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U.S. and C.C.A. Postal History and Hawaii continued...

Circus Covers
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
1298 c Image5c Red Brown (1). Two singles, huge margins to clear, one with top left corner sheet margins and other with left sheet margin, slightly overlapping, tied by red grid cancels and matching "Pittsburgh Pa. Nov. 6" circular datestamp on 1850 folded letter to a printer in New York, contents contains hand-drawn flyer for Spalding & Rogers Circus, featuring Johnson's Negro Minstrels and the Lion Tamer La Petite Mane, also featuring a 6-year-old in the leopard's den, bottom of letter contains instructions to printer for advertisement, light vertical file fold well away from stamps

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE 1847 ISSUE COVER, BEARING A CORNER-MARGIN SINGLE, WITH FASCINATING CIRCUS-RELATED CONTENTS.

The Spalding & Rogers Circus was started in 1848 by Dr. Gilbert R. Spalding, a former pharmacist from Albany, and Charles J. Rogers. They were the first to use quarter-poles in tents, the first to use a pipe organ, they invented knock-down seats and had multiple circuses on the road at the same time. They were also early users of the railroad to move their circus, and by 1857 made a specially outfitted boat with amphitheater (called the Floating Palace) which they used for travel and performing instead of tents. Their circus suffered a setback in New Orleans in 1861, when their boat was confiscated by the Confederacy and pressed into service as a hospital ship. They continued to perform under other names in both the North and South, despite Southern fears that circus performers were well placed to be spies. The use of the 1847 Issue, especially a corner-margin single, is extremely rare on a circus-related cover (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com (imagea)

 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $5,750.00
Will close during Public Auction
1299 c ImageWest Randolph Vt. Jun. 4. Light strike of red circular datestamp with date in manuscript and matching "5" rate on 1849 folded letter to Hancock Vt., contents reads in part "I wish to inform you that the ? are circus will be at our place...it is said to be the greatest exhibition that has ever been in the state", Very Fine, scarce early circus-related content (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 300-400

SOLD for $325.00
Will close during Public Auction
1300 c ImageP. T. Barnum. ALS, datelined "London March 3rd 1844" and addressed to the Editor of the New York Herald in New York City, letter reads in part "I have just shipped by the Packet Ship Yorkshire an immense Giant and Giantess and a dwarf smaller than your thumb -- they are intended for the two museums, and as I wish to be known as manager of only one museum I beg you to do me the great favor to invent something like the following among your foreign news..." bottom half of letter contains press release by Barnum which mentions the dwarf is "the same age as Gen'l. Tom Thumb and considerably smaller", neat "T.P. Piccadilly" two-line backstamp, red London tombstone datestamp, manuscript rates, Very Fine, fascinating contents and window into Barnum's publicity machine (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $1,200.00
Will close during Public Auction
1301 c Image1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Large margins to in at bottom, tied by "New York 1ct. Feb. 1" integral-rate circular datestamp on blue Barnum's American Museum, New York cameo corner card cover to local address, manuscript "Barnum" on back, 1855 docketing, Very Fine (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 500-750

SOLD for $1,600.00
Will close during Public Auction
1302 c Image3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26). Bright shade, tied by "New-York ? 10" circular datestamp on cover with blue Barnum's American Museum, New York cameo corner card cover to Danbury Conn., missing small part of top flap, Very Fine, scarce design (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 300-400

SOLD for $1,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
1303 c Image3c Rose (65). Tied by circle of wedges cancel, "New-York Aug. 2" circular datestamp on 1866 Barnum's Zoological American Hall Museum corner card cover to Harrisburgh Ind., with original illustrated enclosure depicting building and with advertisement for the museum, sent by Hyatt Frost (manager of the museum), stamp affected from placement at edge of cover, still Very Fine and attractive use (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 200-300

SOLD for $700.00
Will close during Public Auction
1304 c Image3c Rose (65). Bright shade, cancelled by target on orange cover with illustration for "P. T. Barnum's Broadway American Museum and Menagerie & Dan Castello's Mammoth Circus" depicting a seal, crocodile, snake and other oddities, to Worcester Mass., barely reduced at right, Very Fine, a beautiful cover (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 300-400

SOLD for $900.00
Will close during Public Auction
1305 c ImageTom Thumb. "Genrl. Tom Thumb, His Little Wife, Infant Daughter, Commodore Nutt & Minnie Warren, Nature's Smallest Edition of Her Choicest Works", red on white pictorial envelope depicting various images of P. T. Barnum's most famous act, bearing Great Britain 1p Red tied by "Wilmarnock AP 25, 1867" and "20" in barred oval to Dumfries, small edge tears, Very Fine, rare circus design used both in the United States and Europe as Barnum toured with his famous circus, accompanied by CDV of Tom Thumb's wife and child (corners clipped) (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 400-500

SOLD for $2,400.00
Will close during Public Auction
1306 c Image3c Green (158). Tied by target cancel, indistinct circular datestamp on multicolored "P. T. Barnum's Hippodrome, New York" illustrated cover depicting women horse racers wearing togas, to Youngstown O., slightly reduced at right affecting stamp, still a colorful and unusual design (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 200-300

SOLD for $2,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
1307 c Image2c Red Brown (210). Tied by "New York Mar. 11, 1884 1PM" duplex datestamp on "P. T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth and the Great London Circus" illustrated cover advertising three circuses in three rings etc., to Franklin Square in New York, fresh and Very Fine, a beautiful cover (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 200-300

SOLD for $1,400.00
Will close during Public Auction
1308   Image3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26). Tied by large "Paid" grid, red "Boston Mass. Jun. 24" circular datestamp on "Southern Menagerie, Stirring Him Up" caricature cover depicting Jefferson Davis in a lion's cage, to Washington D.C., cover slightly reduced at right, stamp defective, still a very rare and unusual circus-themed caricature design (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 200-300

SOLD for $425.00
Will close during Public Auction

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