Boxed Sets

Schoenhut sold much of their circus in sets. The following are interesting photos from their catalogs and from surviving examples. If you have photos of circus sets from your collection, please let me know.

Set 20/36

This early circus set is advertised with both an illustration and a photo in a four-page insert in a Copyright 1904 catalog. Click on the thumbnails to see larger images. The photograph at left shows an early composition head Lady Rider, a two-part composition Ringmaster, four clowns with ears, a two-part head Hobo with a striped shirt, a two-part head Negro Dude, and a so far unseen GE goat with a white triangle face patch. This set is also illustrated in their Copyright 1928 catalog.

Does anyone have this set in their collection?

Reduced-size Humpty Dumpty circuses were sold in sets that were sometimes very complete. This one includes the tent, hobo, clown, white horse, donkey, elephant, lion, tiger, leopard, ringmaster, lady rider, and many accessories.

Cracker-Jack the clever clown - This set contains the two-part head Cracker-Jack, a barrel, ladder, and a chair.

Sets of one or three clowns were sold. This one contains three two-part head clowns, a barrel, a ladder, and a chair.

Mary had a Little Lamb - This very early set contains a two-part composition head Mary, her GE lamb (sheep), a trough, desk, reader, and writing slate.

This boxed set, ca 1920s, consists of an elephant, one-part-head clown, chair, ladder, and barrel.
Photos by Jim Sneed from the collection of Norman Cole.