Freedom Auction Companies Circus, Wild West, Sideshow Auction
August 6, 2022
Sarasota, Florida
www.circusauctions.com

SARASOTA, FLA. — Freedom Auction Company, specializing in circus memorabilia, will present its next semiannual circus auction featuring three rings of exciting auction performances, including circus, Wild West and sideshow items on August 6.

The personal collection of Gordon Turner, 87-year-old circus historian and model builder, will be brought to market for the very first time. More than 50 handcrafted models by Turner, some taking him nearly a year to construct, will represent his lifelong collection in this sale. Other notable collections are those of the Hunt Circus family, Duane “Uncle Soapy” Thorpe, Ken Harck and W.H Rice of Rice’s Water Circus.

This sale will see Wild West relics of Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill (the “Two Bills”), Annie Oakley, Lillian Smith and others cross the block. Featured is an extremely rare 1901 Annie Oakley lithograph with several vignettes of this sharpshooter. Among the other Wild West items are a trove of items from the Tom A. Smith estate, a longtime associate of the “Two-Bills” show.

More than 300 lithograph posters going back as early as the 1840s will deck the walls of the auction gallery. Other circus artifacts will include wardrobe, photography, ephemera, books and more.

Sideshow and oddity items will present some of the strangest things you’ll ever see. A selection of sideshow bannerline works of Snap Wyatt, Nieman Eisman and Fred Johnson will be offered.

This auction will be featured live online at www.freedomauctions.com or www.circusauctions.com. For information, 941-725-2166.