W. B. Griffin Photographic Collection,1913-1979
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- W. B. Griffin Photographic Collection,1913-1979
- Creator
- Griffin, W. B., 1904-2000
- Extent
- 1 cu. ft. (2 boxes): 103 items
- Subjects
- Barnum and Bailey
- Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891
- Circus
- Circus--posters
- Ringling Brothers
- Animals
- Circus
- Sports and Recreation.
- Animals
- Circus
- Music and Performing Arts
- Sports and Recreation.
- Bridges.
- Circus
- Sports and Recreation.
- Military.
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Men.
- Circus
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Sports and Recreation.
- Circus
- Men
- Sports and Recreation.
- Circus
- Men
- Sports and Recreation.
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts
- Women.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Sports and Recreation.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts
- Sports and Recreation.
- Circus
- Sports and Recreation.
- Circus
- Sports and Recreation.
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus.
- Children
- Circus
- Men
- Women.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts
- Circus
- Men
- Women.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Family life.
- Circus
- Men.
- Animals
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Animals
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Women.
- Circus
- Women.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Women.
- Children
- Circus
- Family life
- Men
- Women.
- Circus
- Men.
- Children
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Women.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Women.
- Circus
- Men
- Women.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Children
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Animals
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Animals
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus
- Men
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Men.
- Animals
- Circus
- Men.
- Circus.
- Circus.
- Circus.
- Circus
- Music and Performing Arts.
- Circus
- Railroads
- Transportation.
- Animals
- Circus
- Horses and Horse Industry.
- Circus
- Railroads
- Transportation.
- Circus.
- Children
- Circus.
- Circus.
- Circus.
- Animals
- Circus
- Horses and Horse Industry.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- W. B. Griffin was the founder of W. B. Griffin and Son Insurance Administrators, and treasurer of Local 554 of the American Federation of Musicians. Both of these jobs required him to travel extensively, and he amassed two impressive collections: early pop music recordings (split between vinyl LPs and 78-RPM singles) and circus photographs. Griffin was an avid trumpeter as well, and frequently traveled with circuses to play as part of their 13-person bands. He especially admired Merle Evans, the "bandmaster" for Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In later life, the two became close friends and carried on a lengthy written correspondence. Griffin died in December of 2000, at the age of 96.
- Scope and Content
- The collection consists of one-hundred and three black and white silver prints. The collection is comprised primarily of portraits and publicity photographs, many of them from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The bulk of the collection covers 1939-1967.
Contents of the Collection
Elephant standing on "1/2 ton of peanuts" in Suffolk, Virginia, at Dowmey Bros. Circus,, 1939
Two elephants with a trumpet player ,, [undated]
Bridge over Salt River on U.S. Highway 60, Arizona,, [undated]
Stevens Bros. Circus tents,, [undated]
"Trooping the Colors," London; mailed from Middlesex, England, to Sarasota, Florida,, 1975
Tent at Aspen, Colorado, Music Festival,, [undated]
Clyde Beatty Band ,, 1946
Man in formal coat and shoe-string tie [possibly Henry Kyes],, [undated]
Tige Hales Band [circus band],, 1951
Kitty Rostrum, Henry Kyes and Rex Rostrum with drum set marked "Polack Bros. Circus",, [undated]
Parade floats and beauty queens, Tampa, Florida,, [undated]
Henry Kyes, Ziggy Elman, Sammy Steffer and Jerry Gold at Polack Circus, Los Angeles,, [undated]
Circus fans of America; Henry Kyes, Tent #31, Springfield, Illinois,, 1942
Mrs. Karl King, a French horn player, Soike McKechnic, Henry Kyes, Karl King; Ft. Dodge, Iowa at King's home,, [undated]
Man playing trumpet on a balcony [probably Henry Kyes],, [undated]
Win' Danielson, organist, and Henry Kyes at airport in Sarasota, Florida,, 1960
Rehearsal at Ringling quarters in Venice, Florida,, 1961
Postcard of Gold Medal Circus Band, sent to Henry Kyes, Bandmaster, c/o Polack Bros. Circus, Boise, Idaho,, 1951
Postcard featuring clown Ed Raymond,, [undated]
Kyes and Ringmaster with majorette ,, [undated]
Postcard of Long Beach Municipal Band, sent to Henry Kyes in Sarasota, Florida, mailed from Long Beach, California,, 1951
Clyde Beatty Circus Band,, 1947
William Stephens and Henry Kyes in Hollywood, California, published in Billboard Magazine, November 12, 1938,, 1938
