Showman Collection (#2)

Acrobatic Male Dancer, 1920 (w / c on paper)
BRN187463 Acrobatic Male Dancer, 1920 (w/c on paper) by Demuth, Charles (1883-1935); The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Display of feats of strength by German bodybuilder and showman Eugen Sandow at the Trocadero, London, 1892 (litho)
6014191 Display of feats of strength by German bodybuilder and showman Eugen Sandow at the Trocadero, London, 1892 (litho) by English School

Kindness not whips: keeper in the lion and tiger enclosure, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia
5987099 Kindness not whips: keeper in the lion and tiger enclosure, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Martin Powell, puppet showman
Martin Powell (?-1729), puppet showman, often featuring a Punch character, in Bath, London and elsewhere. 1715

Giovanni Battista Belzoni at Sadlers Wells Theatre
Giovanni Battista Belzoni, Italian explorer and archaeologist, at Sadlers Wells Theatre, London, as the Patagonian Samson, wearing a strongmans costume made of fur, and an ostrich feather headdress

The bearded lady: Miss Annie Jones
Annie Jones Elliot (1865 - 1902) also known as " the Bearded Lady" toured with the showman P. T. Barnum as a circus attraction

Portrait of P T Barnum, The Biggest Show on Airth (colour litho)
583387 Portrait of P T Barnum, The Biggest Show on Airth (colour litho) by Merry, Tom (c.1852-1902); Private Collection; (add.info.: Portrait of P T Barnum)

Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) postcard, 1903 (b / w photo)
PNP247825 Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) postcard, 1903 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) in his early frontier days (b / w photo)
PNP247824 Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) in his early frontier days (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) (b / w photo)
PNP247821 Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Indian sword swallower in Paris, 1816. An assistant holds a sword to show its length (18 inches), and another takes something from a box of tricks

An organ grinder and a poodle with spinning machine before an audience of fashionable women in bonnets with plumes, shawls and lace dresses

Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) American showman: co-founder of Barnum
531972 Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) American showman: co-founder of Barnum and Bailey circus. Edward Linley Sambourne cartoon from Punch London 1884 in the Fancy Portraits series showing Barnum

Christian Mueller, 17th Century horse rider from Nuremberg (engraving)
3646819 Christian Mueller, 17th Century horse rider from Nuremberg (engraving) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Christian Mueller)

William Frederick Cody (1846 - 1917) (colour litho)
3105565 William Frederick Cody (1846 - 1917) (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; American, out of copyright

General Tom Thumb
Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838 - 1883), known as General Tom Thumb, was a dwarf who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum

The Showman, by Chas Linda and J Woolley
Promotional music sheet for The Showman music hall song of 1873 by Chas. Linda and J. Woolley, sung with the greatest success by Hyram Travers

Captain Paul Boyton, American showman and adventurer. 1893

Captive yet free: polar bears at Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b / w photo)
5987103 Captive yet free: polar bears at Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Professor Cyril, cycle and fancy diver (b / w photo)
3104266 Professor Cyril, cycle and fancy diver (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Professor Cyril, cycle and fancy diver)

Codys Wild West Show, 1893 (colour litho)
1547598 Codys Wild West Show, 1893 (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

Lyman H Howes High Class Moving Pictures, late 19th to early 20th century (litho)
747124 Lyman H Howes High Class Moving Pictures, late 19th to early 20th century (litho) by American School; Private Collection; (add.info.: Lyman Hakes Howe (1856-1919)

Champion Rifle Shot of the World poster, featuring Doc Carver (1840-1927) c
PNP247842 Champion Rifle Shot of the World poster, featuring Doc Carver (1840-1927) c.1885 (engraving) by American School

Wild Bill Hickok (1837-76) Texas Jack Omohundro (1846-79
PNP247833 Wild Bill Hickok (1837-76) Texas Jack Omohundro (1846-79) and Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) 1874 (photo) by American Photographer

Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) 1886 (colour litho)
PNP247820 Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) 1886 (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Buffalo Bills Wild West Show; ); Peter Newark American Pictures; American

The Show, pub. C. 1821 (colour lithograph)
5055701 The Show, pub. C. 1821 (colour lithograph) by Atkinson, John Augustus (1775-1831) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

The Wild West Show at West Brompton, 1887 (engraving) (b / w photo)
ILN147908 The Wild West Show at West Brompton, 1887 (engraving) (b/w photo) by Charlton, John (1849-1917); The Illustrated London News Picture Library, London

Tilli Bebe and her polar bears, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b / w photo)
5987102 Tilli Bebe and her polar bears, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Lunch time, polar bears at Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b / w photo)
5987101 Lunch time, polar bears at Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Lunch time)

Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) (engraving)
531970 Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) (engraving) by Brady, Mathew (1823-96) (after); (add.info.: Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) American showman: co-founder of Barnum and Bailey circus

Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) (photo)
PNP247829 Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) (photo) by American Photographer; Private Collection; (add.info.: Buffalo Bills Wild West Show; ); Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) (colour litho)
PNP247827 Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) (colour litho) by American School; Private Collection; (add.info.: Buffalo Bills Wild West Show; ); Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

Billy Purvis Stealing the Bundle (colour litho)
3898924 Billy Purvis Stealing the Bundle (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); 20.6x27 cm; Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, 1887 (engraving) (b / w photo)
ILN147905 Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, 1887 (engraving) (b/w photo) by English School, (19th century); The Illustrated London News Picture Library, London

Stunt horse rider May Wirth performing a somersault, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia
5987098 Stunt horse rider May Wirth performing a somersault, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Chimpanzees riding a bicycle, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b / w photo)
5987097 Chimpanzees riding a bicycle, Carl Hagenbecks Wonder Zoo and Big Circus, Olympia, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer

The Fete at Puteaux, near Paris (litho)
959144 The Fete at Puteaux, near Paris (litho) by May, Phil (1864-1903); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Fete at Puteaux, near Paris)

Advertisement for Doctor Parmenters Magnetic Oil, 1840s (colour litho)
PNP383893 Advertisement for Doctor Parmenters Magnetic Oil, 1840s (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Stop, friend! Read, reason and reflect)

Cover of the score sheet for Wild West Galop, 1888 (litho)
NBY332277 Cover of the score sheet for Wild West Galop, 1888 (litho) by American School, (19th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois, USA; (add.info.: written for piano by D)

P. T. Barnum (b / w photo)
PNP311594 P. T. Barnum (b/w photo) by Brady, Mathew (1823-96); Private Collection; (add.info.: Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-91) creator of the modern circus;

Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) (b / w photo)
PNP247828 Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) in his latter years (b / w photo)
PNP247826 Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) in his latter years (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) 1869 (b / w photo)
PNP247819 Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) 1869 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

A Rehearsal of the Wild West Show at Olympia, 1902 (pen and w / c on paper) (b / w photo)
ILN147906 A Rehearsal of the Wild West Show at Olympia, 1902 (pen and w/c on paper) (b/w photo) by Cleaver, Ralph (fl.1902); The Illustrated London News Picture Library, London

Buffalo Bills Wild West, Col. W. F. Cody, published 1890 (colour ithograph)
1275215 Buffalo Bills Wild West, Col. W.F. Cody, published 1890 (colour ithograph) by Ritchie, Alick Penrose Forbes (1868-1938); Private Collection; (add.info)

Harry Houdini c. 1898 (litho)
1194746 Harry Houdini c. 1898 (litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Return of the greatest of all magicians, the Houdinis, Harry)

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Unveiling the Spectacle: A Journey through the World of Showmen" Step right up and witness the captivating world of showmanship, where larger-than-life characters and extraordinary feats come to life. From the 1921 Burrell Earl to Buffalo Bill Cody racing in Munich, Germany, these showmen have left an indelible mark on history. In this mesmerizing journey, we encounter a caricature of P. T. Barnum and Jumbo the elephant, reminding us of their legendary partnership that enthralled audiences worldwide. The enigmatic Chabert, known as the Fire King, ignites our imagination with his daring acts that defy logic and reason. Actor Michael Crawford takes center stage in character for the musical hit Barnum on May 22nd, 1981. With his magnetic presence and boundless energy, he embodies Phineas Taylor Barnum's spirit like no other. No exploration of showmanship would be complete without mentioning Harry Houdini - a true master of illusion who captivated crowds with his death-defying escapes. His name remains synonymous with awe-inspiring magic even today. Traveling back in time to pre-1900s Wild West days brings us face-to-face with Buffalo Bill himself. This iconic figure showcases not only thrilling performances but also serves as a reminder of America's rich frontier heritage. Samuel Cody's assorted memorabilia from his Wild West shows transport us to an era when cowboys roamed freely across vast landscapes. A poster from Velodrome de la Seine in Paris captures Cody's adventurous spirit perfectly - inviting spectators into a world filled with excitement and wonder. And let us not forget The Children's Peep Show - an enchanting spectacle designed specifically for young minds eager to explore new realms of imagination. These remarkable individuals embody what it means to be a showman - they entertain, inspire curiosity, challenge boundaries, and leave lasting impressions on all who witness their grand performances.