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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
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22 stories matching acrobat
- Child Acrobat Victim Rescued from Abusive Guardian
A woman who exploited a young boy for a child acrobat act is arrested following allegations of brutal maltreatment.
- Show Business Solidarity for a Local Acrobat
When an aerialist and her husband faced medical catastrophe, the community rallied for a benefit show at the park.
- The Child Acrobat's Ordeal
A young performer rescued from a traveling act bears the brutal marks of a stove poker and a buckled strap, sparking a court battle over his custody.
- The Brutal Price of Circus Fame
A young acrobat is removed from his performers' care after enduring systemic abuse in the name of show business.
- The Perils of the Seneca Street Crossing
In 1877, Seattleites were forced to perform 'acrobatic feats' to traverse a dangerous gully, highlighting the city's struggle to keep pace with rapid infrastructure demands.
- Twenty Clowns, Cloth Elephants, and a College Circus at the Armory
Whitman students and the Walla Walla Band plan four nights of acrobats, side shows and pink lemonade — with a hired professional troupe to keep it honest.
- A Night at the Park for the Kobers
The local Eagles lodge and Shields Park management host a benefit performance to support a professional performer recovering from surgery.
- The Circus Comes to Town
Despite a drenching rain, Campbell Brothers Circus brings a spectacle of animals and acrobats to Walla Walla.
- The Price of a Child's Abuse
A Seattle court hears harrowing testimony of an acrobat child beaten by his handlers, sparking a packed, tense courtroom drama.
- The Fourth Annual Whitman County Fruit Fair
A look back at the 1890s agricultural exhibition in Colfax, where local growers competed for prestige and prizes.
- The Circus Comes to Town: Montgomery’s Queen’s New Brings the 'Wonderful Kenebels' to Seattle
In October 1876, the largest and most brilliant circus company in the West descended upon Seattle, offering a night of acrobatics, animal acts, and high-flying daredevils for just one dollar.
- The Mardi Gras Con Job
Tacoma's city government is accused of selling out to a traveling troupe of mediocre performers after being warned by Seattle newspapers.
- The Day the Circus Rolled into Seattle
Thousands flocked to the depot in 1885 to witness the grand arrival of John Robinson’s circus, a massive production that brought exotic animals and high-wire spectacle to the nascent town.
- The Greasy Pole Gambit: Seattle’s Summer of Slapstick and Sweat
On a sweltering July evening in 1889, thousands gathered at the foot of Madison Street not for politics or protest, but to watch three men fail spectacularly at climbing an oiled pole—a moment of pure, unadulterated civic joy.
- No Safety Net, No Ordinance: A Trapeze Act Falls in Seattle
Two acrobats plunged from a Madison Street trapeze in 1895, exposing a gap in city safety rules and a very lucky escape.
- Variety and Hilarity at Frye’s Opera House
A packed house in 1888 Seattle revels in everything from German mimicry to 'dashing soubrettes'—with one notable exception.
- When a Chinese Theater Company Rented Tester’s Hall
In 1883, a morning paper attacked the lease as a public offense. The Post-Intelligencer pushed back: the actors were no more immoral than any other troupe, and the hall was old anyway.
- The Perilous Life of a High-Flying Acrobat
An aerial gymnast recounts the brutal physical toll, the thrill of the heights, and the changing landscape of show business in the Pacific Northwest.
- The Perilous Ring at the Empire Theater
A local boxing match turned into a comedy of errors when the floor collapsed under the combatants twice, sending one fighter into the sub-cellar.
- The Circus Comes to Town: Seattle’s First Big Top Spectacle
As the Hingling Bros. circus unloads its menagerie and performers in the Northern Pacific yards, locals gather for a parade and show that promises 'everything advertised.'
- Seattle's Nonpareils Outplay Tacoma in a Thrilling Baseball Match
The junior champions of the Northwest dominated Tacoma with professional teamwork and acrobatic fielding, thrilling a crowd at Madison Street ball park.
- The White City on Jefferson: How the Circus Became Seattle’s Newest Landlord
As Ringling Bros. prepares to erect a massive tent city in Pioneer Square, the show's manager reveals the logistical marvel—and the surprising economic impact—of bringing 100 performers and their menagerie to the Pacific Northwest.