages,
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The Beginning His ultimate affiliation with the circus did not begin until 1870, when he was 60 years old. P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Circus, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus grossed $400,000 in its first year. In 1887, Barnum invited James Bailey to join him as an equal partner in the new Barnum and Bailey Circus. Two years later, he took the "Greatest Show on Earth" to England. By 1887, the Ringling brothers' show was growing. The official title was Ringling Bros. United Monster Shows, Great Double Circus, Royal European Menagerie, Museum, Caravan, and Congress of Trained Animals. In 1889 the seventh Ringling brother, A.G. "Gus" Ringling, joined the show, which now had a seating capacity of about 4,000 as it played cities and towns in Wisconsin and Illinois. Admission was 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. The year also marked a first for the Ringlings, as they took to the rails, becoming the 12th such circus to do so. As time went on, the Ringlings' show grew bigger,and a series of business deals enabled them to absorb some of their competition. In 1905, James A. Bailey sold the Ringlings 50 percent interest in his Forepaugh-Sells Bros. Circus; Bailey died in the spring of 1906, and the Ringlings subsequently purchased the other 50 percent from his widow for $100,000. In 1907, the Ringlings finally purchased their largest competitor -- Barnum & Bailey Circus -- after more than a year of discussion and negotiation. Interestingly, the Ringlings were split in their opinions as to whether the purchase ought to have happened: Otto and John wanted the deal to happen, while Al, Charles, and Alf T. needed to be convinced. On July 8, 1907, the deal went through and THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH became the property of the Ringlings for a price of $400,000. |
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Bros. and Barnum & Bailey -- THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH®! As much a part of American
culture as baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie!
Some say it began on April 3, 1793, when John Bill Ricketts gave the first circus performance in Philadelphia. Some say it began on July 5, 1810, when P.T. Barnum was born in Bethel, Connecticut. Still others say it began on March 29, 1919, when the first performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® was held in New York City's Madison Square Garden.But for everyone at THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH®, the real beginning is that moment when the lights go down and the show is just about to start. Anticipation! Expectation! And before long, everyone in the audience has begun his or her own personal history with one of the most unique entertainment forms mankind has known: the circus.But not just any circus: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®! THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH® is one of a kind, and experiencing the show has been a family tradition for 130 years!
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visit to THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH -- or Ringling.com -- would be complete without a
tantalizing trip to our supremely special Souvenir Stand ... or the Ringling Bros.Online
Store !
