AN ARTIST'S JOURNAL
Edited and prepared for the Internet by Ronald Davis
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Stanley Roseman - An Artist's Journal
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Expression of Gratitude to Frosty Little
Director of Clowns
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

    "I would like to conclude this journal entry with an expression of gratitude to Frosty Little, Director of Clowns of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Stanley Roseman and Frosty Little
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, 1977.
 
    "One evening before the show at Madison Square Garden in 1973, I was sitting near cages of Royal Bengal tigers and drawing those impressive felines. I noticed a tiger whisker on the floor. I picked it up and studied it as I held it in my hand. By comparison to the whiskers of a much smaller 'tiger,' my Abyssinian cat named Aby, the Bengal tiger whisker was not only longer but also stiff and wire-like with a needle-sharp end. I heard a friendly voice behind me.
    'Hi, Stan. How you doin'.'
    'Oh, Hi Frosty,' I said turning towards him. 'Look what I just found. A tiger whisker.'
    'That's great! It's good luck you know. Keep it with you.'
    "I put the tiger whisker in my wallet for safekeeping. I was very happy to have found a token of good luck at the outset of my work at the Circus.
    "I am deeply grateful to Frosty and the troupe of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns for kindly offering their time for my portrait paintings and drawings, for the inspiration they gave me for my work, and for inviting me to share in the extraordinary experience of life in the Circus."
My Friendship with Frosty Little
   Page 4
     
Links to Pages 1, 2, and 3
      on the bottom of this page.
    "Frosty's enthusiasm for my work, his providing me with my own place in which to set up my easel and to paint and draw in the private domain of Clown Alley, and his ongoing invitations over the years for me to return to the Circus to resume my work made possible the realization of my oeuvre of paintings and drawings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns.
    "When I was cordially invited by the Circus in spring of 1973, the Red Unit, the original company, was in the first year of its 103rd Edition.
    "Frosty Little, in charge of the troupe of circus clowns, welcomed me, and we spoke about my prospective work. Frosty thoughtfully suggested that I could draw at the backstage main entrance to the arena, a place reserved for the performers. It was exciting to be in the midst of the cast gathering backstage for the Opening and for the Finale and to draw backstage during the show. I am grateful to Frosty for his encouragement of my work by including me in the familial, circus community.
The Performing Arts in America Exhibition and NBC Television News
     The exhibition toured the United States through to the summer of 1976, when the Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center brought the exhibition to the historic region of Saratoga County, in east central New York. The victorious Battle of Saratoga fought by General George Washington's Continental Army in the autumn of 1777 was decisive in the War for American Independence.
     Roseman began his work on the performing arts in 1972 with a cordial invitation from the Administration of the Metropolitan Opera. With further invitations from leading opera, theatre, and dance companies, Roseman continued to draw at dress rehearsals and performances from the front of the auditorium and the wings of the stage. The drawings depict renowned singers, actors, and dancers; supporting players, members of the chorus, and the corps de ballet. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns portrayed in Roseman's paintings, drawings, and drypoint engravings brought an important and joyful presence to the American Bicentennial exhibition.
The American Bicentennial
    "I also want to express my deep gratitude to Frosty Little for his valuable collaboration with Ronald Davis and NBC Television News, which filmed a reportage on my work at the Circus and my exhibition at the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, New York City.
2. Lincoln Center, New York City, 1977
   "For the American Bicentennial, Ronald produced the exhibition Stanley Roseman - The Performing Arts in America. The exhibition comprised my drawings from performances of opera, theatre, and dance and my paintings, drawings, and drypoint engravings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns."
    Lincoln Center announced the Roseman exhibition with a large banner displayed in Lincoln Center Plaza. That event was the first time a banner for an art exhibition had been displayed in the plaza of the renowned cultural center, which incorporates the Metropolitan Opera House, New York State Theatre, Philharmonic Hall, and the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts.
    ''The moments Roseman has captured are many and varied,''
writes The Saratogian, the Saratoga Springs daily,
''and a walk through the exhibition is a trip through what will be our cultural heritage.''

The Performing Arts in America Bicentennial Exhibition Poster
     The American Bicentennial exhibition poster Stanley Roseman - The Performing Arts in America features the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown Keith Crary with an abundant fringe of blue hair and fashionably attired in a white shirt, dark jacket with red lapels, and a burgundy bow tie. In this splendid portrait, the young circus clown in beautiful, white-face makeup looks out from the canvas and offers the viewer a friendly regard.
3. American Bicentennial exhibition poster
Stanley Roseman
The Performing Arts in America

