John Ringling

Johan Nicholas Ringling (Rüngeling), circus director in United States

Born 1866-05-31 dead 1936-12-02 , son of assistant director August Ringling and assistant director Marie Salomé Ringling .

John Nicholas Ringling (May 31, 1866 – December 2, 1936) was an American entrepreneur who is the best known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Bros. Circus World's Greatest Shows to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the modern circus.

Hagenbeck-Wallace sold to John Ringling

Records about John Ringling from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog at http://www.bucklesw.blogspot.com/

When John Ringling purchased the American Circus Corporation in 1929 the five circuses included 57 elephants ranging from 13 with Hagenbeck-Wallace to 9 with Sparks. By 1932 however, due to the Great Depression two of the shows had already been taken off the road. The John Robinson Circus elephants were divided between Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus and Sells-Floto Circus which was easily accomplished since all three herds shared the same barn in Peru.

Above we see Cheerful Gardner's 1931-32 twenty elephant Herd with Hagenbeck-Wallac Circus and directly behind the second man from right are two of the males "Tommy" (one tusk) and "Prince". Absorbing the Sparks Circus elephants into the Ringling-Barnum Herd was also a "no brainer" since the Sparks Show shared the Sarasota Quarters and all they had to do was change the title on the bull car. This brought the RBBB Herd up to 41 despite the fact that the 1933 "50th Anniversary" tour boldly claimed 50 elephants.

William "Buckles" Woodcock