Posted 12 years ago
shellyc111
(3 items)
This was in my closet. I think my grandma gave this too me. I don't remember. Is it worth any value? Plastic on this poster is just to hold it down while I hold the picture. Thanks
Is this real? | ||
| Circus Posters5 of 9 |  |  |
Can someone please help me? :(
This is a REPRODUCTION of an original Ringling Bros. Circus poster that was originally printed by the Strobridge lithograph company. It is not worth anything sorry to say.
How do you tell if it is a reproduction? Seems like it is on old paper.
Love the graphics ! One way to know it is a repro without a doubt . The clothes and art work is not that of 1966 style . I would frame it and enjoy it ! Paper from 1966 can look old because it is old . Just not an original .
Here is a link that might help you . Our State has all the Ringling Bro. Wagons and a huge museum . The parade came through on train and into the streets of Milwaukee until a few years back . There was a bad incident when a 24 horse pulled Budweiser wagon caused a stampede by horses that got upset and hurt some people and driver could not get them under control . But the Old ringling wagons are stunning and kept in beautiful condition . I love old circus photo's and prints real or repro :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zplcjafDYc
http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/circus-posters-%E2%80%94-authentic-or-reproduction
There are many ways to tell an original from a re-pop. In this case it is very clear that it is a reprint from the Museum of the City of New York (It says so clearly) and in addition original circus posters do not have a copyright logo and date on them. Each original lithograph has a number printed below the logo as to match the poster on record. The size is also a way to tell as many of the originals measured either 1/2 sheet or 1-sheet size, re-pops most always measure differently. This is 100% NOT an original.
If you had the original, it would most likely be a stone lithograph and be worth some serious $ as it is a Strobridge litho, the best lithographer company in the U.S. and highly collected today. If you look at the poster under close magnification, you will see a mechanical pattern of dots instead or a random pattern like in an original. See my poster collection for further clues on how to spot originals, as all of mine are in deed authentic. Hope I was of some help.
This poster features the great clown George Hartzell, who was the boss clown on the Ringling Bros Circus starting in 1901. He retired in 1925 and died in 1941. He was known as "The Millionaire Clown" in part because of his elaborate wardrobe. As mentioned above - this is definitely a reproduction of a poster that was first issued about 1916 and was used with some variation into the early 1920s. An original one sheet of this poster sold at auction in APril 2013 for over $3000.00