{"product_id":"vintage-photo-king-bros-circus-1952-steam-calliope-truck-5-x-3-5","title":"King Bros Circus 1952 Photo Steam Calliope Truck 5 x 3.5","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"203\" data-end=\"351\"\u003eThis 1952 photograph documents a King Bros Circus steam calliope truck during the postwar touring era of American railroad and motorized tent shows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"353\" data-end=\"867\"\u003eThe image features an elaborately carved and painted calliope body mounted onto a red pickup chassis, combining nineteenth-century showmanship design with mid-twentieth-century transportation practicality. Ornamental scrollwork panels, rounded canopy housing, and exposed pipework are visible along the wagon section, while the utilitarian truck cab contrasts sharply with the decorative superstructure. The dusty roadside setting and open landscape underscore the mobile character of mid-century circus logistics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"869\" data-end=\"1305\"\u003eSteam calliopes served as sonic advertisements, announcing a circus’s arrival into town with piercing, festive tones powered by steam or compressed air. By the early 1950s, many traditional wagon forms were adapted onto motorized platforms, reflecting the broader transition from rail-dependent circuses to highway touring operations. The hybrid construction seen here captures that transitional phase in American entertainment history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1307\" data-end=\"1594\"\u003eThe item shown in the listing is the exact item the collector will receive. We have tens of thousands of items to choose from. Shipping will always be combined or refunded to save you as much money as possible. Please contact us with any questions, or visit our store page for specifics.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Everything Ephemera","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52889798639800,"sku":"20250605 King Bros","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0939\/8740\/6008\/files\/57_0dda28fe-39e1-467b-908d-5b972221b7b5.jpg?v=1772151947","url":"https:\/\/everythingephemera.com\/products\/vintage-photo-king-bros-circus-1952-steam-calliope-truck-5-x-3-5","provider":"Everything Ephemera","version":"1.0","type":"link"}