29.00 USD
Great circus image on this German postcard from the early 1930s. The "Cilly" on the card refers to Fraulein Cilly Hayderich, a wild animal trainer who was employed at Circus Krone in Berlin. The circus was founded in 1905, survived two world wars (though a permanent structure housing it in Munich, Germany was destroyed by allied bombing in WWII) and its Munich branch is still in operation today.
We have no bio on Fraulein Hayderich (or her tiger), but from a Sunday, April 1933 edition of the Portsmouth Daily Times of Portsmouth Ohio, we learned that our trainer was five feet two inches tall, and weighed one hundred and eight pounds, and that her tiger weighed four hundred pounds.
Apparently, according to Cilly, it was simply a matter of weight distribution. She didn't actually lift the animal, but rather whispered a command, and the tiger just flopped onto her shoulders (presumably from a pedestal of the appropriate height). Then she stood there for a few moments while the crowd went wild.
The Daily Times quoted Fraulein Hayderich as saying, "The tiger I chose for a neckpiece is what I call a natural performer. He never has had to be whipped or bullied to obey my commands and he is therefore genuinely fond of me. I have other tigers which I would not trust around my neck, but I think this one is as safe as a kitten. He wouldn't scratch me for anything."
From the beginning, Circus Krone has apparently prided themselves on their love of animals.
A great circus item. Probably a card that was sold by vendors at the circus. Very nice unposted condition. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
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