The sun., 1910-01-02
PAINTINGS FOR SIDESHOWS
ARTISTS BUSY on WORK FOR
THE SEASON OF 1910.

.
PIctnrcs Designed 20 startle or Amuse or
ChArm-Exaggera tiOn the keynote
Oe Almost ALI But the Public w0uld
Not Like Them In Any other Form.
The work OF pa hitting new sdeshow
fronts Tor 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
sideshow paintings do for more than
one season, but all the big shows get a
complete new front every year so as to
start out with everything fresh and bright
and striking.
There is some sideshow painting done
the year around for new attractions and to
supply various unexpected wants and for
men who follow State and county fairs
and carnivals and street fairs in various
parts OF the country. Sideshow paint
ings are made in various sizes to fiji all
sorts OF requirements. and formerly
numbers OF such paintings as are more
commonly used. as for instance Punch
and Judys and snake cha rners. were
made up and kept in stock. and they are
still 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 to rest. recuperate and
refit. and these all get into their winter
quarters and settle down before Christ
mas. This is a long established circus
custom. For the greater part Of the year
the Snowman is q wanderer, but Christ
mas finds him atIhome il he can get there.
and then after the holidays he starts
preparations for the coming season.
1t 10 at this time that he begins to send
in his orders for sideshow paintings,
upon which the artists are now at work
making paintings that in due time will
be seen the country over by millions OF
circusgoers, whom these pictures are
designed TO startle, amuse and charm.
A full complement OF sideshow paint
ings for a big show would include five
picture paintings each 20 feet high by 10
feet wide and one door painting. this
last being a sign canvas elaborately let
tered. II the show carried a black top
tent with its top painted black to darken
it and within which are shown moving
pictures and illusions which could not
be exhibited in a white canvas tent
il would have also for this six picture
paintings each 20 feet high by feet wide
and a door painting.
or course exaggeration is the keynote
Of the sideshow painting. exaggeration
in drawing. sine or color and it may
be in all. and in fact with out exaggera-
ton the painting would be disappointing
to ever vbodv and it wouldn't draw
The twenty foot boa constructor inside the
tent 10 q tremendous snake. but IL It were
shown on the canvas as of it's actual size
and living dormant. as it may actually
be. the painting would be wasted.
So the artist adds about ten feet to the
snakes length and makes it's body about
four times as big around as 10 is. and he
represents the colossal snake not in q
dormant state but as rearing and writh-
ing, with eyes afiame. mouth wide open
and cruel kanxs extended, a fierce mon
ster OF enormous power here displayed
all in action. IL is doubtful II many
circusgoers expect to see the big snake
rearing and writhing like that inside,
but they would certainly be disappointed
il they didn't see IL outside. The side
show painting is really part OF the
show, one feature OF the circus's novelty
and glitter. and whether consciously
or not people look for it and expect II.
walls With many Of the subjects.
With twenty feet OF canvas to paint
on the artist paints the giant Is feet
high; certainly q very tall giant, exagger-
ated somewhat; and the fat lady he puts
with even a wider sweep than she has in
life. while the living skeleton he paints
phenomenally thin.
The midgets the artist does not much
diminish in the painting. He makes them
look much smaller than they really are
beside a man. natural IN appearance
to the eye but really painted OF moro
than ordinary stature. In one sideshow
painting there was produced a very
striking effect by the introduction OF a
giant with the midgets. The giant was
painted OF about double giant life size
and WAS represent ed a. holding up two
midgets. one in each hand. Standing
beside the giant was painted a man OF
ordinary stature. reduced perhaps little.
by comparison with whom the giant
seemed stupendous; while by comparison
with the giant the midgets looked small
indeed. An effective combination and
contrast, that.
Most OF the sideshow paintings are
made from written or oral suggestions,
or. as in the case OF freaks and OF vari-
GUS other living SUBJECTS, from photo
graphs. The show owner may send in
for pictures OF snake oharmer, blond
lady, full figure. anaconda around neck
snake in each hand, large snakes in mar
gin Certainly the artist requires no
further suggestion than that. as the
finished picture viii amply demonstrate.
He gives the snake charmer a handsome
face as well an form and he puts i'm snakes
enough to suit the livelest snake fancy.
The owner may want lion tanner
tanning a lion. sending n picture OF the
man and the color OF his hair. The artist
puts in the lion and the fiercsness. Or
there may be required picture OF an
enormous snake attack ing a lion; the
artist supplies this. II may be added
that the competent sideshow painting
artist produces animals that are most
lifelike and true to nature. exaggerated
as they may be in sine and in ferocity,
their lifelikeness as well as their size
adding to their effectiveness.
For O bird and monkey painting the
owner sends the kinds OF birds and also
the kinds OF monkeys, and the artist re-
produces these true to life as to the indi-
vidual creatures but with the picture
showing plenty Of action. Perhaps
It Is a painting OF a bearded lady that is
wanted. The artist may give the beard
In, h~ rNiattara liffla y1nrtsm than ftu HAal