Clyde Raymond Beatty was born to Margaret Beatty on June 10, 1903, in Bainbridge, Ross County, OH, the eldest of nine children. For most of these years Margaret was a single parent, and young Clyde took every part-time job in town he could find to help his mother and siblings. By the time he graduated from high school, he had already succumbed to the world of the circus. On August 16, 1921, at dawn, he and Howard Smith clambered into a boxcar on the DT&I Railroad, bound for Washington Court House, OH, and joined the Howes Great London and Van Amburgh’s Wild Animal Circus. ~Roger Smith (IMDB.com)
Clyde Beatty’s life was one that could only dreamed by most youths—attaining stardom as the world’s greatest wild animal trainer, considered by many the bravest man in the world, hobnobbing with celebrities and reporters, flying a plane, boxing, watching his baseball heroes, making movies, coauthoring
books and articles, and being unanimously acclaimed by Broadway’s toughest columnists and sportswriters.
Perhaps, even more amazing is what motivated Beatty. Like many driven people, he was hounded by a black dog. For him it was his childhood. Reporters typically skimmed over his early years, depicting them as blissfully bucolic—the country boy, enamored with animals, keeping a diversity of pets, finally runs off to join a circus, only to be brought back by distraught parents, who urge him to stay in school, but he runs away again, and in ten years is dazzling Broadway. (Joanne Joys, 2011)
Clyde Raymond Beatty was born on June 10th, 1903, in Bainbridge, Ohio. Clyde, a famed wild animal trainer known for his “fighting act” style of performance, rose to success in the circus and entertainment industries and was a household name for over four decades.
Beatty hopped a train bound for Washington Court House at the age of 18 to join the circus. Howe’s Great London and Van Amburgh’s Wild Animal Circus was in town for one day and Clyde was able to land a job as a cage attendant. A year later he had advanced to assistant trainer and earned the the opportunity to work with polar bears under Peter Taylor, one of the great big-cat trainers of the era.
From 1925 through 1934 Beatty toured with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, handling both polar bears and big cats. It was for Hagenbeck in 1930 that he put together his best-known act, including 40 lions and tigers of mixed sexes. From 1931 through 1934 he appeared with the combined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in its New York City and Boston appearances. His act was billed as the “sensation of the century, greatest and most daring wild animal act ever presented.” He also performed with the Cole Bros. circus from 1935 through 1938. From 1936 to 1945 Beatty operated the Clyde Beatty Jungle Zoo near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Beatty purchased a circus in 1945 that in 1958 bought the Cole Bros. name and formed the Clyde Beatty–Cole Bros. Circus, which was the largest tent show on the road in the United States at that time.
In addition to his circus work, Beatty was active in many other fields. He appeared in several motion pictures—including The Big Cage (1933, based on his own book by that name), Darkest Africa (1936, a 15-episode series), Africa Screams (1949, with Abbott and Costello), Perils of the Jungle (1953), and Ring of Fear (1954, featuring mystery writer Mickey Spillane)—in all of which he played himself and revealed what made him such a popular figure. A compelling 52-episode radio program called The Clyde Beatty Show aired from December 11, 1950, to January 18, 1952. The program—voiced by actors—was centered on Beatty’s career, and some of its episodes were based on real-life events. Books by Beatty include The Big Cage (1933; with Edward Anthony), Jungle Performers (1941; with Earl Wilson), and Facing the Big Cats: My World of Lions and Tigers (1965; with Edward Anthony).
