Office Wagon #124
Artist
Springfield Wagon Company
(founded 1873)
Date1935
CultureAmerican
MediumSteel, wood
ClassificationTransportation Vehicles
Credit LineGift of James H. Baker, 2011
Object numberSN11293
Office wagons were the heart of circus business operations. Located on the midway, tickets were sold and managerial duties completed. The wagon’s limited space was shared by ticket takers and office staff as well as by the general manager, who wielded the greatest authority -- short of the owner -- over life on the circus.
It was rare to have an office wagon that was used solely by a general manager. In 1935, Samuel Gumpertz, general manager of Ringling show, had this wagon constructed for his use. In The Greatest Show on Earth, Cecil B. DeMille followed this example. There the general manager, Brad Braden (played by Charlton Heston) oversaw the circus from his private office wagon.
Made by the Springfield Wagon & Trailer Company of Springfield, Missouri, this vehicle is typical of the modern steel wagon on pneumatic tires that Ringling and other circuses used in the 1930s.
On View
Not on view
early 20th Century