Wild, Weird, & Wonderful

photo © F.W.Glasier

One of my favorite photography books is Wild Weird and Wonderful: The American Circus 1901-1927 by Mark Sloane. The photographs of the Big Top by F.W. Glasier are both gritty and beautiful. Whenever the circus came to town (Brockton, Mass.) during the early part of the 20th century, the relatively unknown commercial photographer Glasier was there to shoot for promotional purposes. You can get lost in the details of the nicely reproduced B/W full-page plates, including panoramic views and composed portraits. It’s fascinating to see clowns, freaks, elephants, period costumes, and animal wranglers in the hey-day of the traveling circus.
You can get the book at Luminious-Lint (along with lots of other photographic collections.