[A fascinating small archive of original promotional photographs, broadsides, and playbills for impalement and trick rope artists in the 1950’s and 1960’s, spotlighting cowgirl performers Carmel Gowan, Barbara Autry, Kay Dillon, family acts such as Los Larabees, The Claytons, Chief Whitecloud, The Orton’s, Tenners, and many others].

[Sarasota, FL, New Philadelphia, OH, New York, California, et al: Clyde Beatty Circus, Frontier Attractions, Management Agency, ca. 1950-1972]. 4to. [43 leaves (unnumbered).], archival mylar sleeves, preserving 29 publicity photographs, nearly all printed on glossy photo stock, sized 8 x 10 in., w/ photographer’s imprint w/in negative, some w/ annotations on verso, 1 signed, 1 large colour Kodak sized 8.5 x 11 in., 20 brochures, broadsides, playbills, some up to 8.5 x 17 in., several printed on colour-tinted paper, 1 to Frank Orman signed. Vinyl 3-ring binder, with photo slipped-in to front sleeve, printed label on spine (occasional toning, some minor creasing to brochures, others folded as issued, toning to clippings), still a VG grouping. Featuring daring cowgirl trick rope performers, knife throwers, whip artists, and trick riders, this album documents many of the acts which entertained crowds at the Clyde Beatty Circus, as well as the Gene Autry Show, rodeos across the country, television variety shows, and more. Barbara Autry was a cowgirl trick rope act featured in the Gene Autry traveling show (no relation), traveled often with the Clyde Beatty Circus, in between appearing at such rodeos as Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, Chicago, and others. Another cowgirl trick rope artist featured is Carmel Gowan, who ran off to join the circus at 17 from Calgary, Alberta, joined the Gene Autry touring show, and later played the Moulin Rouge in Paris, followed by bookings in Morocco, Algeria, and the Blackpool Circus in England. Others include the Orton’s featuring Tex & Alyce, a prominent sideshow knife throwing impalement act in the 1950’s and 1960’s; The Claytons who set many records with the longest whips used, and even appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964; or Chief Whitecloud (Lawrence Pierce), and his grandfather Willett Pierce noted trick knife throwers; Cheyenne Bill Penny; Los Larabees, Whips of the Argentine which was a fast moving act featuring El Larabee blindfolded and cutting the cigarette out of his mouth with a whip. Also represented in here are Frank Dean and his wife Bernice Hoppe who appeared for decades in the Clyde Beatty Circus, other circuses, wild west shows, rodeos, with knife throwing, whips, trick and fancy roping, and trick riding.