Handbill: The Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth for Anderson, Ind. July 9, 1890

Handbill for the The Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth performing at Anderson, Indiana on. July 9, 1890. Printed on green paper, the handbill features a depiction of the racetrack at Olympia on one side and "Nero; or the Destruction of Rome" on the other. One side of the handbill advertises a tremendous open menagerie, free street displays, the Olympia Hippodrome, Imre Kiralfy's "Nero", and 40 supernatural illusions, in addition to other attractions. Illustrated at the top are portraits of P.T. Barnum and J.A. Bailey on the left and right respectively. Taking up the center third of the advertisement is a vision of the exhibition hall at Olympia in Kensington, London, with a number of horses racing around a track in the center. To their right are clowns who have stumbled into the middle of things, and to the left of the running horses are a number of elephants doing tricks for their trainer. The scale of the venue is well depicted with an arching ceiling, meticulously detailed, and the crowd is clearly shown to be enormous. Also illustrated are a long team of horses being controlled by one rider, and the interior of the tent that boasts 40 supernatural illusions. A crowd is shown streaming past. The other side of the handbill is entirely devoted to advertising Imre Kiralfy's production of Nero; or the Destruction of Rome. It gives elaborate descriptions of the performance, and boasts of the number of individuals involved, as well as the expense of the production itself. Illustrations from the show are peppered throughout. At the top is an illustration of Rome burning, with terrified Romans fleeing the burning city in the foreground. Two additional illustrations at the bottom of the advertisement show The Appian Way in Nero's Time and feature crowds and grand processions around the emperor himself. Measures 28.25 by 10.25 inches. Printed by the Courier Company. Imre Kiralfy (originally Königsbaum) (January 1845-April 28, 1919) was a Hungarian born producer of spectacles, with a number of his elaborate productions being put on by the Barnum and Bailey circus. Originally working to produce shows with his brother Bolossy, the two put on what were known as spectacles - elaborately staged multi-media productions with music, lavish costuming, massive sets, dancing, extensive use of new electrical lighting, and minimal emphasis on dialogue. The two had a successful partnership, but split in 1887 following a falling out for reasons unknown. Imre went on to produce shows like Nero; or the Fall of Rome, Columbus and the Discovery of America and The Fall of Babylon that toured as a part of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Kiralfy died in Brighton, England on April 28, 1919. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that bore his name, but his circus ventures came about when he was in his 60s. The first show was called P.T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations, and the intake was significant. Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts. In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses. A merger between Barnum's show and the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It came to an end in May 2017 when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus ceased performances after 146 years