Ringling Brothers Circus

The Ringling Brothers Circus was founded in the United States in 1884. Ringling Brothers Circus eventually joined with the Barnum & Bailey Circus to become Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Greatest Show on Earth.

History

The Ringling Circus began in 1884 using the title Yankee Robinson and Ringling Bros., the only time the Ringlings ever gave themselves second billing. It was a small wagon conveyed circus at first, little different physically from scores of other little shows that transversed limited geographic areas. What distinguished the Ringling circus from others was Ringling's honest and fair attitude toward the public. Unlike other small circuses of the time, Ringling would not allow ticket sellers to short change customers, nor did they allow games of chance such as Three Card Monte and shell games on their lots. This reputation for clean dealing and good value did them a world of good, and by 1890 they were able to make the leap into the ranks of railroad circuses. The significance of this change in transportation was that henceforth the circus wasn't limited to moving only 15 to 20 miles a night, and could now skip the really small towns that contained a limited audience and play larger towns day after day, therefore increasing the average revenue.

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1884 - Three Card Monte - 1890

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In January 1890 two of the Ringlings went to Philadelphia where they purchased railroad cars and parade equipment from Adam Forepaugh, a venerable showman who had had a show on the road since 1864. Ironically, Forepaugh allowed all the crooked enterprises the Ringlings wouldn't.

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1890 - Philadelphia - Adam Forepaugh - 1864

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