This great image comes from Buckles Blog. His site is a host for the discussion of Circus History from all over the world -- well worth checking out! On August 30th, he posted this scan of a photo postcard he has of this remarkable show horse. At the left of the image is the imprint of the photographer who printed it, namely I. L. Hammond and Co., of 129 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, Maine. (NOTE: That same location is known today as the Osgood Building, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Description states that it was built in 1892 by architects J. L. Coburn & Son. The white enamel brick front was brought from Leeds, England, and is unique in the State of Maine. I'm not sure what year the photo of Linus is from.)
On the photo is notation of the length of Linus' magnificent measurements -- his mane is 14 feet long, and his tail is 12 feet 3 inches. Whoa! What a beauty.
Dick Flint from Baltimore added an illuminating comment about the horse's history, and his relation to the state of Maine. "Linus was bred in Marion, Oregon, about 1884, then acquired around 1890/91 by C.H. and H.W. Eaton, brothers from Calais, Maine, who were the most successful promoters of the horse. Linus was 3/4's Clydesdale and his advertised weight was 1435 lbs."
3 comments:
The photo you used from Buckles blog is a copy of a cabinet photo. The copy was made by Charles Bernard of Savanah, Georgia, an old showman who, in his old age, sold copies from his large collection of circus photos to collectors. Cabinet photos and post cards of the horse were sold as souvenirs and are not impossible to find.
Dick Flint
Baltimore
I have an original cabinet photo of Linus, that came from Calais. It shows a bit more detail on the right side of the photo and much more on the left. Legend on the rear also lists Linus's lineage as being one-eighth French and one-eighth Printer to go along with his three-quarters Clydesdale. From all indications the photo was taken in 1892.
John Devlin, Wakefield, Massachusetts
Thank you John! If you happen to get a chance to scan the photo, I'd love to post it alongside the other one for comparison. You can email me at the "Email the Editor" link found on the blog's top righthand sidebar. :D
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