Circus Historical Society
Note Sheet No. 6, May 1943
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Note Sheet No. 6, May 15, 1943. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not included.
Names of circus owners such as Kellermann, Brown, Ship and Feltus, Santos y Artigas, Cocona, Dunbar and Schweyer are the most outstanding in our circus history. They are of the present century, of the last century, Charini, a Mexican that brought through South America one of the best circus shows is one of the few to be recalled.
Kellermann was a German that came around 1912. He had a reputation for wild animals - lions, tigers, elephants and even crocodiles. Ten or twelve first class acrobatic acts were also with the show.
Frank Brown, an English clown came three times to Chile with first class shows and became owner and manager of a circus with his name. He spent his last years in Boenos Aires, where he retired after marrying the famous equestrian star of his circus - Rita de la Plata.
The first circus managed in the American manner was the Ship and Feltus. These two clever enterprising Americans took a very good show mostly acrobatic acts through South America. They were the first to produce a show with a parade, every artist of the circus walking in the ring with band at the head as an introduction to the show. I recall the following names of performers: Ferados, trapeze act, Dwalos, man and woman contortionist; Tan Araki, troupe of Japs; Kitchie, equilibristic contortions on pedestal; Osmatos, flying return act; Virginia Ship equestrian act and Yardleys perch act.
They came in his second tour a few years later with the following acts: Mary Delvrd, vertical rope and trapeze; Paul Brachard, Beautiful family, contortions; The Dunbars, flying trapeze; Tan and Harry Araki, risley and ladder act and Kenyot, equestrian act.
The Mexican-born Codona came twice with a circus. Rae and Rae revolving ladder. Alfredo, Lalo and Clara Codona in the marvelous flying return act featuring triple somersault; Clara Codona, iron jaw; Otto and Mable Rae, contortionists, “Captain” Schweyer wild act with five lions.
Santos y Artigas the well known Cuban circus toured also Chile with the first one-ring, two-stage show. They had a big menagerie but few acrobatic acts, best one being the famous Loretta Twins, a triple bar act performed by two women and a flying return act.
The Dunbar and Schweyer circus was organized by Dunbar, the flying act with the Ship and Feltus Circus and Capt. Schweyer of the Codona Circus.
After the 1932 crises only a few imported circuses have come here. One of the few has been the Atayde Brothers, three Mexicans who perform a 5 bar act. They had also the Clarks trio, two men and girl flying return act; Say-Lugtau a boneless contortionist, a feminine risely act, several acrobats and many animal acts such as camels, dogs, ponies and three elephants.
Miss Virginia Ship, daughter of Ship of the Ship and Feltus Circus, also brought a small circus, but failed because of the high expenses of the show and the low price of Chilean currency. She retired and is living in Santiago where she owns a novelty shop.
We always have some small circus, e.g. one ring, ten or fifteen performers that travel through Chile, Argentine, Bolivia and Peru. They carry mostly acrobats of the old Chilean families of the circus, such as Montos de Oca, Beltrau, Salagar, Gil, Corales. They have names such as Cico Trigles, Circo Liverpool, Circo Corales, and Circo Americano.
Adam Forepaugh in Open Carriage - Drawn by Two Black Horses Driven by George Sowers
Eight Buglers on White Horses
Big Band Wagon - Drawn by 12 Silver tailed dun horses; driven by Dave Keene
Eight Ladies Mounted on Bay Horses
Big Lion Cage with Sixteen Lions and Stan Carroll sitting with Lions - Drawn by 8 Black horses.
Eight Mounted Gentlemen on White Horses
Big Tiger Cage with Man sitting in Den - Drawn by 8 Black Horses.
Number 2 Band Wagon - Drawn by 10 Roan Horses.
Four Open Cage Wagons - Drawn by 4 Horse teams.
Big Globe Tableau Wagon with Louise Montague Sitting on Globe - Drawn by 10 Bay Horses.
Three Elephants: Bolivar, Tip and Albert, With Ladies riding in Howdahs, with Addie Forepaugh Jr., Eph Thompson and Bill Emory riding beside them on horses.
Three Clown Carts - Drawn by Donkeys with Clowns
Big St. George Tableau - Drawn by 10 White Horses.
Four Open Dens - Drawn by 4 horse teams.
Cleopatra Boat Tableau Wagon - Drawn by 6 horses.
Number 3 Band Wagon - Drawn by Two Elephants.
Side Show Band and then Four Open Dens - Drawn by 4 Horse teams.
Big Hippopotamus Den - Drawn by 8 Horses.
Big Rhino Den - Drawn by 8 Horses.
Number 4 Band Wagon - Drawn by 16 ponies driven by Pony Tom.
Clown Band followed by Eagle Tableau - Drawn by ponies.
Bell Tableau Wagons - Drawn by ponies.
Old Woman in a Shoe Tableau - Drawn by four Zebras and driven by Forepaugh Whitie
Big Snake Den with Lady Inside - Drawn by 8 Horses.
Clint DeWittt's Cowboy Band - Mounted on 12 White Horses.
Captain Bogardus, Wild West, Cow Girls, Cowboys and Indians (40 in number and all mounted).
Watch your Horses, "Here Come the Elephants," twenty-six in number. All men mounted on horses.
Sixteen Men Mounted on Camels followed by the Steam Calliope - Drawn by 8 piebald horses and played by Jimmie King.
The Show this year (1888) had 70 railroad cars; 29 flat cars; 6 elephant cars, 12 horse cars; twenty sleepers and four advertising cars.
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Last modified November 2005.
without written permission of the author and the Circus Historical Society, Inc.