Snapshots of the Past

[Circus performer leaping through a ring of fire] – Antique Print

[Circus performer leaping through a ring of fire], [no date recorded on shelflist card] — historic print
[Circus performer leaping through a ring of fire], [no date recorded on shelflist card]. Historic print 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 performer leaping through a ring of fire], a historic print rich in period detail. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Order it framed and ready to hang, or unframed to match a frame you already love. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Circus performer leaping through a ring of fire]

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A performer in tights leaps through a hoop of flame, the kind of stunt that drew crowds to traveling circuses and tented shows in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The record gives no date, and the only other clue is a shelflist card that names Gibson & Co., so the maker and the moment are both uncertain. Fire acts like this one depended on oil-soaked rings and careful timing, and they were a staple of the big top's most daring acts. Pictures of such stunts show how audiences were meant to read danger as spectacle.

Created / published[no date recorded on shelflist card]
Medium1 print.
NotesThis record contains unverified data from PGA shelflist card. Associated name on shelflist card: Gibson & Co.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,067 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-113314

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