Circus and Allied Arts Collection

Milner Library’s Circus and Allied Arts Collection is one of the largest and best special collections of its type in existence. While the major emphasis of the collection is upon circus, this collection also includes related arts such as carnivals, carousels, conjuring, music halls, and vaudeville. This collection’s book holdings of over 6,000 volumes make it among the most comprehensive and in-depth circus and allied arts book collections anywhere. In addition to book items, the Circus and Allied Arts Collection includes photographs, circus posters, programs, route books, correspondance, business records, band scores, videotapes, audiotapes, and realia.

The Circus and Allied Arts Collection began in 1955 when Eleanor Welch--Milner’s Library Director at the time--decided to document the important role the circus has played in Bloomington-Normal’s history. Beginning with the 'Flying La Vans' in the 1880's, Bloomington produced severalwell-known circus aerialist acts and became a popular winter training location for circus performers.

Through numerous purchases and donations, Milner’s Circus and Allied Arts Collection has grown from approximately 2,100 items in 1963 to its current size of over 100,000 items. Instrumental to the growth of the collection has been the acquisition of outstanding private collections such as those of Harold T. Ramage, Walter Scholl, Sverre O. Braathen, Jo Van Doveren, Charles H. Tinney, Everett W. Richey, Frank Ball, and Jack Atkinson.

Book and periodical holdings in the Circus and Allied Arts Collection have been cataloged and will appear in the Milner Online Catalog. The other holdings of the collection (circus posters, photographs, route books, correspondance, etc.) are not cataloged.

A CD-ROM of the Collection’s circus posters serves as an inventory of the posters and is a valuable research tool.

Other Circus sites:

• Guide to Circuses
• Circus World Museum
• The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art