Oversized green-and-yellow shoes. Performing elephants. A bedazzled pink jacket. A man riding two horses at once. The circus – or at least a circus exhibit – must have arrived at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
The colorful array of photos and artifacts examines the circus history of Petersburg, Ill., a central Illinois town better known for its Lincoln connections. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Petersburg was also the winter home to circus folk who trained, perfected new acts and performed for the community in a custom-built arena called the Ring Barn.
The exhibit, which runs through Dec. 8, features photos of the acrobats, clowns, stunt-riders and other performers who made their home in Petersburg