Illustration Art, Ringling Brothers Circus, 1930s (Sold)

Robert Holcomb
Ringling Bros. Circus Parade in Old Springfield
American: c. 1930s
Pen and ink on paper
Signed lower right “Robert Holcomb” and numbered “39” in margin
14 x 16.75 inches

Cheerful black and white illustration of a circus parade through a rural town. A crowd of bystanders watches elephants, clowns on donkeys, a camel led by a keeper, and as the subtitle notes, “With the Duryea ‘Horseless carriage’ as One of the Attractions.” In 1936, Holcomb authored and illustrated Story of Connecticut, a three-volume graphic history of the state, which was compiled from a historical series of the same title published daily by the Hartford Times. This is possibly one of the original drawings for that work.