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Photo, Print, Drawing Pay Off of Spec--the Good Old Times.

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About this Item

Title

  • Pay Off of Spec--the Good Old Times.

Summary

  • In the American circus, the spectacle, or "spec," developed as a procession that took place around the hippodrome track inside the big top, or circus tent, featuring as many of the performers and animals as the circus director was able to costume. Traced back to the earliest circuses in America, the spec was originally a lavish performance of literary or historical tales intended to entertain and edify the audience. The costumes created for specs were often exotic, representing cultures from all corners of the globe. The costumes also could be whimsical, transforming reality, such as the design shown here for the pay-off float of the 1952 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The pay-off float was the grand finale of the parade, and in this spec, elephants were costumed as lobsters and swans. The costume design is by Miles White (1914--2000), who was known as one of the most talented designers of circus costumes and who also designed costumes for ballets, ice shows, movies, and Broadway shows, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Carousel.

Names

  • White, Miles, 1914-2000 Artist.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1952.

Headings

  • -  United States of America
  • -  1952
  • -  Circus
  • -  Circus performers
  • -  Circus spectacles
  • -  Costumes
  • -  Elephants
  • -  Entertainers
  • -  Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: Ink and watercolor on paper ; 11.25 x 15 inches.
  • -  Original resource at: The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021670515

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

White, Miles, Artist. Pay Off of Spec--the Good Old Times. United States of America, 1952. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670515/.

APA citation style:

White, M. (1952) Pay Off of Spec--the Good Old Times. United States of America, 1952. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670515/.

MLA citation style:

White, Miles, Artist. Pay Off of Spec--the Good Old Times. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021670515/>.