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This single sheet poster (approximately 36 inches X 26 inches) was printed by the Strobridge Lithography Company in Cincinnati near the turn of the century (c.1898) for the John Robinson Circus. Founded by John Robinson and his partner, Joseph Foster, the John Robinson Circus was a family enterprise until the late 19 century when it was merged, with four other circuses into the the American Circus Corporation of Peru, Indiana, that included four other well-known circuses: Sells-Floto Circus, Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, Sparks Circus and Al. G. Barnes Circus. When American Circus directly challenged the Ringling Brothers by booking the Sells-Floto Circus into Madison Square Garden in 1929, John Ringling countered by purchasing the American Circus Corporation for $2 million and merged it into the Ringling Brothers - Barnum & Bailey empire which had combined into one great circus in 1918.

When we received this poster, we found it to be heavily creased with separations in and around the creases. In addition, the back of the poster was heavily criss-crossed with painter's tape which had adhered to the back of the poster. Because the repairs were made many years ago, the adhesive had formed a chemical bond with the poster, making its removal both difficult and absolutely necessary before beginning any restoration.

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