Program: P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth combined with the Great London Circus [...] for Madison Square Garden, 1888

Set of two programs for P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth combined with the Great London Circus, Sanger's Royal British Menagerie, and International Allied Show at Madison Square Garden in 1888. The program header features a portrait of P.T. Barnum on the left hand side, and J.A. Bailey on the right hand side. Centered on the front page is the beginning of the program. It continues on page two, and page three features the listing of races at the hippodrome. The back page features an advertisement for trousers. Other ads are scattered throughout the program. The second program features the same content and layout, with some differences in the acts in the program and advertisements. Measures 20 by 13 inches. Unknown printer. 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.