Under the Big Top

Ringmaster Chris Connors takes a drag of a cigarette before a performance in Augusta, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Asian elephant Viola is one of three that performs with The Cole Bros. Circus, seen in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
The women of the silks, dressed as butterflies, ready to go into the tent and climb up and down silks performing an aerial gymnastics routine in smoke.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Alice, called Alessandra Rose, whistles to her parrot in her trailer between acts as the ring mistress of the show. She and her boyfriend’s brother, Chris Connors, lead the show through song and dance as different routines file in and out of the tent. All the performers in the circus travel and live in trailers that park alongside the tent in city after city.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Mike Rice, waits outside the entrance of the circus tent with his wife Carolyn’s dogs and pony she performs with. Carolyn performs as “Moxie Montana” and dons a cowgirl uniform during the Cole Bros. Circus.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.

These images are from shows in Augusta, Georgia, Thomasville, Georgia and Meridian, Mississippi.
The Cole Bros. Circus clowns add finishing touches to their wigs and face paint in a trailer behind the circus tent before a show in Augusta, Georgia.
Shoes await feet outside of a Cole Bros. Circus performer’s trailer in a parking lot outside of the mall in Meridian, Mississippi where the circus set-up.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
The Cole Bros. Circus is everything you would imagine from a circus decades ago. This nostalgia keeps audiences returning to the one tent in mall parking lots and on fairgrounds up and down the east coast. “Back in the depression, while everybody was on food lines and there was no money, the circus was the greatest entertainment. It was the escape. We have seen that again with the recession. The big top is magical, if you’ve never been to a circus under the tent, there’s something thrilling and chilling about it,” said Ringmaster Chris Connors.

Performers prepare for the final walk through of the circus parade at the end of a show in Meridian, Mississippi.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Greg Connors, manager of the Cole Bros. Circus and brother to the ringmaster, lifts up clown Perolito, a 5th generation clown in his 40s, in front of Alice, the ring mistress of the show, behind the circus tent during a show in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Ramon Esqueda, who hails from Mexico, has been an elephant trainer for 36 years. He touches Nina, one of the three elephants in his charge at the Cole Bros. Circus, before a show in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Moxie Montana, nee Carolyn Rice, stretches alongside her trained dogs before her act at the Thomasville, Georgia fairgrounds.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Pedro Carillo, flexes his muscles, before heading into the ring to walk across the high wire with the Toprasta Troupe, from Colombia. Carillo was born in 1947 to a Colombian cowboy. He has been walking across the wire for more than 40 years. He performs the three-tier, 7-Man Pyramid on the High Wire with his troupe for the Cole Bros. Circus.
Ramon Esqueda stands with Viola (left) and Levy before a show with the Cole Bros. Circus in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Petya and Viktoriya, who are acrobats from Bulgaria, have a unique act where they hang from their hair and spin. There’s no trick to the act, although they both spray their hair wet to make it hurt a little less. Viktoriya is married to one of the show’s motorcycle stuntmen, Andrey Medeiros, and the two have a three-year-old son.
One of the performers practices with hula hoops between trailers near the Cole Bros Circus tent before a show in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Pedro Carillo, walks across the high wire as the audience quietly watches below. Carillo was born in 1947 to a Colombian cowboy. He has been walking across the wire for more than 40 years. He performs the three-tier, 7-Man Pyramid on the High Wire with his troupe for the Cole Bros. Circus.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Into the ring during a show in Augusta, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.

These images are from shows in Augusta, Georgia, Thomasville, Georgia and Meridian, Mississippi.
The ringmaster

Ringmaster Chris Connors takes a drag of a cigarette before a performance in Augusta, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Asian elephant Viola is one of three that performs with The Cole Bros. Circus, seen in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
The women of the silks, dressed as butterflies, ready to go into the tent and climb up and down silks performing an aerial gymnastics routine in smoke.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Alice, called Alessandra Rose, whistles to her parrot in her trailer between acts as the ring mistress of the show. She and her boyfriend’s brother, Chris Connors, lead the show through song and dance as different routines file in and out of the tent. All the performers in the circus travel and live in trailers that park alongside the tent in city after city.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Mike Rice, waits outside the entrance of the circus tent with his wife Carolyn’s dogs and pony she performs with. Carolyn performs as “Moxie Montana” and dons a cowgirl uniform during the Cole Bros. Circus.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.

These images are from shows in Augusta, Georgia, Thomasville, Georgia and Meridian, Mississippi.
The Cole Bros. Circus clowns add finishing touches to their wigs and face paint in a trailer behind the circus tent before a show in Augusta, Georgia.
Shoes await feet outside of a Cole Bros. Circus performer’s trailer in a parking lot outside of the mall in Meridian, Mississippi where the circus set-up.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
The Cole Bros. Circus is everything you would imagine from a circus decades ago. This nostalgia keeps audiences returning to the one tent in mall parking lots and on fairgrounds up and down the east coast. “Back in the depression, while everybody was on food lines and there was no money, the circus was the greatest entertainment. It was the escape. We have seen that again with the recession. The big top is magical, if you’ve never been to a circus under the tent, there’s something thrilling and chilling about it,” said Ringmaster Chris Connors.

Performers prepare for the final walk through of the circus parade at the end of a show in Meridian, Mississippi.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Greg Connors, manager of the Cole Bros. Circus and brother to the ringmaster, lifts up clown Perolito, a 5th generation clown in his 40s, in front of Alice, the ring mistress of the show, behind the circus tent during a show in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Ramon Esqueda, who hails from Mexico, has been an elephant trainer for 36 years. He touches Nina, one of the three elephants in his charge at the Cole Bros. Circus, before a show in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Moxie Montana, nee Carolyn Rice, stretches alongside her trained dogs before her act at the Thomasville, Georgia fairgrounds.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Pedro Carillo, flexes his muscles, before heading into the ring to walk across the high wire with the Toprasta Troupe, from Colombia. Carillo was born in 1947 to a Colombian cowboy. He has been walking across the wire for more than 40 years. He performs the three-tier, 7-Man Pyramid on the High Wire with his troupe for the Cole Bros. Circus.
Ramon Esqueda stands with Viola (left) and Levy before a show with the Cole Bros. Circus in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Petya and Viktoriya, who are acrobats from Bulgaria, have a unique act where they hang from their hair and spin. There’s no trick to the act, although they both spray their hair wet to make it hurt a little less. Viktoriya is married to one of the show’s motorcycle stuntmen, Andrey Medeiros, and the two have a three-year-old son.
One of the performers practices with hula hoops between trailers near the Cole Bros Circus tent before a show in Thomasville, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Pedro Carillo, walks across the high wire as the audience quietly watches below. Carillo was born in 1947 to a Colombian cowboy. He has been walking across the wire for more than 40 years. He performs the three-tier, 7-Man Pyramid on the High Wire with his troupe for the Cole Bros. Circus.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.
Into the ring during a show in Augusta, Georgia.

2009 marks the Cole Bros.’s 125th anniversary and the circus claims to be the oldest American circus under a tent. The 136 x 231 foot tent can house over 2,800 fans, along with several acts where the performers hail from all over the world.

These images are from shows in Augusta, Georgia, Thomasville, Georgia and Meridian, Mississippi.
The ringmaster