Our Collection
TICKETS
1949 Clyde Beatty Circus Ticket
1949 Clyde Beatty Circus Employees’ Cook House Meal Ticket
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Double-Sided VIP Ticket
1954 Clyde Beatty Circus Complimentary Ticket
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Ticket
Vintage Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Ticket Book (10 Tickets)
PROGRAMS
1959 Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers & Hamid Morton Combined Circus Program
1933 Hagenbeck Wallace Circus Magazine
1940’s Clyde Beatty Circus Program
1953 Clyde Beatty’s Gigantic Railroad Circus Program
1936 Cole Brothers Program
1946 Clyde Beatty Circus Program & Route Book
1947 Clyde Beatty Circus Program
1963 Coliseum Christmas Circus Program
1951 Clyde Beatty Circus Program
1944 Clyde Beatty Russel Brothers Circus
MEDIA
16mm Preview of Clyde Beatty’s Animal Thrills Film
16mm Film w/ Sound – The Big Cage (1933)
1990 Bandwagon Circus Magazine Featuring Life & Times of Clyde Beatty
Ohio Timeline Magazine Featuring Clyde Beatty
1955 The Ohio Story Radio Script Featuring Clyde Beatty
1950-1952 Clyde Beatty Radio Show (52 Episodes)
1937 Time Magazine – Clyde Beatty Cover
Vinyl Album – Under The Big Top Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers
16mm Clyde Beatty’s Animal Thrills
16mm Frank Buck in Tiger Fangs
16mm Here Come’s The Circus
35mm Kodak Slides – Circus Lion & Horse Trainers (9 Total)
1930’s Clyde Beatty Wild Animals Duracolor Animated Film
ADVERTISING
1921 Howe’s Great London Circus Fold-Out Newspaper Ad
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Newspaper Pull-Out Ad
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Newspaper Ad Mat
1943 Canadian Club Whiskey Clyde Beatty’s Jungle Zoo Ad
1938 Eveready Flashlight Battery Ad Featuring Clyde Beatty
Vintage Quaker Crackles Clyde Beatty Box Top Prizes Ad
1954 Ring of Fear Cinemascope Promotional Brochure
Vintage Clyde Beatty’s Jungleland Brochure
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Popcorn Box
1931 Ringling Bros Madison Square Garden Advertisement from Billboard Magazine
Various Newspaper Ads & Stories (From the June Gregg Estate, Gift of Susan Johnson)
ADMINISTRATION
1954 Clyde Beatty Circus Editor Book No 6
Vintage Clyde Beatty Wild Animal Circus Letterhead
1935 Cole Brothers Circus w/ Clyde Beatty Route Card
Clyde Beatty Circus Radio Requisition
Clyde Beatty Circus Lithograph Offer
1957 Clyde Beatty Circus Route Card #10
1961 Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Route Card #1
1961 Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Route Card #6
1979 Clyde Beatty Museum Envelope
1947 Clyde Beatty Circus Route Book
Vintage Shrine Circus Mailer featuring Clyde Beatty
1943 Clyde Beatty & Wallace Brothers Route Card
1951 Clyde Beatty Circus Route Card
CORRESPONDENCE
1921 Letter from Clyde to his best friend Ciby w/ Lion Mane (From the June Gregg Estate, Gift of Susan Johnson)
1921 Letter from Clyde to his best friend Ciby w/ Winter Quarter Press Release (From the June Gregg Estate, Gift of Susan Johnson)
1921 Montgomery, Alabama Mini Post Card Set sent to his best friend Ciby (From the June Gregg Estate, Gift of Susan Johnson)
BOOKS
1953 Clyde Beatty Comic Book – 1st Printing
1939 Clyde Beatty “Big Little Book”
1936 The Steel Arena “Big Little Book”
1936 The Lost Jungle “Little Big Book”
Davey’s Adventures with Clyde Beatty
1956 Clyde Beatty’s African Jungle Comic Book
1934 Lions & Tigers “Big Little Book”
Inscribed Copy of The Big Cage
Inscribed Copy of Jungle Performers
Best of My Life: Autobiographies
MAGAZINES
July 1984 Bandwagon – Howe’s Great London Circus
May/June 1975 Bandwagon – Clyde Beatty Wild Animal Circus
1937 Time Magazine – Clyde Beatty Cover
January 1990 Bandwagon – Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Combined Side Show
July 2002 – Timeline Magazine – Clyde Beatty
TOYS / MISC
