Courier: Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth and the Great London Circus for Lowell, July 5, 1889 [red paper]

Courier for the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth and the Great London Circus performing in Lowell, Mass. on July 5, 1889. The courier is printed on red paper. Featured on the front cover are portraits of P.T. Barnum and J.A. Bailey on the left and right side of the page respectively, and a depiction of men charging soldiers in uniform. The cover also features boasts about all of the acts in the show, including the "public triumphal march of nations" and "grand education caravans" along with "more than a million in free shows." On page two, a free street parade is promised with great description given to what the parades and the circus as a whole features. Illustrated at the top and bottom of the page are two different depictions of horses pulling along circus wagons, with the image at the top featuring wagons caging wild animals, and the image at the bottom showing more parade like floats. The third page advertises the races of the "Paris Olympia Hippodrome," and features a three column layout. Illustrations in the left hand column feature two riders standing atop two horses each, an animal trainer feeding birds that look to be similar to pelicans, and racing greyhound dogs. The illustrations on the right side of the page show more horses and their riders, and two scenes from "the wild Moorish caravan" which purports to show those individuals attacking and then resting in their caravan respectively. The back of the courier features an horizontal display with dense text and images. At the top and bottom of the page are scenes from the circus. On the top, from left to right are: the Hindoo serpent charmer, troupe of educated Russian bears, Bo-peep and her flock of trained sheep, an image of P.T. Barnum, giraffes in the circus ring, a wonderful performing boat, and a man performing with various trained bulls. The bottom featuring various parade floats. On the right and left hand sides are two more additional images, with the one on the left showing sea lions and their trainers and the one on the right showing various zebras performing in the circus ring. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that bore his name, but his circus ventures came about when he was in his 60s. The first show was called P.T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations, and the intake was significant. Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts. In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses. A merger between Barnum's show and the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It came to an end in May 2017 when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus ceased performances after 146 years.