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Clyde Beatty, 1903-1965
Edward Kelty's portrait of Clyde Beatty depicts the charismatic animal trainer inside a steel cage at Madison Square Garden during one of his first seasons with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Fascinated by the circus as a young child in rural Ohio, Beatty dropped out of high school to join a small regional outfit, where he performed as an acrobat. His aspiration, however, was to work with the big animals. He eventually earned his opportunity in part by "developing the riskiest act possible-an act so dangerous that no one would want to fill in for me if offered twice my salary." Beatty sustained more than a few injuries working with lions and tigers, which only furthered his popularity. Capitalizing on the drawing power of his act, he established the first of several "Clyde Beatty" circuses in 1935.
Edward J. Kelty, c 1931-33 |