Description: Photograph of a Sells Brothers Circus parade in Delaware, Ohio, 1873. The circus was founded ca. 1872 by brothers Allen, Ephraim, Lewis and Peter Sells and operated for thirty-five years. Their winter quarters were in Columbus, Ohio. Text across bottom reads "SELLS BROS CIRCUS PARADE - DELAWARE, O - 1873." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02920
Subjects: Sells Bros. Circus; Circus--United States--History; Parades & processions
Places: Delaware (Ohio); Delaware County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of two Sells Brothers Circus performers. The man on the right is A. A. Powell, known as the "Sells Brothers Giant." The circus was founded ca. 1872 by brothers Allen, Ephraim, Lewis and Peter Sells and operated for thirty-five years. Their winter quarters were in Columbus, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02919
Subjects: Sells Bros. Circus; Circus--United States--History
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of a train car for "The Great Adam Forepaugh and Sells Brothers Shows Combined." The Sells Brothers Circus was founded ca. 1872 by brothers Allen, Ephraim, Lewis and Peter Sells and operated for thirty-five years. Their winter quarters were in Columbus, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02921
Subjects: Sells Bros. Circus; Circus--United States--History
 

Description: Photographic reproduction of a poster for the Sells Brothers Circus. E. Sells, Lewis Sells and Peter Sells, proprietors of the circus, are pictured. When the circus was not traveling it was based in Columbus, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02746
Subjects: Circus; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Arts and Entertainment; Businesses; Business--Ohio; Circus--United States--History
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photographic reproduction of a poster for the Sells Brothers Circus, depicting a parade of circus performers. It reads "Sells Brothers' Enormous United Shows--An Imposing Scene in the Grand Spectacular Pageant as Produced at Every Performance." In the 1870s the Sells brothers, led by Peter, became involved in the circus business. Other brothers working with the circus were Ephraim, Lewis, and William Allen. The winter quarters for the circus initially were at the current location of Brookside Country Club in Linworth, Ohio. When the circus became larger, winter quarters moved to an area which became known as "Sellsville" in Columbus, bounded by Fifth Avenue, Queen Avenue, Chambers Road and River Road. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02917
Subjects: Circus; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Posters; Entertainers;
 

Description: Map showing the Columbus neighborhood of Sellsville, ca. 1900. Artwork is by Dolores (Weisheimer) Toney, and information was compiled by Carl H. Weisheimer. The map includes an extensive key to sites, shops and residences throughout Sellsville, compiled from a variety of sources. In the 1870s the Sells brothers, led by Peter, became involved in the circus business. Other brothers working with the circus included Ephraim, Lewis, and William Allen. The winter quarters for the circus initially were at the current location of Brookside Country Club in Linworth, Ohio. When the circus became larger, winter quarters moved to an area which became known as Sellsville, which was generally bounded by Fifth Avenue, Queen Avenue, Chambers Road and River Road. The Winter Quarters for the circus during the 1900 season was located west of the Olentangy River, east of Virginia Avenue, south of Chambers Road, and north of West Fifth Avenue. The area is now within the Columbus city limits except for a small part which is still in Clinton Township. Beside animal houses and barns, the Winter Quarters included a school, service shops, a couple of manufacturing firms, saloons, slaughterhouses, blacksmith shops and a greenhouse. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA4679_Sellsville
Subjects: Sells Bros. Circus; Columbus (Ohio)--History; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Arts and Entertainment; Circus--United States--History;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of the Sells Circus elephants at Sellsville, located on West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, ca. 1890-1899. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03508
Subjects: Animals; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Circus
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Carte de visite portrait of two young boys dressed in matching costumes who were apparently circus performers, ca. 1869-1879. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03502
Subjects: Circus; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Children; Entertainment
Places: New York (New York)
 

Description: Cabinet card portrait of a circus "Fat Lady," ca. 1880-1889. She has on numerous pieces of jewelry and holds a fan. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03504
Subjects: Baker Art Gallery; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Circus acts; Entertainers
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads "Residence of Peter Sells, 755 Dennison Ave., 1898." The Sells mansion was built in 1895 by Peter Sells, one of the cofounders of the Sells Brothers Circus. It is an example of the Romanesque architectural style and was designed by Frank Packard. The Sells family only occupied the house until the early 1900s. During the 1930s, the United Commercial Travelers Columbus Chapter used this building as a meeting house. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F10_006_001
Subjects: Architecture--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Architecture, Domestic--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Sells Bros. Circus
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Cabinet card photograph of a circus performer named Major Ray, age 29, height 36 inches, weight 38 pounds, ca. 1880-1889. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03505
Subjects: Circus; Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph is identified as an "Uncle Tom Parade," which refers to a traveling show popular during this time period that featured a "double feature" type performance with dramatizations of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as well as a more traditional circus show. This picture was likely taken only a few years after Stowe's death in 1896. Image if from a collection of glass plate negatives of various Trumbull County and northeastern Ohio scenes, places, people and events taken by John E. Pickering and Edward D. Pickering from the 1880s to the 1910s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08474
Subjects: Cultural Ohio; Parades & processions; Circus; Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Places: Warren (Ohio); Trumbull County (Ohio)