1945 Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Hippo Bill Bailey

Date: c.1945 Artist: Unknown Size (in): 28” x 20.5” Size (cm): 71.1 x 52.1 Condition: B- Linen backed: No This vintage original Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus poster was created by the prolific circus poster designer Bill Bailey and features a pair of hippopotami in a marsh or lake scene. Bill Bailey’s name is signed in print in the lower left corner just below the circus’s famous “The Greatest Show on Earth” globe logo. The lower margin is printed with a 1945 copyright so thus the date. This vintage original poster is free of tape and shows moderate handling wear and some slight toning from age on the margins. The poster shows some bumping to the edges and moderate handling wear and has two small punctures and a small closed tear in the image area. There are some small chips and nicks off the lower margin not affecting the image area and two tears without paper loss on the bottom edge with one tear being about three inches and the other about an inch and a half. Overall condition is otherwise very good for this vintage original.