Dyer M. Reynolds circus history collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 2182

Staff Only
This container is restricted and is not requestable.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of items collected and created by circus worker, artist, and historian Dyer M. Reynolds. Materials included are circus programs, window cards, lithographs, banners, various letterheads, route books, albums of photographs, negatives, 8mm film reels, reel to reel and disc audio recordings, books, ephemera, souvenirs, clippings, and a large amount of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey materials. Materials range in age from 1878 to 1980.

Box D1 contains an inventory of items as of 1970 when the collection was sold to Memphis State University. Additionally Reynolds’ personal and business correspondence from the 1970s are included in this collection.

Dates

Creation: 1878 - 1980

Creator

Reynolds, Dyer Marion, 1930-1980 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is currently unavailable for access.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Dyer Reynolds (1930-1980) was an American circus worker, artist, and circus historian. Reynolds, also known by the nickname Ichabod, given by supervising electrician Edward R. Versteeg, for his tall and thin frame, was considered a “young old-timer” for his 20 years in the circus business. It is recorded that Reynolds worked with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1951-1956, and again from 1961-1969, and the Foley & Burk Carnival in 1961.

Reynolds collected circus materials believing that the medium was in decline. He embraced the nuances of the circus - not merely as a form of entertainment, but as a business and as an artform.

Extent

50 Linear Feet (35 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of the historical circus materials and personal correspondence amassed by circus worker, artist, and historian Dyer M. Reynolds. Materials included are circus programs, window cards, lithographs, banners, various letterheads, route books, albums of photographs, negatives, 8mm film reels, reel to reel and disc audio recordings, books, ephemera, souvenirs, and clippings.