Historic

Circus Costumes Across the Decades: A Visual Thematic Analysis of RIngling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Show Programs from 1950-2017

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Abstract

A visual thematic analysis was conducted of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (RBBB) show programs from the years 1950-2017 to explore the history of circus costume over time. The researcher traveled to the John and Mable Ringling Museum Archives in Sarasota, FL in January 2020 to study RBBB circus artefacts such as show programs and performer photographs. Digital copies of the RBBB show programs were reviewed for visual and textual information about the evolution of circus costumes including interviews with costume designers, comparison of circus costumes by apparatus type over time, informational texts and performer biographies. By exploring a specific range of text and image-rich resources such as the RBBB show programs, it is possible to draw conclusions about the evolution of circus costume over time, supplemented by contextual information.

Keywords: Historical costume, Circus costume, Visual thematic analysis

How to Cite:

Du Puis, J. L., (2020) “Circus Costumes Across the Decades: A Visual Thematic Analysis of RIngling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Show Programs from 1950-2017”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12107