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Christmas Card
HO Scale Clyde Beatty Tableau Wagon, Lion Cage, & Flatcar
ERTL Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Die-Cast Tractor Trailer Coin Bank
1951 Kellogg Pop Cereal Clyde Beatty Magic Eye Flicker Disc
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Souvenir Ringmaster Baton
1991 ERTL Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Model Circus Tent
1961 View-Master Reels – A Day At The Circus
View-Master Reel – Performing Elephants #925
HO Scale Circus Flat Car w/ CBCB Menagerie & Red Cart
HO Scale Circus Flat Car w/ 2 Lion Cages
HO Scale Bachmann Powered Santa Fe Diesel Engine
HO Track & Miscellaneous Buildings
HO Scale Clyde Beatty Circus Flatcar w/ Tractor
Cole Brothers Circus w/ Clyde Beatty 500+ Piece Puzzle
Quaker Crackles Wild Animal Act Including Envelope
1943 Hingees Clyde Beatty Cutouts Set
Quaker Crackles Box Top Book – How To Put On Your Own Circus
CLOTHING
Vintage Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Red Employee Jumpsuit
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers 1 3/4″ Pin Featuring Clyde Beatty Photo
1980’s Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Nylon Jacket
1966 “I’m a Circus Daddy” Pinback Worn by CBCB Circus Employee
Vintage Moslem Shriners Fez
Genuine Pith Helmet – Beatty Replica
PENANTS
Early Clyde Beatty Circus Red Felt Pennant
Blue & Gold Clyde Beatty & Cole Brothers Circus Pennant
Detroit Shrine Circus Green Felt Pennant
Circus Hall of Fame Pennant
POSTERS
Clyde Beatty Cole Bros Vintage Gold Lion Circus Poster 22×28 – Enquirer Printing Co
Vintage Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Poster 14×36 – Enquirer Printing Co
Darkest Africa Movie Lobby Card (15 Episodes)
Darkest Africa Movie Lobby Card (1 Episode)
Clyde Beatty Circus Poster / Window Card (Tampa) 12×18
Vintage Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Tiger Half Sheet 13×21
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Animals & Acrobats – Saratoga Springs 14×50
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Gold Lion – Saratoga Springs 14×50
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Clown Head – Saratoga Springs 21×36
Clyde Beatty Circus Red & Blue – Nampa, Idaho 22×28
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Lion Tamer Poster (4 Circles) 22×28
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Poster – Yellow – Animal Assortment – 22×28
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Yellow Clown Poster – Civic Center Wheeling 14×50
Clyde Beatty Circus Red & Black Lion & Tamer Poster – 22×28
Clyde Beatty Railroad Circus Elephant Poster – 22×28
Six Sheet Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Tiger Poster – 10′ x 8′
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Poster – Saratoga Springs – 14×40 (Gift from Tim & Deb Koehl)
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Poster – Saratoga Springs – 28×36 (Gift from Tim & Deb Koehl)
Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Poster – Lansing – 22×28
Clyde Beatty Circus Swatting Tiger Poster – Beeville – 28×22 + Tab (Gift from Tim & Deb Koehl)
Clyde Beatty Circus Clown Poster – Beeville – 22×28 + Tab (Gift from Tim & Deb Koehl)
PHOTOS / POSTCARDS
Vintage Post Card – Clyde Beatty Circus Elephants (Santa Clarita)
Vintage Post Card – Clyde Beatty Circus Elephants (Beech Mt, NC)
Clyde Beatty & Saver Autographed 8″x10″ Photo
1940’s Black & White Photo Featuring Circus Entrance
1940’s Black & White Photo Featuring Sideshow Entrance
Vintage Post Card – Lions at Clyde Beatty Zoo
Vintage Post Card – Hamid’s Million Dollar Peer
Vintage Clyde Beatty Circus Christmas Card
Vintage B&W Clyde Beatty Portrait (From the June Gregg Estate, Gift of Susan Johnson)
PRINTS
Art Print – 1 of 4 Designs by Jerry Becker 19×25
Art Print – 2 of 4 Designs by Jerry Becker (w/ Shipping Tube & Letter) 19×25