thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
From left to right: Olive, Glenna and Glen”Bones” Hartzell. This photo was just sent to me by Randall Hartzell, a second cousin to Glenna. This photo was taken on the R.B.B &B. Circus in the late 1930’s or the early 1940’s. Bones and his wife Olive clowned on many different circuses but mainly with Ringling. After Olive’s […]
thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
I first met Glenna when I was a kid on the Siebrand Bros Circus in the early 1950’s. She was a beautiful red head and all eyes turned when she walked down the midway to her fathers pit show. Her father passed away in 1955 and the octopus show was no longer… besides things were smelling […]
thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
Glenna and her father Glen”Bones” Hartzell, On R.B.B & B. Photo taken in the 1930’s or the very early 1940’s. Glenna’s parents Olive and Glen Hartzell clowned on the show and Glenna did production numbers, web, swinging ladder and spec… a good show girl. I remember she spoke kindly of her younger years on the […]
thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
Marie Henry in 1936, maybe earlier? Marie was the wife of Robert “Hap” Henry one of five brothers of the Henry Bros Circus.
thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
Now………… I have this wonderful instrument that myself and a friend brought back from Old Mexico. I want you to know it took a lot of influence on my part to obtain this Herdy Gerty. The announcement of this event would only take place if he had an audience of no less then 3 or […]
thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
Bill would drag this old hand crank band organ out from somewhere. Then he would do some adjustment that only he knew maybe and with a mighty push he would start cranking this Herdy Gerty as he called it. Then this loud horrible sounding music came out of this thing that was an unrecognizable tune of flutes and whistles bellowing forth. It […]
thecircusblog | December 2, 2010
In this photo Bill is now going in to his third encore witch no one really wants to hear. Dorothy Capell, Bill’s wife is beginning to turn off the lights in the room. This may help us to quietly leave.
