Al G. Kelly & Miller Bros. Circus, 1960

The image shows some of the elephants of the Al G. Kelly & Miller Bros. Circus, in March 1960. It was a popular circus, showing wild animals like lions, elephants and zebras. The circus was started in 1938 by Obert Miller and his sons, Kelly and Dory; today it is simply known as Kelly Miller Circus. It began as a small dog and pony show with the Miller family performing most of the acts. Due to the creative talents and showmanship of Obert and his sons, the small circus was very successful in it's first years. The Miller family carried a large menagerie; in the 1940s they bought their first elephant, a giraffe, polar bears, a black rhino and a hippopotamus. The Miller Family devoted their lives to their circus and managed to built it into America’s 2nd largest big top show. They introduced hundreds of new circus artists to the American public and countless innovations in circus operation. From 1984 through 2006, David Rawls, third generation circus manger directed Kelly-Miller Circus, and in 2007, John Ringling North II took over. His great uncles were the famous Ringling Brothers.

Area: Central / Clardy Fox

Source: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library. Collection Name: MS160 Hoppock Collection. Photo ID: MS160-4-3-035.

Uploaded by: UTEP Library Special Collections