Snapshots of the Past

Banner act – Antique Print

Banner act, c1875. — vintage poster
Banner act, c1875.. Vintage poster 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 Banner act, a vintage poster rich in period detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Banner act

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Its title, Banner act, names the feature being sold: an acrobatic routine built around a large banner, a spectacle that drew crowds to traveling circuses in the 1870s. Color lithographs like this were the main way shows announced themselves, printed in quantity and pasted on fences and storefronts along a tour route. The copyright notice credits Gibson & Co., and the poster's bold layout and bright inks reflect the style of the period. Because such sheets were meant to be used up and discarded, surviving examples offer a rare view of how small-town audiences were pitched entertainment.

Created / publishedc1875.
Medium1 print : lithograph, color.
GenreCircus posters 1870-1880.Advertisements 1870-1880.Lithographs Color 1870-1880.
Notes3600J U.S. Copyright Office. Copyright by Gibson & Co.
SubjectsAcrobats--1870-1880. Circuses & shows--1870-1880.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,720 × 3,792 px · prints to 16 × 13 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-219655

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