Hudson & Shadle Cabinet Photograph of Circus Workers, Algona Iowa 1888-1894

Large format cabinet photograph of circus workers posed outside tents. These workers appear to be the workers that set up the tents and care for the animals. There are some of the earliest known examples of a visual record of The Ringling Bros. It's a collection of photographs taken at Algona, Iowa in 1888, 1890 and possibly 1894 by two local photographers, J.

Saunders and Hudson & Shadle. At least 15 Saunders and 19 Hudson & Shadle photos survive in the museum's collection.

(Not sure if these are in the Ringling Bros museum or Algona Iowa museum). Saunders in particular took many images of performers and of the showgrounds in 1888. I only have one image. It is stamped Hudson & Shandle and the number (#16) on the back. It is 10" x 12".

Top left corner creased, but not into the image. The other two were taken from the Facebook post. I DO NOT HAVE THESE! One is a view of the Ringling dining tent in 1888. Remember, the Ringling Show was still a wagon show; traversing the rutted dirt and mud roads, traveling between 10-12 miles between towns.

It is a far cry from what the dining tent would look like in another 10-20 years. An 1888 view of the Ringling Bros. Circus set up on a lot with many of the show's employees, and an elephant. The big top tent can be seen at left, and a second tent, which is probably the menagerie, seen at right. This text was taken from [From Circus World (Facebook) May 25, 1920].

Remember, there is one photograph only.