A long-ago postcard from a circus performer
This postcard, mailed from Gulfport on Oct. 26, 1906, is captioned “On the Beach at Gulfport,” and shows the interesting bathing suit styles of the day.
But, more intriguing is the written message that reads: “Just like August down here. Going in swimming after the matinee. Went to an oyster house last night after the show with the ringmaster, manager & steward & had a fine seafood supper at Biloxi.”
The words “show,” and “matinee,” and “ringmaster” suggests a circus, and research in the October 1906 Daily Herald newspaper shows that the writer was indeed part of the Gentry Brother’s Circus, which the Herald called one of the “greatest shows on the road.”
The cavalcade arrived in Biloxi during the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 25, but likely it wasn’t too early for many an excited small boy to slip out their beds and go to Bohn St. and the railroad to watch the raising of big tops.
The first feature of the Gentry Brothers circus was the mile-long street parade that began at the show grounds at 10:30 a.m and wound its way through downtime Biloxi.
The Herald called it “a grand, gorgeous, gold and glittering array of calliopes, tableaux wagons, bands, chariots, tandem teams, 200 of the finest ponies, 150 highly prized trained dogs, 75 monkeys, baboon, two herds of performing elephants and camels, sacred cows, zebras, and almost every kind of animal from the climes and jungles.”
The postcard was sent to a Miss Pauline Beckman in Washington, D.C., and while the writer did not sign his/her name it is nice to know that the person enjoyed out beaches. And, if the writer was female she would have worn a bathing suit like those pictured. Comprised mainly of wool, the heavy dress and stockings became weighed down and sodden when in the water and greatly hampered any attempts of actual swimming.
Murella H. Powell, a local historian, writes the weekly Flashback column. Do you have a local photograph to submit to Flashback? It can be of any subject or event in the Coast’s distant or recent past. Please send a description with your name, address and phone number to Flashback, Sun Herald, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi MS 39535; call 896-2424; or email living@sunherald.com.
This story was originally published May 21, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "A long-ago postcard from a circus performer."