Autographed on back: "Harry Armstrong, old trouper, trumpet and Band Leader.",, [undated]
Color postcard of "The Great Wallendas," a circus troupe,, [undated]
Group of men, women and children taken at an Indian War Dance before the show at Polack Bros. Circus, Eastern Unit; Gallup, New Mexico [names are on back],, 1952
Henry Kyes in band uniform with a lady and gentleman,, [undated]
Henry Kyes playing trumpet with bass drummer,, [undated]
Henry Kyes with Polack Bros. Circus Band,, [undated]
Henry Kyes and his band in circus tent,, [undated]
The Hanneford family outside trailer [circus performers],, 1956
91-year-old clown Al Ackerman from Polack Circus taken at Camp Pendleton, California,, 1967
Henry Kyes with two other men and a chimp,, [undated]
Al Ackerman and drummer Richard Evangelista at Camp Pendleton, California,, [undated]
Win Danielson, organist of Ringling Bros. Circus,, [undated]
Denver Band with Henry Kyes at Polack Circus ,, [undated]
Clown in cowboy costume,, [undated]
Henry Kyes in Springfield, Illinois,, 1970
Henry Kyes with "Soldier," boss of props and mailman,, 1970
Henry Kyes with pipe,, 1971
Henry Kyes onstage with circus act at Ford Bowl in San Diego, California,, 1958
Big top at Aspen Music Festival; Minneapolis Symphony with Metropolous, conductor, and Dorothy Maynard, soprano, onstage,, [undated]
Henry Kyes in band uniform,, [undated]
Circus clown, autographed "to Henry Kyes, Pete Mardo, Tent #34, Akron, Ohio",, [undated]
Man made up as a woman, autographed to Henry Kyes: "Karl A. Denton",, [undated]
Montage featuring Joe Basile, titled "Five by Five - Mr. Basile, if you will",, [undated]
Joe Basile with baton, autographed: "Best wishes to Henry Kyes from Joe Basile, 1953",, 1953
Circus ringmaster, autographed: "Best wishes . . . to the Paul Whiteman of the Big Top from... Al Springer, 1951",, 1951
Jackson Kyes, nephew of Henry Kyes,, [undated]
Henry Kyes,, [undated]
Clown, autographed: "To my dear friend, Dave Murphy... Rube Simonds",, [undated]
Clown with mirror, autographed: " To Wallace... Sincerely, Lawrence Cross",, [undated]
Clown with book,, [undated]
Two clowns,, [undated]
Armand Guerra with seals, Jacksonville Beach, Florida,, [undated]
The Yelton Twins with accordions ,, [undated]
Clown Harold Conn,, [undated]
"Tajana, Indian Goddess of Flight",, [undated]
Jeanne Sleeter in leotard,, [undated]
Sparks Circus Big Show Band with Henry Kyes, leader; roster on back,, 1947
Alfredo Landon and his Midgets,, [undated]
Eddie Kuhn and wife,, [undated]
Joannides Troupe circus performers,, [undated]
The Great Barton circus act ,, [undated]
Henry Kyes and Boy Scout with trumpets at Harold Bros. Circus; note on back lists the circuses Kyes has played for,, 1958
Circus balancing act with band on balcony ,, [undated]
Circus balancing act,, [undated]
Circus performer in a balancing act,, [undated]
Lady on a circus trapeze,, 1949
Man on a circus trapeze above audience,, 1949
Man and woman performing a circus act,, [undated]
Man and woman on a pedestal for a circus act,, [undated]
Circus balancing act; "Galasso" ,, [undated]
Henry Kyes with trumpet, a piano player, and a drummer,, [undated]
Henry Kyes in uniform directing a band,, [undated]
Barker in front of a crowd at a circus sideshow,, [undated]
Henry Kyes playing trumpet for a young girl and man ,, [undated]
Balancing act in a circus ring in Detroit, Michigan; autographed on back,, 1948
Henry Kyes in a tuxedo leading a circus band,, [undated]
Henry Kyes in a tuxedo leading Polack Circus Band ,, [undated]
Jo and Slivers Madison in front of three elephants; autographed on front,, 1952
Henry Kyes with twenty-piece band; written on back: "Please return to Robbins Bros. Circus.",, [undated]
Henry Kyes in tuxedo with eleven-piece circus band in uniform,, [undated]
Seven-piece band with Charles Cuthbert, leader; band members names appear on back,, [undated]
Group of men at a restaurant table for a union officials banquet in Havana, Cuba, with the caption: "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey"; on back: "Henry Kyes, Bandmaster, Ringling Bros. Circus",, [undated]
Henry Kyes and circus performers in front of elephants in Norfolk, Virginia,, 1952
Henry Kyes with circus advertisements,, [undated]
Fred Mullen in band uniform playing a calliope,, [undated]
Two circus clowns ,, [undated]
Captain Eddy Kuhn with lions,, [undated]
Circus advertisements,, [undated]
Large group of performers in circus ring,, [undated]
Circus trapeze act in front of audience,, [undated]
Band in a circus wagon; stamped on back: "distributed to members of the Circus Historical Society",, [undated]
Circus trailer being unloaded from railroad flatcar,, [undated]
Horses pulling circus wagon in street,, [undated]
Line of railway cars; on back: "Kit Carson Show",, 1913 - 1914
Group of people in front of circus tent in New Haven, Connecticut,, 1934
Group of girls in front of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey trailer,, 1935
Collage of 300 circus performers,, [undated]
Three ring circus,, 1929
Parade of horses at a three ring circus,, 1926
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.