Info on Circus life?

Alice.S said:

Can anyone help me with infomation on cirus life during the 1800's-1900's?

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It might help folks answer if you narrowed it down a little. Two hundred years is a pretty long time, covering the transition from traveling over muddy roads with a wagon and a couple exotic animals or trick horses, to the huge circus trains and massive three-ring tents of the Barnum and Bailey heyday, to the indoor shows hauled by tractor-trailor trucks. And that's just in the US--no idea about other countries.

Depending on what exactly you're looking for (it is a rather broad subject) the Circus Historical Society might be helpful, they have a message board as well.

Well, you live in trailers. Horse drawn. Watch that cool movie Freaks. It is a kind of a cult film about circus life-- probably in the 30's to 40's. I am not sure what time it is set in. I've seen things on Vaudaville life in the period you mention, not much on circus. Look at Toluse Latrec drawings they have circus people of that era. Also Piccaso. He painted circus people.

Here are a few resources I found:

http://www.circusweb.com/circuswebFrames.html
http://www.circusinamerica.org/public/
http://www.history-magazine.com/kk/circuses.html

'The Royal Hanneford Circus in Strabane, Ireland in the late 1800's. It was a popular attraction among ...'
sahibshrine.org/circus/hanneford.htm
...could help for British Circuses.