Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: performances

"Pain's Last Days of Pompeii, Island Park, Harrisburg, Pa. Commencing July 4th, and every Tuesday and Saturday following, except July 5th. Last performance, August 5th." This trade card advertised a "pyrodrama," an elaborate outdoor theatrical spectacle with fireworks, that was based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton's historical novel, The Last Days of Pompeii (1834), and depicted the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in AD 79. James Pain brought Last Days to Harrisburg, Pa., in 1890, and also produced it at Coney Island and Atlantic City in other years. For more information about Pain's pyrodrama, see the Pompeian Entertainments page of the J. Paul Getty's Museum's The Last Days of Pompeii exhibition.

Stevens Bros. Circus Special Permit This permit entitles holder to kiss the big elephant's ass. Matinee performance only. Subject to federal tax. Issued by ________. Stevens Bros. Circus. An advertisement that appeared in the Circus Report , June 26, 1976 , p. 17, suggests how humorous permit cards like this may have been used: "Moochers Circus Pass. A few years back all billers and lithographers ahead of a circus carried these moocher passes for those 'pain in the neck' yahoos they ran into each day. They were also great to bring 'know-it-alls' down a peg. If you never saw one of these gems, they read 'Circus pass entitles the holder to Kiss the Great Big Elephant, etc. etc.' Nice business card stock, just a small supply."