    The White House, Washington, D.C.
    Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
    Library and Museum for the Performing Arts,
          Lincoln Center, New York City
    Victoria and Albert Museum, London
    Musée de l'Affiche, Paris
    National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
    Museo Teatrale alla Scala, Milan
    Deutsches Plakat Museum, Essen
    Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich
    American Embassy, Bern and Paris
     The Performing Arts in America exhibition poster was selected for the 5th International Poster Biennale, National Poster Museum, Warsaw, and acquired for the collection of the Museum.
Collections:
NBC Television News at the Circus and the Museum for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center
    "Ronald and I have worked together since the early 1970's. The Performing Arts in America exhibition was a high point in our partnership. Ronald contacted NBC Television News with an invitation to visit the exhibition at Lincoln Center and spoke of my work at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which had returned to New York City for its annual spring engagement at Madison Square Garden. NBC was enthusiastic to cover the exhibition and asked if it would be possible to film at the Circus.
    "Ronald spoke with Frosty, who was equally enthusiastic. Frosty was given permission from the Circus Administration for NBC Television to film a documentary news report on my work at the Circus. Frosty and Ronald worked together coordinating activities at the Circus and the scheduling of filming by NBC.
    "At Madison Square Garden, Frosty warmly greeted the NBC Television News reporter and crew. Frosty made the backstage area accessible in accordance with the activity backstage and the performing in the arena.  He accommodated the NBC crew to film me in various locations as I drew the circus clowns.
    "Ronald brought his experience as stage manager at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the American Shakespeare Festival to the planning and realization of the project. He stayed in contact with Frosty at the Circus and the NBC Newsroom. Ronald was also in contact with Dr. Henderson, Director of the Library and Museum at Lincoln Center, to arrange for NBC Television News to record an interview with me in the Main Gallery of the Museum and show paintings of the circus clowns in the exhibition.
NBC Television News with Roseman and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clowns
     NBC Television News aired on an evening broadcast in 1977 an enthusiastic reportage of Roseman at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden:
- NBC Television News
"The clowns of the Garden have invited Stan into their backstage lives as a friend.
He has joined the circus family.''

     In a sequence from the NBC Television News report, (fig. 4), Roseman draws Bruce Gutilla (left) and Dale Longmire (center) backstage. Bruce and Dale graduated from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in 1974 and that same year, joined the Circus.
4. Stanley Roseman drawing the circus clowns
Bruce Gutilla (left) and Dale Longmire
in a backstage area at the
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus,
Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1977.
(Courtesy of NBC Television)
Library and Museum for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center    
     The NBC Television News report changes location to the Performing Arts in America exhibition at the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, where Roseman is interviewed in the Main Gallery of the Museum. A hundred of the artist's drawings from dress rehearsals and performances of opera, theatre, and dance and his drawings and drypoint engravings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns are complemented by fourteen life-size portrait paintings of the celebrated clown troupe. Several paintings are shown individually in the broadcast. The portrait paintings of the clowns are the subject of the interview with the artist.
"These are clown portraits that look behind the greasepaint.''
- NBC Television News
     NBC Television News documented Roseman drawing several members of the celebrated troupe of circus clowns: Lou Jacobs, Peggy Williams, Jimmy Briscoe, as well as Bruce Gutilla and Dale Longmire.
     Drawings constitute an important part of Roseman's oeuvre. The artist began drawing the Circus clowns in his first weeks at Madison Square Garden in spring 1973. A prolific draughtsman, Roseman resumed drawing the clowns when he sojourned with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at various locations through the years. Returning to Madison Square Garden was a wonderful occasion for the artist in 1975 and in 1977.
     The photo, (fig. 5), taken from the NBC News report shows four of the paintings along one wall of the Main Gallery.
     On the left is Jimmy, 1973, private collection, Switzerland; and center, George, 1976, acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Seen to the right are Bruce and Dale, 1976, private collection, Switzerland; and Dale, 1976, private collection, New York.
5. The photo shows four Roseman paintings in the Performing Arts in America exhibition in the Main Gallery at the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1977.
                       (Courtesy of NBC Television)
Returning to the Circus   
     After the interview with Roseman at the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts, the television broadcast returns to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden.
     In the final sequence of the NBC News report, Roseman is seen drawing Bruce Gutilla and Dale Longmire in a wardrobe wagon as the two circus clowns adjust their costumes before going out into the arena for the performance.
    6. Stanley Roseman drawing Bruce Gutilla and Dale Longmire
in a wardrobe wagon at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus,
Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1977.
(Courtesy of NBC Television)
     The NBC News report concludes the enthusiastic commentary about the artist's portrait paintings and the circus clowns' appreciation for the work:
"And they can see themselves in the brushstrokes of Stan Roseman, 
who so far has always come back from the circus,
even though he is a man who has dined and slept on the circus train
where ordinary mortals never tread.''

