Stuart Thayer
Encyclopedia
Biography
He was born on March 27, 1926 in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
to Louise and Lyle O. Thayer (1901-1968). Thayer served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after which he graduated with a degree in literature from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He operated an insurance agency in Ann Arbor until his late 40s, when he retired to devote the remainder of his life to documenting the history of the American circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
. He began writing articles on circus history in Bandwagon
Bandwagon (magazine)
Bandwagon is the bimonthly journal of the Circus Historical Society. Originated in 1940 as SPEC, it is still in print today. Contributing writers include Stuart Thayer and William L...
, the journal of the Circus Historical Society, in the late 1960s, one a piece on Ringling
Ringling Brothers Circus
The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling Brothers: Albert , August , Otto , Alfred T. , Charles , John , and Henry...
cages co-authored by Richard Conover, then the leading student of American field shows.
His first major work was Mudshows and Railers, an account of the 1879 circus season based mainly on a close reading of the New York Clipper
New York Clipper
The New York Clipper, also known as The Clipper, was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the outdoors, sports, and theatre. It had a circulation of about 25,000. The publishers also produced the...
, the industry's trade paper, and metropolitan dailies. The first of his three groundbreaking books on the history of the American Circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
before 1860, Annals of the American Circus, came out in 1976. It was the first extensively researched, comprehensive account of the ante-bellum American circus, obsoleting virtually all previous secondary work on the subject. He later co-authored books with fellow historians Fred Dahlinger and William L. Slout
William L. Slout
William L. Slout was a professor at California State University, San Bernardino. He writes on clown and circus history.-Biography:He has a B.A. from Michigan State University and an M.A. from Utah State University, and a Ph.D...
, and continued to publish in Bandwagon
Bandwagon (magazine)
Bandwagon is the bimonthly journal of the Circus Historical Society. Originated in 1940 as SPEC, it is still in print today. Contributing writers include Stuart Thayer and William L...
. Traveling Showmen, his masterpiece, was published in 1997. The distillation of his thirty years of research, the book analyzed the economic and operational aspects of pre-Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
circuses. A companion volume on the performance and performers appeared in 2006. At the time of his death, he was finishing a biography of Adam Forepaugh
Adam Forepaugh
Adam John Forepaugh was an American entrepreneur, businessman, and circus owner. He owned and operated a circus from 1865 through 1890 under various names including Forepaugh's Circus, The Great Forepaugh Show, The Adam Forepaugh Circus, and Forepaugh & The Wild West.-Biography:Forepaugh was born...
, the late 19th century circus manager.
Thayer died in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
on June 24, 2009. He was survived by his wife Boyka, son Preston, stepdaughter Kathy Ganjaie and stepson Jon Davis.
Publications
- Annals of the American Circus: 1830-1847 (1976)
- A capsule history of the Washtenaw County farm (1976) with Rhonda Barnat
- Grand Entree: The Birth of the Greatest Show on Earth, 1870-1875 (1997) with William L. SloutWilliam L. SloutWilliam L. Slout was a professor at California State University, San Bernardino. He writes on clown and circus history.-Biography:He has a B.A. from Michigan State University and an M.A. from Utah State University, and a Ph.D...
- Traveling showmen: the American circus before the Civil War (1997)
- Badger State showmen: a history of Wisconsin's circus heritage (1998) with Fred Dahlinger