CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions will conduct a 600-plus lot sale, dubbed Circus, Sideshow & Oddities, on Saturday, April 30 starting at 10 am Central time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Antique carnival and circus relics should land among top lot slots in this sale. Likely candidates include a circa-1900 carousel rabbit by the G.A. Dentzel Company, estimated at $28,000-$35,000. This carved wooden standing rabbit has a white body and a carved tan saddle, purple and green trappings, and an unusual pink bow. It was restored by artist Nina Fraley.

Another standout in this section is a marked circa-1911 John T. Dickman Great Clown carnival shooting gallery target, estimated at $15,000-$20,000. This cast iron example features a clown wearing a red hat and a white mask, just daring the shooter to take him out. The target was attached to a gas line which illuminated both eyes with flame; if one flame was shot out, the second would immediately light.

Enormous hand-painted sideshow banners are among the most highly anticipated lots, led by Snap Wyatt’s (American, 1905-1984) banner known as Palace of Wonders, which is estimated at $8,000-$12,000. This mid-century canvas banner was made in Tampa by Snap Wyatt Productions and measures 84 by 312in. It was produced for Chicago’s Riverview Park and depicts a number of so-called “freaks,” including a fire eater and a strong man, with a central medallion depicting a two-faced woman. Wyatt was one of the most prolific and popular painters of the sideshow era, renowned for his bold use of color and the sheer scale of his creations.

This sale features a strong selection of early 20th century circus themed images, such as a circa-1930s Al. G. Barnes circus photograph scrapbook estimated at $1,500-$2,500. It includes around 300 silver prints documenting circus performers and workers of the Al. G. Barnes Circus. Shown are performers and animals; snake handlers; equestrians; wagons, sideshow banners, tents, railcars, and trucks with lettering and signage for Al. G. Barnes; women in leotards and elaborate costumes; tiger trainers; clowns; and acrobats and high-wire artists.

Circus-related posters also feature in the lineup. Of note is Lot #194, an example known as Sells Brothers Enormous United Shows / The Great Costellos, estimated at $1,200-$2,400. It was printed in 1895 in Cincinnati by Strobridge Litho. This linen-backed color example depicts the acrobatics of the “Great Costellos, in thrilling mid-air performances on the aerial horizontal bars.”

Completing the highlights is a poster touting The Hamamura Family. Estimated at $1,000-$2,000, it was printed in Hamburg by Adolph Friedlander in 1913 and pictures seven members of the Japanese acrobatic troupe dressed in elaborate short robes and surrounded by a border composed of cranes and Hokusai-inspired waves.

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