Signs and carvings from the golden age of circus

Once upon a time, circuses ruled the entertainment world. They were exotic, exciting and extravagant—especially when it came to graphics and signage. Detailed illustrations, elaborate carvings, loads of gold leaf adorning the wagons and tents were a huge part of the circus experience.

Recently Mike Keene [WoodCraft Sign Shoppe, Richmond, Virginia] paid a visit to the Circus World Museum, a complex of several large buildings in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Baraboo was the hometown of the Ringling Brothers, founders of perhaps the oldest circus in the US, which ran for 146 years until 2017.