George Pennell Collection of Circus Materials
George Pennell was a Wake Forest College alumnus (1914) and Board of Trustees member. This collection documents Pennell's personal and professional interests. Materials document a variety of circuses and include legal documents, photographs, clippings, periodicals, posters, and correspondence.
Biographical and Historical Note
George Clingman Pennell was born May 12, 1893, and attended Wake Forest College (1914), graduating with a degree in law. He was a lawyer and author, as well as a College trustee; his gravestone records that his legal clients included the city of Asheville and circuses. Pennell was also a life-long Baptist and church deacon. The son of Thomas and Frances Pennell, he lived and practiced in Asheville, North Carolina, until his death on November 17, 1966.
George Pennell's life as an attorney working in the amusement industry had him juggling multiple vocations. Primarily, he was the attorney for owners and their shows. However, Pennell was also hired by circus and carnival companies to "procure some acts which they desire to contract and pay a flat rate." He organized big fairs with multiple circus companies, and had the "Power of Attorney for rental purposes on the Lot," which allowed the circus to rent land out for the duration of their performances from local owners.
About his unusual job, he wrote to a friend in a personal letter joking, "If I didn't enjoy being around show people I certainly would never accept employment." In 1965 Pennell received a certificate of appreciation from Jack Smith managing director) and Alex Irwin (chairman of the board) of Robbins Bros Circus for "your contribution and service in the furtherance of the outdoor circus industry."
His son Timothy Pennell was also a graduate of Wake Forest. At Wake Forest, Timothy graduated with a B.S. (1955) and M.D. (1960). After graduation, he went on to work as a surgeon at the Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine.
Collection Overview
This collection includes correspondence, photographs, trade publications, subject files, ephemera, and a variety of other materials.
While the collection is primarily about Pennell's life as an attorney, it also sheds light on the amusement industry in the mid-20th century. The collection contains a multitude of pictures and circus books giving a well-rounded view of the industry. And, as can be expected with a collection about the circus, there are several photos of "assistant freaks," referring to folks with unusual talents or bodies, and a letter explaining "circus slang."
The collection also gives an inside look at some of the big-name circuses, such as Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus. At the time their show, The Greatest Show on Earth, was the largest circus in the U.S. According to the corporate website, The Greatest Show on Earth consisted of "100 double-length railroad cars and 1,200 employees…[it] was arguably the largest traveling amusement enterprise up to that time." Pennell did work with the company for well over a decade. The collection sheds insight into Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus through route books, management materials, and legal contracts. The documents show both the overwhelming success of their show The Greatest Show on Earth and the decline. Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey gave their last tented performance on July 16, 1956. The shut-down was prompted by the audience's changing tastes but also by "labor troubles, bad weather, and rising costs," according to an article in the collection.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged into five series: Subject Files, Photographs, Printed Materials and Clippings, Oversized Materials, and Related Materials. They are not arranged in an order.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Names
Subjects
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by Mary Anne Ramsey, Katie Page, and Rebecca Petersen, 2013
- Revision Description
- Revised by Stephanie Bennett - updated language and notes., 2019, 2023
- Conditions Governing Access
- This collection is open for use.
- Preferred Citation
- George Pennell Collection of Circus Materials (MS585), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.