The Toy Box Circus

For this assignment, students from the Ringling College of Art & Design were tasked with using inspiration from toys to create a character from the circus. This character would need a backstory, and students would need to determine what type of performance their character would do, and include other characteristics from the circus that their character would perform or interact with. Then the students were to design, construct, stage, and photograph a physical costume that was wearable. 

The students were introduced to The Ringling Archives where they found inspiration from the Circus Arts, Wild West Shows, and allied arts collections. Here they discovered program, toys, photographs and costume designs relating to the circus and circus performers. The students went on to create their characters and wardrobes, and the Toy Box Circus was born!  

Slips, Falls, Mishaps, and Tragedies: Mapping Circus Accidents, 1893 by Joy Feagan

This digital history project explores the darker, dangerous side of circus life. The work, presented as a GIS Story Map, provides an interactive overview of the railroad routes of 5 circuses during the 1893 season and the accidents that occurred along the way.     View the Story Map