Program: Set of two of P.T. Barnum's Daily Programs for May 15, 1880

Set of two of P.T. Barnum's Daily Programs for the week ending on Saturday, May 15, 1880. This program for P.T. Barnum's circus, here called the Own and Only Greatest Show on Earth lists the events for that week's circuses. A portrait of Barnum appears at the top of both programs. However, the advertisements and listings of the events at the circus itself differ between the two programs. 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.