Spies, Traitors, Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America

On loan from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the collection of more than 60 rare black and white photographs captured the working life of circus performers in the early 20th century, from ticket takers and sideshow performers, to contortionists, clowns, and acrobats. Photographer Frederick W. Glasier traveled with Ringling Bros., the Sparks Circus, and the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show during the early 1900s through the 1930s, documenting the behind-the-scenes lives and work of traveling showmen and entertainers. His lens captures the humanity and spectacle of the American circus during its heyday.