American Circus Corporation

The American Circus Corporation consisted of the Sells-Floto Circus, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, the John Robinson Circus, the , and the Al G. Barnes Circus. It was owned by , Bert Bowers and . They sold the company in 1929 to John Nicholas Ringling for $1.7 million ($25.6 million today). With that acquisition, Ringling owned virtually every traveling circus in America.^[1]

Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus[]

The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was a circus that traveled across America in the early part of the 20th century. At its peak, it was the second-largest circus in America next to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was based in Peru, Indiana.

Al G. Barnes Circus[]

Al G. Barnes Circus was an American circus run by Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse.^[2]

Sells Floto Circus[]

The Sells Floto Circus was a combination of the Otto Floto Dog and Pony Show and the Sells Brothers Circus that toured with sideshow acts in the United States during the early 1900s.

John Robinson Circus[]

The John Robinson Circus was founded by John Robinson and .^{[citation needed]}

Sparks Circus[]

Sparks Circus as established by (1863-1903). He used the name of Sparks on all of his entertainment shows and legally changed his name to John H. Sparks. He died on January 29, 1903. ^[3]

References[]

^ "Bailey and the Ringlings". Feld Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-07-21. In 1929, reacting to the fact that his competitor, the American Circus Corporation, had signed a contract to perform in New York's Madison Square Garden, Ringling purchased American Circus for $1.7-million . In one fell swoop, Ringling had absorbed five major shows: Sells-Floto, Al G. Barnes, Sparks, Hagenbeck-Wallace, and John Robinson.
^ "Died". Time. August 3, 1931. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2008-07-22. Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse (Al G. Barnes), 68, circusman, founder and longtime owner of Barnes's Circus; after a lingering illness; in Indio, California. He started his show in 1895 with a pony, a phonograph, a stereopticon. A colorful participant at every performance, he would lead the opening parade seated on the head of a mammoth elephant. Two years ago he sold his interests to Circusman John Ringling for $1,000,000.
^ (1964). "Introductory Brief History of Sparks Family". Bandwagon, Vol. 8, No. 6 (Nov-Dec). pp. 4–5. Archived from the original on 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2012-11-03.

[acc-1] "Bailey and the Ringlings". Feld Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-07-21. In 1929, reacting to the fact that his competitor, the American Circus Corporation, had signed a contract to perform in New York's Madison Square Garden, Ringling purchased American Circus for $1.7-million . In one fell swoop, Ringling had absorbed five major shows: Sells-Floto, Al G. Barnes, Sparks, Hagenbeck-Wallace, and John Robinson.

[2] "Died". Time. August 3, 1931. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2008-07-22. Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse (Al G. Barnes), 68, circusman, founder and longtime owner of Barnes's Circus; after a lingering illness; in Indio, California. He started his show in 1895 with a pony, a phonograph, a stereopticon. A colorful participant at every performance, he would lead the opening parade seated on the head of a mammoth elephant. Two years ago he sold his interests to Circusman John Ringling for $1,000,000.

[3] (1964). "Introductory Brief History of Sparks Family". Bandwagon, Vol. 8, No. 6 (Nov-Dec). pp. 4–5. Archived from the original on 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2012-11-03.

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