Content Description:

Printed playbills, broadsides, and lithographs advertising or illustrating various circus and other acts, including Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (conjoined brothers), acrobatics, and animals.

Scope and Contents:

A playbill advertising Cooke's Circus' planned New Year's performance and highlighting featured acts.

Scope and Contents:

Playbill describing the touring acts of the Astley Circus. Text in Latin, French, and Dutch.

Scope and Contents: Handbill advertising the performing act of Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins who toured in Europe and the United States under the control and direction of Scottish merchant Robert Hunter and American sea captain Abel Coffin. Also contains a complimentary entrance pass signed in pencil by the Bunkers, as well as a photo of an unidentified woman, and nine paper item plates for the Ricky Jay Collection.Chang and Eng Bunker were Siamese, and the derogatory term "Siamese twins"...

Scope and Contents:

Box measuring 5 x 2 5/8 x 1 in. Covered in red paper. A colored lithograph is affixed to the lid. It depicts two ponies dressed in human clothing and sitting at separate breakfast tables with their trainer (speculated to be Andrew Ducrow) standing to the left and a clown to the right, as an audience looks on from the background.

Scope and Contents:

Engraved portrait of William Joy, also known as the "Kentish Strongman" and "The English Samson." Notes in pencil by an unknown contributor include the name of the engraver, Pieter van den Berge, and biographical information about Joy.