The Amazing Circus Poster/Strobridge Lithography Company: 1879-1939
FAIN: GI-50141-09
Cincinnati Museum Association (Cincinnati, OH 45202-1557)
Kristin Spangenberg (Project Director: February 2009 to September 2013)
Implementation of a traveling exhibition, a catalog, a website, educational materials, and public programs that explore the cultural significance of the circus poster during its golden age in America.
Funding is requested to organize the first major exhibition and catalogue devoted to the American circus poster. The exhibition will include 104 circus posters, along with related photographs, films, and circus ephemera. These will show the artistic significance of the American circus poster as well as its impact on the nation as it moved into the 20th century. In addition to traditional text interpretation, the exhibit will include a cell phone audio tour, a printed family guide, and interactive learning stations. The exhibition will travel to the Cincinnati Art Museum, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and one other venue. The 350-page catalogue will provide full-page color reproductions of all posters in the exhibit alongside historical analysis by scholars. Other project components include K-12 lesson plans, an exhibition website, and educational programs at the Cincinnati Art Museum and Ringling Museum of Art.