Barnum and Bailey Circus Have you ever been to a circus? The lights, sounds, and all the tricks that you can think of. But, who came up with the idea to even think of this type of entertainment? Barnum and Bailey are the founder of the very first circus. They called themselves “Barnum and Bailey Greatest show on Earth”. From the struggle and hardship Barnum and Bailey invented a new source of entertainment for many. Barnum and Bailey did not start off knowing each other. Politician, showman, and businessman P.T Barnum came up with the idea of a traveling freak show. Barnum did not just start off with his traveling freak show, he owned a small-business in the early twenties and moved to New York City in 1834. His first trail in the entertainment business was called “Barnum Grand Scientific and Musical Theater”. James Anthony Bailey was already into the business of a circus before he met Barnum. In the year of 1881 P.T Barnum and James Anthony Bailey merged together to create “Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth”. As their entertainment grew many people started to recognized them. …show more content…
In the year of 1907 two brothers by the name of Charles Edward Ringling and John Nichols Ringling purchased the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth and finally joined their acts together in the year of 1919. March 29, 1919 the combined she debuted in New York City. The show consisted of “freaks” and many other entertaining things that captivated audience. During the Great Depression the circus suffered, but still managed to survive. “Every crowd has a silver lining” (P.T Barnum). Their hope is what really kept the circus a float until John Nichols Ringling died, and his nephew had to step in and take his place. Everything seemed to be falling apart and yet they still had the hope and faith and pulled through it, but how long would that