Visitors to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1942 could purchase a 15-cent program with a color cover illustration by the New Yorker's most popular cartoonist, Peter Arno, who served as "art director" for "Circus King" John Ringling North, a fellow Yale man in the Class of 1926. That cover showed a pair of cartoon elephants standing upright and embracing playfully, not unlike many an Arno human couple. Inside the magazine, as the program was called, readers would find five full-page Arno cartoons on circus themes and some subject illustrations as well. Two of the cartoons—those featuring the bearded lady and the elephant's hindquarters—would later be collected in Peter Arno's Man in the Shower (1944). An eBay listing offers a few key interior views of the Circus Magazine, here generously supplemented by additional pages from other eBay listings as well.
The contents page begins by noting five cartoons by Peter Arno. The theme of the 1942 show was "Gayety!"
Let's start with the five cartoons first, noting right off that Arno didn't always leave all that much to the imagination:
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Arno also contributed interior illustrations:
The program also carries a lot of advertising, especially cigarette ads, so we'll start with them first. Students of design may wish to ponder what ploys are being used in the Raleigh ad to direct the reader's eye to the advertising copy. Extra credit will be given to anyone who can find both of them.
Philip Morris, as we've seen opposite Displays Nos. 2 and 3, offers some reassuring medical news without any regard for whether it's truthful:
Chesterfields are advertised on the back cover with a patriotic wartime theme:
There are ads for beverages too:
Even bacon:
And oil:
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Note: Did you know this blog is the home to more than 125 posts about Peter Arno? He's a fascinating and nearly inexhaustible subject. Readers are invited to contribute original art and published rarities that will help to shed more light on this giant among New Yorker cartoonists.
The particular spelling of gayety, the theme of the 1942 circus, is an odd but not unheard-of choice today and it was a particularly odd but not unheard-of choice in 1942 as well.
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| Peter Arno Ringling Bros.–Barnum & Bailey Circus Magazine 1942 |
 Fifteen cents—a bargain! |
The contents page begins by noting five cartoons by Peter Arno. The theme of the 1942 show was "Gayety!"
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| https://www.ebay.com/itm/RINGLING-BROS-BARNUM-BAILEY-CIRCUS-MAGAZINE-1942-featuring-Peter-Arno-/254197507316 |
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| "His wife says he eats firecrackers in bed." |
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| https://www.ebay.com/itm/RINGLING-BROS-BARNUM-BAILEY-CIRCUS-MAGAZINE-1942-featuring-Peter-Arno-/254197507316 |
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| "Now, Arthur! No more remarks like that!" |
Arno also contributed interior illustrations:
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| "The Human Side of the Circus" by Edwin C. Hill |
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"It's an Old Family Custom" by John B. Kennedy https://www.ebay.com/itm/RINGLING-BROS-BARNUM-BAILEY-CIRCUS-MAGAZINE-1942-featuring-Peter-Arno-/254197507316Camel cigarettes advertisement |
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| Program of Displays, Nos. 2 and 3 |
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| Program of Displays, Nos. 7 and 8 |
The program also carries a lot of advertising, especially cigarette ads, so we'll start with them first. Students of design may wish to ponder what ploys are being used in the Raleigh ad to direct the reader's eye to the advertising copy. Extra credit will be given to anyone who can find both of them.
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| Raleigh cigarette ad https://www.ebay.com/itm/1942-Ringling-Bros-Barnum-Bailey-Circus-Magazine-w-Peter-Arno-/202441421968 |
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| "You see, Philip Morris superiority for the nose and throat is recognized by eminent medical authorities." |
Chesterfields are advertised on the back cover with a patriotic wartime theme:
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| "They Rate the Best" Chesterfield cigarettes advertisement |
There are ads for beverages too:
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| Borden's Hemo Not a promising name for the product |
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| "Work refreshed" Coca-Cola advertisement |
Even bacon:
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/RINGLING-BROS-BARNUM-BAILEY-CIRCUS-MAGAZINE-1942-featuring-Peter-Arno-/254197507316 |
And oil:
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| https://www.ebay.com/itm/RINGLING-BROS-BARNUM-BAILEY-CIRCUS-MAGAZINE-1942-featuring-Peter-Arno-/254197507316 |
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| Peter Arno eBay Listing Accessed January 13, 2020 |
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| Peter Arno eBay Item Description Accessed January 13, 2020 |
Note: Did you know this blog is the home to more than 125 posts about Peter Arno? He's a fascinating and nearly inexhaustible subject. Readers are invited to contribute original art and published rarities that will help to shed more light on this giant among New Yorker cartoonists.
The particular spelling of gayety, the theme of the 1942 circus, is an odd but not unheard-of choice today and it was a particularly odd but not unheard-of choice in 1942 as well.
 |
| Gaiety vs Gayety |
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