The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy: The Golden Age of Aerialists

by Maureen Brunsdale, Mark Schmitt

Starting in the 1870s, the barns, icehouses, gymnasiums and empty theaters of central Illinois provided the practice sites for aerial performers whose names still command reverence in the annals of American circus history. Meet Fred Miltimore and the Green Brothers, runaways from the Fourth Ward School who became the first Bloomington-born flyers. Watch Art Concello, a ten-year-old truant, become first a world-class flyer, then a famous trapeze impresario and finally Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus's most successful general manager. The entire art of the trapeze--instruction, training, performance and management--became a Bloomington-Normal industry during the tented shows' golden age, when finding a circus flying act without a connection to this area would have been virtually impossible.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2013

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1944 the Flying Concellos, who flew with the Clyde Beatty and Russell Brothers Combined Circus were billed as "Absolutely Fearless Performers Who Scoff at the Laws of Gravity and Fly Through the Air Like Winged Birds."

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter attends college at Illinois State in Normal. I always wondered why they had a college circus there. This book gives the background on the college circus by exposing the history of aerialists, or trapeze artists, that had strong connections to the area. The book details literally dozens of artists who came from the area or moved there to be trained by the best in the business. There are a number of interesting photos of historic aerialist troops, circus advertisements, circus life, and performance and training structures – tents and training barns. I found the stories of the different performers and managers quite interesting as well. Many performance highlights are described, but so are the often very smart moves by managers of acts and of entire circuses. The authors do a fine job of showing the connections between the acts over the space of a half a century or more. The stories end in the 1960s with the circus centralizing their winter headquarters in Florida. I would have appreciated more on the lasting influence of Bloomingtonites on the circus, including the YMCA and college circuses that may have continued – the stories seemed to have faded out with a Bloomington native running the industry-leading Barnum & Bailey Circus. Overall, I found this a well-written and well-informed local history.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

NPL 2025 Reading Challenge - Read a book about or set at a Circus

A rich and interesting perspective on hometown history I knew nothing about. I loved overlaying the different people, places and timelines over my own memories and family tales. A quick and great read!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book! I grew up in the community being written about and had no idea about our circus legacy until adulthood.
Such fascinating people!

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Information About Early Circus Entertainment

A very factual book about early Circus Entertainers and many others including business men and what it took to keep the circuses going in the early days.
The Ringling Bros.is just one of the early ones mentioned and it tells mainly about the many stars from Bloomington, what they were famous for,how long they were with the different circuses and when they died.
If you were a lover of the circus you should find this very interesting. It also has many early pictures showing the stars.
I would recommend and I read it in one sitting.