CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
When The Circus Came To Town
Camden's location as the rail hub between Philadelphia and New York made the town a natural venue for circuses in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. In the days before television and radio, the circus coming to town was a very big event! The “Old Show Lot” frequently used by circuses and other out-door exhibitions in 1868-1870 was located at the northeast corner of 5th and Penn Streets. As an illustration of the amount of vacant or undeveloped land within the present built-up portion of the city, it may be cited that in 1870 the block bounded by Broadway, Mickle Street, 5th Street, and Benson Street was favorably considered as a public park by a committee of the City Council. P.T. Barnum's "great traveling museum, menagerie and caravan" exhibited on the lots on Broadway below Bridge avenue on April 20, 1872. Another large circus, now forgotten, was the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, which traveled by rail until its closure in 1936. Many people remember The Big Top television show featuring circus acts which was broadcast live from the original Convention Hall until that edifice burned down in 1953. |
Camden Courier-Post - June 1, 1933 |
CIRCUS
TO EXHIBIT IN CAMDEN JUNE 15 The
number one advertising car of the Great Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus rolled into town yesterday and almost
immediately 35 billposters, lithographers, and bannermen were busy in the
city and suburbs putting up the highly colored posters of the clowns, elephants, bespangled stars, and jungle
beasts. The huge
show, traveling on three special all-steel trains of double length
circus cars, the second largest in the
world, is scheduled to exhibit here on Thursday, June 15, at
East State Street and Cooper River. Clyde
Beatty. World's greatest wild animal trainer, is again the outstanding
feature, with scores of acts, many of them new to America, dotting the
lengthy program. Forty-eight horses in one huge number, feature the equine
displays, while the famous Hanneford family of bareback riders, with
“Poodles” Hanneford, greatest of riding clowns, headline with the
equestrian acts. The Flying Hills, the Clarkonians, and the LeBlanie
Trio, trapeze performers, will head the troupes of aerialists. Other
1933 features include “Bombayo”, the Man from India, the Picchiani
Troupe, acrobats; the Canestrelly Family, ladder performers, and over
100 other ring, track, and stage numbers from among the great assemblage of
500 men and women stars with the big show this season. The largest menagerie on tour in the world, augmented, by five herds of performing elephants, 40 in number, 30 camels and a whole herd of zebras is another feature this year. |
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Camden
Courier-Post June 9, 1933 Click on Image to Enlarge |
Camden Courier-Post - June 10, 1933 | ||||||
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Camden Courier-Post - June 15, 1933 | ||||||
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Camden Courier-Post - June 15, 1933 | |
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Camden Courier-Post - June 15, 1933 | |
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Camden Courier-Post - June 16, 1933 |
Birthday Pig Gives Cop on Circus Duty 'Circus' of His Own It was "circus day" two or three places yesterday, including Motorcycle Policeman Russell Young's home, at 1260 Browning Street, and police headquarters in fact, everywhere he went with his new pig, "Geraldine." Young was 29. "Geraldine" was the birthday gift from Acting Sergeant James Wilson. Presentation was
at the circus lot, where Young was on duty. The pig enjoyed riding around all afternoon in Young's Then it was another "circus" quieting the pet. Finally Young got a nursing bottle, some milk and got his gift to sleep and headed homeward, where "Geraldine" and her owner gave the folks a surprise party. |
BOY HURT AT CIRCUS
Joseph Hackett, 10, colored, of 622 Sycamore Street, was treated at Cooper Hospital yesterday for a wound he said was caused when a sideshow attendant at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus threw a brick. Police could find no brick thrower. |
Camden Courier-Post |
Camden Courier-Post - June 19, 1933 |
CIRCUS 'ECHO' IN COURT Armed with a contract and all set for a "clean up," Russell Fleming, 710 Sycamore Street, arrived at the scene of his work only to find the job had been usurped by a Philadelphian, Fleming told Police Judge Pancoast Saturday when he appealed to him to settle, an argument over the job. Fleming said he was given a contract by Hagenbeck-Wallace circus to clean up the circus grounds on State Street Friday morning after the circus had departed. For his work, Fleming said, he was to get the refuse, to be sold as fertilizer. He went to the circus grounds, he said, all set to go to work and found Henry Rothblath, 53, of 2549 Rees Street, Philadelphia, had already hauled away four loads. Rothblath refused to return the four loads of refuse, Fleming said, so he had him arrested. Judge Pancoast decreed that Rothblath erred in hauling away the four loads of refuse and sent him to jail for 60 days. |