The Bradford County Historical Society will host a free program entitled "Canton: Circus Capitol of the East" scheduled for Friday, September 17 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Although the event is free, participants are asked to register by calling 570-265-2240 or by email at info@bradfordhistory.com.
“Canton: Circus Capitol of the East” covers the fascinating history of Canton as a home to many important figures in the circus world in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Aside from being the winter quarters for Charles Lee’s Great London Show, Canton was the home of Charles Siegrist who is enshrined in the Circus Hall of Fame; also home of famous aerialists, Francis “Butch” Brann and his wife Amelia LaPell who performed as “France and LaPell”; and the world renown little couple, Caspar and Mab Weis, among others.
This program will trace Canton’s connection to the circus world and the interesting lives of these circus performers will be discussed. The program will be highlighted with photographs. Equipment used by France & LaPell will also be on display.
The program will be presented by Matthew Carl, Manager/Curator at the Bradford County Historical Society. Anyone who has photographs or original information pertaining to this topic is encouraged to call the Curator’s office at 265-7652 or email curator@bradfordhistory.com so that the program can be as complete as possible.
This program is part of the 2010 "Friday Night at the Museum" programming series held the third Friday of each month from May until October. Each event is held in the Great Room at the Bradford County Historical Society, located at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA. Free refreshments are provided at each program.
The final program scheduled for 2010 is: “The Frisbie Family of Orwell Township: A 19th Century Saga of Bradford County and Beyond,” October 15.
The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of PHMC and the Bradford County United Way. For more information about the society and its programming schedule, visit www.bradfordhistory.com or check out the Bradford County Historical Society Facebook page.
