Circus Stories: A Circus History Podcast

We revisit the over 100 year old tragedy of the 1918 Hagenbeck Wallace circus trainwreck in Hammond Indiana. We uncover those presumably responsible for the incident, the subsequent causes, as well as the lore, conspiracies and ghost stories that still loom around the resting place of the deceased This podcast contains explicit languange. Visit our IG for images. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Please join me on a journey back to the 1970's where things were ...well very 1970's. Mama B shares some radical travel stories from her time working concessions with Circus Vargas. HOT DOGS baby! Another rad Patreon episode unlocked! Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

ANOTHER CLOWN EPISODE! Today's episode we deep dive into the experience of former Cole Bros Circus clown, Meatball. Join Callie B as she picks Meatball's clown brain for all the juicy details of how he got into clowning, how he got his first circus gig, how he pieced his clown persona together, what is was like to travel with one of the longest running tent circuses in the U.S. at the time, and so much more! "How to Be a Clown": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSn5mKFWps Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Iron jaw is an aerial act where the performer is quite literally hanging only by their teeth. Enjoy learning about this centuries old act, and trust me we leave no stone unturned. Get into this episode with some serious TEETH TALK! To hear the unedited interview with Iron Jaw performer Nikki, please join our Patreon - link found below Main Source for the episode : Bandwagon; Vol 65. No 3 Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Much like every office that partakes in a company sports team... the Circus, namely Ringling Bros, was no different. OH and they were like REALLY good. Enjoy this unlocked Patreon episode all about Circus Soccer teams. also who knew?? Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

We explore the fascinating history of world renowned escape artist and magician Harry Houdini. Uncover some of his best kept secrets and how he performed his most famous feats. Discover details of his lavish lifestyle and of course, mine the cavernous mystery that haunts his early demise which fell on Halloween. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

We unpack and analyze (maybe too much) a series of infamous sideshow attractions, the back stories that made them SOOO convincing, different iterations and of course... the secrets behind the illusions. Definitely check our IG for the visuals on this one! Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Honk Honk! ANOTHER CLOWN EPISODE! Enjoy this delightful tale about the incredibly innovative master clown who paved the way for many a clown after him. Creator of the tiny clown car and so many more beloved clown gags! Master clown... more like Genius Clown. https://youtu.be/IZKT_2WonPI - Jacobs + PeeWee Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

We explore these two very famous faces from Barnum's illustrious sideshow and the condition the two share known as "werewolf syndrome" . JoJo the Dog Faced boy and Lionel the Lion Faced man were much more than performers and though often mistaken for the other, these two men lived and performed very differently. We discuss each of them separately, their specific condition, and what made them unique and impactful, resonating through circus history and pop culture still to this day. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Would you believe one man is responsible for the innovation of both the Flying Trapeze AND the well known garment, the Leotard! Well its true! Listen to hear how this very well built dude dared to soar through the air before anyone else, creating the aerial art form we know as the Trapeze, and the famous outfit he dawned to do it, that really SHOWED it all, if you catch my drift! "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" (1867) - George Leybourne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDhG_4N_r6w Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Join us on a wild journey as we track the very early beginnings of the 5 Ringling Brothers and their incredible rags to riches success story. An origin story that truly has everything. All the tenacity of the Little Rascals and the business sense of Barnum, without the humbug. For all things Ringling: https://www.ringling.org/ Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

A truly high flying episode all about incredible aerialist and circus hall of famer, Lillian Leitzel. A star from the jump, standing a mere 4'9", less than 100 lbs in weight, yet performing aerial feats of Herculean proportion. Leitzel WAS an international superstar, complete with a juicy love life, lavish traveling demands and a bit of a diva streak. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

FINALLY am I right! We embark on a very thrilling episode as we dive head first (maybe on fire) into the past and uncover the history behind fallen amusement park CIRCUS WORLD, with plans that included a 19 story Elephant shaped hotel, just 10 miles down the road from Disney World. And the mouse perhaps was not into it. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Today's episode we explore all the origins and history behind the genius of famous "hobo clown" Emmett Kelly who created the world famous and beloved character clown Weary Willie. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

We speed into this episode and explore all that surrounds the Globe of Death; over a century old dare devil act known world wide. Join us as we discuss its history, inner workings, the wild affects this act has on its riders ( G- force!) and the physics that make it a reality. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Throwing pies as a form of political protest? What are the repercussions for pie crimes? We deep dive into pie politics and activist groups of past and present that utilize pies for public protest as well as the ramifications linked with these non consensual pie throwing. This is serious!!?? Rupert Murdoch pie : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-dyz_iW1s FAST COMPANY 2017, Baking Brigade : https://www.fastcompany.com/40467645/how-pie-became-a-powerful-punchline-in-political-provocation Bill Gates gets a pie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niZJMOKsiCI Pie Any Means Necessary: https://www.amazon.com/Pie-Any-Means-Necessary-Brigade/dp/190259388X Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

Measuring a staggering 3.2 meters high at the shoulder, and weighing 6000 kgs; we explore this massively influential and incredible elephant Jumbo, the sordid history behind his life and what animal experts and researchers can learn from revisiting his remains. We dive deep into Jumbo's affect on advertising, creating a new word for "BIG" and the alleged conspiracy and mystery that swirls around his untimely death in 1885. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

The World Famous Hilton Sisters. Not those Hilton sisters, but Daisy and Violet Hilton, world famous conjoined twins starting in sideshow and soon become the biggest stars in Vaudeville but bogged down with the worst guardians EVER who try to enter them into some sort of "conservatorship" at age 19 - SOUND FAMILIAR? (*britney spears - cough cough*) How do they become free? Listen to this wild ride of these incredibly talented sisters who triumph over evil - literally. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

In this incredibly spooky tale we explore the story and lore behind Edward Mordrake; an english noble man said to have been born with a second face on the back of his head; and this face was dubbed his "devil twin". Is this fact or fiction, or a little bit of both? We are joined by sideshow aficionado Krysta Z as we break down the bits and pieces of this fascinating story. Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!

In our season 1 wrap up we explore the classic physical comedy gag commonly associated with circus and clowning, but this sticky slapstick act transcends circus and spread to mainstream by way of the silver screen. We discuss the differences between circus and "hollywood" pie throwing, some famous pie fights, and the integral rules in the art of pie throwing. Watch Mr. Flip ( 1909 ): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJaN9n3W6Q&feature=youtu.be Support the show +Follow Us on IG @circus.stories +Email us: circusstoriespodcast@gmail.com Rate, Review and Subscribe where ever you Listen! Thanks for Listening + Check those Boilers !!