Photographs made while following the nomadic lifestyle of a traveling tent circus troupe during a seven-week small town road tour from South Carolina to Pennsylvania. This type of circus is known as a “mud show” because they set up and played two shows in a different town each and every day of the tour no matter what the weather.

There were  three rings of entertainment under the “big top” but the most interesting stories and moments took place outside of the tent before, in between and after the shows as this community of entertainers, roustabouts and exotic animals struggled to survive the day to day grind as they made their way from one town to the next. 1972

[a selection of photographs from the complete portfolio]

Note: A video journal of this subject is currently in development and will be posted here when complete.