- NBC Television News
     The Performing Arts in America exhibition concluded its national tour in 1977 at the Library and Museum for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, February 14 (vernissage) to April 9, with a two-week extension due to record attendance. The American Bicentennial celebrations continued through 1977. It was significant the exhibition concluded at Lincoln Center, where five years before, Roseman began his work on the performing arts.
A Golden Age at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
    "I sojourned with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1973 through 1977. Following an extended work in Europe, I returned to the Circus in the spring of 1981, to Madison Square Garden where it all had begun for me eight years before. During those years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was enjoying a Golden Age. Gunther Gebel-Williams, the renowned animal trainer of Royal Bengal tigers and majestic elephants, had joined the famous American Circus in 1968. He was star performer of the international company that included other well-known animal trainers, as well as equestrians, aerialists, jugglers, tumblers, and daring young men and women on the flying trapeze. And at the heart of the illustrious Circus were the celebrated clowns, 'the glittering joys of all of our lives,' to quote The New York Times review 'Spirit of the Clown' on my work at the Circus.
    "During that Golden Age of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, I depicted three Master Clowns: the famous auguste clown Lou Jacobs; the renowned white-face clown Bobby Kay; and the distinguished Director of Clowns Frosty Little. The Circus administration conferred on them the prestigious title in recognition of their mastery of the profession. Only one other clown had been awarded the title Master Clown: Otto Griebling (1897-1972), a tramp clown who passed away before I had begun my work at the Circus.
    "I was pleased to include in my work Peggy Williams, the first female graduate of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and her colleague Ruth Chaddock. Peggy and Ruth, in their lovely, white-face makeup, revived the personage of the female clown, or clowness, with feminine personalities. Peggy and Ruth were memorable subjects for my work, as the Parisian clownesse Cha-U-Kao had been for Toulouse-Lautrec a century before.
7. Frosty Little, 1977
Director of Clowns
and Master Clown
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Oil on Strathmore paper, 73 x 58 cm
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux
    "My work includes a younger generation of circus clowns who had received instruction and guidance from the Master Clowns and the troupe's senior members. The handing down from one generation to another of performance skills and circus traditions and the experience the Clown College graduates gained from performing with the Circus veterans before audiences of tens-of-thousands formed an ensemble of the greatest troupe of clowns of The Greatest Show on Earth.
    "Frosty retired in 1991 after twenty-three years with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Frosty and Pat and Ronald and I continued to keep in contact through correspondence as well as by telephone. In his letter of August 6, 1996, Frosty writes: 'Dear Stan and Ronald, Thanks for the call - it was great talking to you again. It doesn't seem possible that 20 years have passed already.' "
    "Glen 'Frosty' Little (1925-2010), Director of Clowns of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Master Clown, is one of the most renowned circus clowns in the history of the American circus."
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
    "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus gave its farewell performance on May 21, 2017. The Circus traces its origin to the autumn of 1870, when the veteran showman P. T. Barnum came out of retirement to join forces as senior partner with two younger men, William Coup and Dan Castello, who had recently formed a circus that toured the Great Lakes region that summer. Through the winter, the newly established enterprise carrying the name of P. T. Barnum prepared for an opening in New York City in the spring. In April 1871, the show, which included a menagerie of exotic animals; displays of natural history, eclectic objects, and curiosities; as well as an impressive circus, began its first seasonal tour through New York and the New England states.[1] Ten years later, in 1881, Barnum merged the successful show with an equally impressive circus presented by his competitor James A. Bailey. Thus was inaugurated the famous partnership of Barnum and Bailey.[2]
    "During the mid-1880's, five brothers named Ringling started a modest circus that grew over the years and reached an immense success before the close of the century.[3] P. T. Barnum passed away in 1891; James A. Bailey, in 1906. The five enterprising brothers acquired in 1907 the Barnum & Bailey Circus and managed the two shows as separate companies. For the 1919 season, the two shows were combined into one spectacular, three-ring entertainment that became an illustrious name in American culture - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
1. A.H. Saxon, P.T.Barnum - The Legend and the Man: (New York: Columbia University Press, 1989), p. 238.
2. Ibid. p. 284.
3. Alfred T. Ringling, Life Story of the Ringling Brothers: (Reprint of original publication 1900), p. 94.
© Stanley Roseman and Ronald Davis, 2014 - All Rights Reserved
Visual imagery and site content may not be reproduced in any form whatsoever.
     The Performing Arts in America exhibition opened on the eve of the American Bicentennial celebrations in December 1975 in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Curtis Institute of Music, one of the world's leading music conservatories, presented the Roseman exhibition in Philadelphia.
Page 4 - Expression of Gratitude to Frosty Little
Letters, including Photographs on Frosty's Career with the Circus
Letters on Circus Life and the Portrait Frosty Little on the Cover of the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA
NBC Television News with Roseman and the Circus Clowns
Stanley Roseman - The Performing Arts in America Bicentennial exhibition, 1975 - 1977