Snapshots of the Past

[Circus scene showing a man (magician?) standing on a table holding a curtain, standing to the right is a clown with a horn, on the left a man is balancing on one foot on a moving horse while another performer stands nearby, the audience stands in the background] / J.A.W. – Vintage Wall Art

[Circus scene showing a man (magician?) standing on a table holding a curtain, standing to the right is a clown with a horn, on the left a man is balancing on one foot on a moving horse while another performer stands nearby, the audience stands in the background] / J.A.W., [between 1820 and 1835] — historic drawing
[Circus scene showing a man (magician?) standing on a table holding a curtain, standing to the right is a clown with a horn, on the left a man is balancing on one foot on a moving horse while another performer stands nearby, the audience stands in the background] / J.A.W., [between 1820 and 1835]. Historic drawing from the Circus & Carnival collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Step back in time with [Circus scene showing a man (magician?) standing on a table holding a curtain, standing to the right is a clown with a horn, on the left a man is balancing on one foot on a moving horse while another performer stands nearby, the audience stands in the background] / J.A.W., a historic drawing rich in period detail. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.

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[Circus scene showing a man (magician?) standing on a table holding a curtain, standing to the right is a clown with a horn, on the left a man is balancing on one foot on a moving horse while another performer stands nearby, the audience stands in the background] / J.A.W.

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A figure, possibly a magician, stands on a table holding a curtain, a clown to the right raises a horn, and a man on the left balances on one foot atop a moving horse. Dated between 1820 and 1835, the wash drawing reflects the mix of equestrian feats, comic turns and conjuring that drew crowds to traveling shows of the period. The record suggests it may copy an illustration from an 1815 English edition of *Songs of the Chase*, a reminder of how often American artists borrowed British models. The spectators crowding the background hint at the shows' popularity.

Created / published[between 1820 and 1835]
Medium1 drawing : wash.
GenreWash drawings 1820-1840.
NotesWoodside's drawing may be a copy after an illustration from an 1815 English edition of Songs of the Chase." Marian S. Carson Collection (Library of Congress). Exhibited: American Treasures of the Library of Congress. Unprocessed in D 024"
SubjectsCircuses & shows--1820-1840. Circus performers--1820-1840. Audiences--1820-1840.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,792 × 4,682 px · prints to 13 × 16 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-220278

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