The Biggest Little Show on Earth! Bill Brinley's World Famous 5 Ring Miniature Circus

Meriden, CT: By the author, 1950. Very good. Small brochure, n. d. (ca 1950); 2 1/2 x 3 3/4; off-white card stock, folded, pp. [4]; illustrated with a small drawing and from a photograph; mild age-toning and wear - in very good to near fine condition.William Brinley (1917 - 2016) of Wallingford, Connecticut was nine-years-old in 1926, when he saw the Christy Bros. Circus and was inspired to have a circus of his own. Using food boxes, pieces of wood, etc. he would create a three-quarter inch scale model of a tiny circus, complete with carved and assembled wagons, tents, elephants, acrobats, and so on. He would volunteer his help to circus shows coming through town, in order to have free access to the grounds, where he would take photographs, and sketch details of the people and the setups. His miniature circus, in his backyard, would eventually grow to the impressive 17 feet by 50 feet. He would later add automation to his it and would tour extensively in the 1950s, would sign a publicity contract with Hopalong Cassidy, and would exhibit his creation at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.