Courier: P.T. Barnum's Illustrated News for Bridgeport, May 7, 1879

Courier for P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth, intended for Bridgeport, Connecticut for May 7, 1879. Couriers were a form of advertising that helped to announce the arrival of the circus, usually before it was in town. Some couriers were newspaper sized and many pages long, with extensive descriptions and illustrations of the acts that were a part of the circus. The courier intended for May 7, 1879 features a portrait of P.T. Barnum on the cover, surrounded by black and red flourishes. The first several pages are an address to the public, describing the 1879 issue, as well as featuring an illustration of Barnum's home at the time, Waldemere. This address is meant to demonstrate not only the wonders within, but what has been improved from the previous year's show. Further in the Illustrated News are descriptions of the various acts that the Greatest Show on Earth has. There are also illustrations which feature: Madame Dockrill and her horse riding stunts, horses with various carriages that they are pulling along, foreign trained stallions, Signora Linda Jeal leaping through flaming hoops on the back of her horse, Pluto, and other tricks, nine Russian stallions, Miss Katie Stokes performing tricks on horse bareback, trained Ukraine stallions, a herd of elephants, six trained Trakene stallions, and camels. A single page features a number of performers that made up the additional side show, including the so-called Mysterious Lady, tattooed man Captain George Costentenus, and Colonel Goshen the Palestine Giant (Arthur James Caley). The back cover features a full page illustration of Madame Dockrill performing on one of her horses. 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.