The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-27
GETTING READY :.
FOR SIDE SHOWS
Busy Season For the Vaude-
vile Artist
PLANNING TO STARTlE
Amuse or Charm the People Under
Canvas-How the Big circuses
Spend Season in Winter
Quarters.

From the Boston Herald.
The work of painting new side-show
fronts for the great circuses for the tent
ing season of 1910 has now been begun,
and it will continue until the season opens
in the coming spring. There are some
smaller shows that manage to make their
side-show paintings do for more than one
season, but all the big shows get
complete new front every year SO as to
start out with everything fresh and
bright and striking.
There is some side-show painting done
the year around for new attractions and
to supply various unexpected wants and
for men who follow state and county
fairs and carniyals and street fairs in
various parts of the country. SideshoW
paintings are made in various sizes 10
fll all sorts of requirements. and FOR
merly numbers of such paintings as are
more commonly used. as for instance
Punch and Judys, and snake charmers'
vera made up and kept In stock to some
extent: but nowadays most sideshow
paintings are made to order, and the
busiest season in their production is in
the latter part of winter and the early
spring.
There are some shows that keep the
road continuously, but all the big shows
lay up in winter and rest. recuperate ana
refit, and these all get into their winter
quarters ana settle down before Cnrist-
mas This is a long established circus
custom. For the greater part OF the year
the Snowman Is a wanderer, but Charist-
mas finds him home II he can get there,
and then after the holidays he starts
preparations for the coming season. IL
is at this time that he begins TO send In
his orders for sideshow paintings, upon
which the artists are now at work. max
ing paintings that in due time will be
seen the country over by millions of cir
cusgoers. whom these pictures are de-
signed to startle, amuse and charm.
full complement of sideshow paint
ings for big show would Include nve
picture paintings each 20 feet high by u
feet wide, and one door painting, TINS
las being a sign canvas elaporateiy let
tered. II the show carried black TOP
a tent with its top painted black TO
darken 1t and within which are shown
moving pictures and illusions which
could not be exhibited in white canvas
tent-it would have also for this SIX
nicture paintings each 20 feet high by
nine feet wide and a door painting.
or course exaggeration Is the Keynote
OF the sideshow painting, CHARACTERIZATION
in drawing, size or color and 1t may be
In ali and in fact without exaggeration
the painting would be disappointing 10
everybody and 1t wouldn't draw me
a,-foot boa constructor inside the tent Is
a tremendous snake. but II 1t were
shown on the canvas as or Hs actual
size and lying dormant. as 1t may ac
tualIy be, the painting wouldn't draw at
all. . ..a
30 the artist adds about 10 feet 10 tne
snakes length and makes its BODY ABOUT
fo,,r ttrnes as big around as it Is and no
renresents the colossal snake not in
dormant state, but as rearing and ~rith-
ing with ewes afame, mouth Wioe open
and cruel fanRs extended. a fierce mon
ster OF enormous power mere oispiuyeu
all in action. 1t is doubtfui II many CIT
cusgoers expect to see the dig shahD
rearing and writhing like that inside.
MT thew would certainly be disappoint-
al ~ thew didn't see 1t outside. The SIDE
chow painting Is really part OF me
show one feature of the circus novelty
and glitter and whether consciousiy ..
not neople look for It and expect 1t, ana
this exaggeration in painting prevails
with many of the subjects depicted
with 20 feet OF canvas to paint on
the artist paints the giant ID lee. nisn'
certainly a very tall giant, exaggerated
soneuhst and the fat lady he puts
an canvas. with plenty of room there,
With even wider sweep than sne mas
In life while the living skeleton ne
neints phenomenally thin.
The nnidgets the artist does not much
diminish in the painting he MAKES
them look much smaller tnan they
really are by the simple eApeu ~
nlacins them beside a man, natural IN
annearance to the eye but really panied
NJ more than ordinary stature. In one
s,deshow painting there was produced
very striking effect by the introouc-
tion of a giant with the midgets. me
uiant was painted of about double giant
life size and was represented as noiolns
I'D two midgets. one In each nano. Seahu-
inr beside the giant was painted man
~ ordinary stature, reduced perhaps
I,ttle by comparison. with whom the
Liant seemed stupendous; while by
coYnuromise with the giant the nuggets
looked small indeed. An effective COM
bination and contrast. that
Most of the sideshow paintings are
made from written or oral suggestions
or as IN the case of freaks and OF var-
~, Cher Irving subjects. from photo
rrsphs. The show owner may seno III
Tor nictures of q snake charmer, piono
iadv. full figure, anaconda round neck
.naLe in each hand, large snakes IN
maretn." Certainly the artist requires
No further suggestion than that. as the
cnished picture will amply demonstrate
He saves the snake charmer handsome
facs as we'll as form and he puts In
snakes enough to suit the lfviiest snake
fancy. IT.. +ooer
The owner may want q hon tanner
tanning a lion, sending picture OF .no
man and the color of his hair- Inc
.r+tst nuts in the Hon and the nerce-
ness Or they may be required pic
ture of an enormous snake attacking q
lion: the artist supplies this. AID II
NAV be added that the competent sloe-
show painting artist produces animals
that are most lifelike and true to ma
ture. exaggerated as they may be In
i've and in ferocity. their 1ifelikeness, as
well as their size adding to their erect
iveness.
For a bird and monkey painting the
owner sends the kinds Of birds and also
the kinds of monkeys and the artist
ranroduces these true to life as to the
Individual creatures. but with the pic
tire showing plenty of action. Perhaps
n Is a painting of a bearded lazy tnat
is wanted The artist may give the
heard in the picture a little more than
its real length, but the face ne makes
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