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Daredevils and scantily clad starlets, fearless animal trainers and startling freaks: This behind-the-scenes look at the American circus brings together original posters and lithographs as well as remarkable circus photography to explore the glamour and the grit of what was once the largest showbiz industry on earth.

The history and legacy of the circus
In its heyday, the American circus was the largest showbiz industry the world had ever seen. From the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, traveling circuses performed for audiences of up to 14,000 per show, employed as many as 1,600 men and women, and crisscrossed the country on 20,000 miles of railroad in one season alone. The spectacle of death-defying daredevils, strapping superheroes and scantily clad starlets, fearless animal trainers and startling freaks gripped the American imagination, outshining theater, vaudeville, comedy and minstrel shows.

This book sheds fresh