Circus Building facts for kids
The Circus Building is a special place at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. It's like stepping into a world of circus magic! Inside, you'll find amazing circus posters, beautiful carousel animals made by Gustav A. Dentzel, and tiny, detailed miniature circuses created by artists like Roy Arnold and Edgar Kirk.
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History of the Circus Building
The idea for the Circus Building came about in the 1950s. It was designed to show off a huge miniature circus created by Roy Arnold. This amazing building was finished in 1965.
The building is shaped like a horseshoe and is made of spruce and cedar wood. When you walk through its long hallway, it feels like you're part of a grand circus parade! Outside, large rocks form the building's base. These rocks also create a beautiful background for the Daylily Garden, which was planted in 2008.
Exploring the Circus Collection
Wonderful Carousel Animals
Carousels, also known as merry-go-rounds, were first invented in Europe. But they became super popular in the United States between 1870 and 1930. During this time, fancy carousels became a big part of new city parks. People had more free time and money, so they loved visiting these parks. Many skilled woodcarvers and painters built hundreds of park carousels. Even more smaller, portable carousels were made for fairs and carnivals.
The Shelburne Museum has both kinds of carousels. A small, portable one works outside the Circus Building. Inside, you can see animals, chariots, and painted panels from a large park carousel. These pieces were made by the Gustav Dentzel Company in Philadelphia. The Circus Building also shows figures from other carousel makers, both from Europe and America.
Gustav Dentzel, who was born in Germany, started America's first carousel business in 1867. His workshop made the most realistic and graceful carousel animals. His carvers paid close attention to every detail of the animals' bodies. His painters perfectly captured all the colors of the animals.
The Dentzel animals at Shelburne Museum are from a carousel made around 1902. This carousel had 40 animals. It included 29 horses and four chariots. There were also other animals like three giraffes, three goats, three deer, a lion, and a tiger. Daniel Muller, one of Dentzel's most skilled artists, carved these figures.
What's really special is that all these animals still have their original factory paint! This is very rare for carousel figures. Most carousels were repainted often as part of their regular care. Some of the figures have recently been cleaned. Layers of old, discolored oil were removed. This revealed the bright, detailed paint patterns applied by Dentzel's amazing painters. All 40 animals will eventually get this special cleaning.
The small, portable carousel outside the Circus Building was made around 1920. It was built by the Allan Herschell Company in North Tonawanda, New York. Allan Herschell started making carousels in 1883. His carousels were built to be strong and easy to move. The horses were smaller and more compact than those made for permanent park carousels. Their heads and legs were tucked close to their bodies to prevent breaking. These machines could be easily taken apart, moved, and put back together.
Colorful Circus Posters
In the 1800s and early 1900s, the circus was a huge event that everyone looked forward to! Weeks before the circus arrived, bright posters would appear on barns and fences. They announced the dates and showed off new performers. When the circus finally came to town, excitement grew. Wagons, elephants, and clowns would parade through the streets.
At the Shelburne Museum, you can see vintage advertising posters from traveling circuses. They line the inside wall of the Circus Building. The museum has over 500 circus posters. It's one of the best and most complete collections in the country. It includes many very rare, old posters. You'll also find examples from all the major circuses of the "Golden Age" of American traveling circuses (around 1870-1940). These include Barnum and Bailey, Ringling Brothers, Adam Forepaugh, John B. Doris, and the Sells Brothers.
The posters are usually very colorful and grab your attention. Most of them feature exciting new acts or exotic animals. Many posters made wild (and sometimes completely untrue) claims. They would say things like "the largest," "the smallest," "the most dangerous," or "the one and only!"
Amazing Circus Carvings
The museum has three amazing miniature circuses made from carvings.
Roy Arnold's Circus Parade
The Circus Parade is over 500 feet (150 m) long and winds through the Circus Building. Roy Arnold (1892-1976) from Hardwick, Vermont, started building it in 1925. It took him 30 years to finish! The parade is built on a scale where one inch equals one foot. Four other skilled woodcarvers helped Arnold with the parade. It shows accurate copies of wagons used by circuses during their Golden Age. The miniature parade is displayed with pony-sized wagons. There are also several life-sized figures. These were originally carved by Samuel Anderson Robb for Barnum and Bailey circus wagons in the 1890s. Robb is also known for his trade figures, some of which are in the Stagecoach Inn.
Edgar Kirk's Miniature Circus
The Kirk Bros. Miniature Circus is a complete three-ring folk art circus. Edgar Decker Kirk (1891-1956) from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, created it over 46 years. Kirk worked as a brakeman on the Pennsylvania Railroad. He started the circus in 1910 when his children were young. He kept working on it until 1956, long after they had grown up. Kirk worked at night after his 12-hour days with the railroad. He cut the figures for his circus from scrap wood using a foot-powered jigsaw. He finished the carving with a regular penknife. Only the nails and paint were bought new. The Kirk circus is full of animal acts, clowns, trapeze artists, bands, side shows, and bleachers packed with spectators and vendors. It shows Kirk's creativity, cleverness, and his lifelong love for the circus.
Canal Boat Circus Models
The collection also includes small models of a canal boat circus. From 1882 to 1887, people living along the Erie and Oswego canals in central New York state saw Sig Sautelle's big shows every summer. This was one of the only circuses ever to travel by boat! Sautelle, whose real name was George Satterlee (1848–1928), was a colorful showman. He was one of the most successful promoters of his time. Milo Smith from Herkimer, New York, built the wooden models of Sautelle's two circus canal boats. They give a clear picture of this unique regional circus.
