Funny Friday: Not a Bear

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Today's Treasure: Circus Sideshow Paintings

Inspired by vintage advertisements for circus side-show acts, Pennsylvania artist Joan Fay painted nearly 100 original canvas paintings in the manner of circus advertisements from the early19th century. 

 Some of the acts from circus of a bygone era were of talented performers who trained themselves to do things like breathe fire (see below) while others were the result of imagination and inventive costuming like the above act for a half man, half alligator....yikes!

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Funny Friday: Posting Fever

credit to: http://internet-safety.yoursphere.com

TGIF! Funny Friday

from letssmiletoday.com

Today's Treasure: Captain Morgan

This larger than life Captain Morgan once stood as a liquor store advertisement for the rum brand named after Sir Henry Morgan, a successful privateer and pirate of the17th century. Now he stands like a ring leader near our circus collection. We figured he would be tough enough to handle the circus tigers and bears.  

Real American Treasure: Scott Joplin

photo courtesy of:  http://www.visitmyarkansas.com

Scott Joplin (1867-1917) traveled and played with a number of musical groups in the 1890's. Around the turn of the century, he composed the "Maple Leaf Rag." He later worked on a ballet, and by 1902, the style of his compositions was officially dubbed, "Ragtime." 

Perhaps his most famous tune was "The Entertainer." Joplin's music was recorded for the phonograph and often made into rolls for nickelodeons like the ones you can hear at The American Treasure Tour.

Thanks to http://www.usa-hero.com for lots of great information on US Heros!

TGIF

Funny Friday comic: We got a kick out of this one :)

Today's Treasure: Classic Cars

The classic car collection at the American Treasure Tour is an exceptional collection of vehicles from the dawn of the automobile industry into the nostalgic styles of 1950's automobiles.

Influential American: P.T. Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum is best known for his part in Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 

An entreprenuer from the start, Barnum owned a newspaper in his Connecticut hometown before moving to New York where he quickly founded "Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theater." He purchased a museum which he used as a platform for performances from his variety act and for other human curiosities and oddities. Eventually, his museum housed America's first aquarium. 

       While ever adding to his list of attractions and oddities, Barnum was also a very productive politician, serving two terms in the Connecticut legislature, and eventually becoming mayor of Bridgeport, CT. 

      Barnum did not enter the travelling circus business until he was in his sixties. He started "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome," a traveling circus, menagerie and museum. He later partnered with Bailey, creating Barnum and Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth." 

    At the American Treasure Tour there is a wonderland of circus memorabilia, artifacts from the circus and vintage advertisements from the show's heyday. 

Funny Friday Ducks

Hope you're having a better day than this guy: 

photo courtesy of: cutefunnyanimal.blogspot

Band Organ

The delightful sounds of a Wurlitzer Band Organ you can hear many times over at the American Treasure Tour....

American Treasure: Walter Lippmann

Walter Lippmann was a New Yorker, a writer, reporter and political commentator in the early to mid 20th century. He pointed out inaccuracies in the news reporting and spoke out against censorship. Lippmann's articles and books often touched on tensions of modern America, between politics, liberty, and news.

Lippmann was the first to use the term "Cold War," and later coined the word "stereotype" as it is used today. His Catchphrase "Manufacture of Consent." has been used over again in literary works by great thinkers of the next generation. He published several books in addition to writing his syndicated newspaper column, "Today and Tomorrow," for which he was twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize (1958 and 1962).