When the Circus Came to Town: Auction of Fine Antique Dolls, Automata, Mechanical Music (Dollmaster November 2007 Auction Results)

Auction catalog from an auction of Fine Antique Dolls, Automata, and Mechanical Music. The auction was held in November 2007. Prices realized are included.

When P.T. Barnum brought his famed Barnum and Bailey circus to Des Moines, Iowa in the late 19th century, Jumbo the Elephant, reputedly the largest elephant ever known to exist, was the star of the show. The Des Moines performance grounds were rented from a certain Mr. Wesley Redhead, a prominent local businessman, and he and P.T. became fast friends. When the circus was set to depart, P.T. Barnum presented Mr. Redhead with a mechanical toy elephant as a memory of the time. The elephant, made by Roullet of France, lumbered along when wound, and, amusingly flapped his ears, a feature not often found on the later Roullet et Decamps toy elephant. This elephant remained in the Redhead Family until 2007, and was sold at auction along with photographs and documents about its provenance. Jumbo provides a symbol of childhood as represented by this auction.