Comments on: Favorite Ringling Brothers Circus Posters

By: Julie Grant

Julie Grant — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 06:13:06 +0000

Hello – We have been told my husband’s grandfather Karl Matzek DOB 06/07/1895 born in Graz Austria was in the USA 1911-1927 and he painted posters for a circus in California & married a trapeze artist. Have you found any information regarding this? Fingers crossed and thanks for your reply.

By: Chelsea W

Chelsea W — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 18:17:25 +0000

In reply to Donna marczak.

Hi Donna! I believe the local sign museum in Cincinnati has a sign your great uncle worked on. I’m working on getting more information about him/ the sign, would you mind e-mailing me at chelseawullenweber@gmail.com ?

By: Jules Grant

Jules Grant — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 01:58:08 +0000

By: Rhonda

Rhonda — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 04:39:01 +0000

I own a perfect poster like the above clown poster. Would love to know year is was painted and illustraters name and if there is a value.

By: ArtandDesignInspiration

ArtandDesignInspiration — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 02:57:31 +0000

Yes, I’ll dig into this more. I did find some info on him which is as follow: Popkorn the Clown was born Walter Marczak in 1915 in Trenton, NJ and was encouraged in painting by his uncle. Popkorn was a circus performer whose paintings adorned the trucks and advertised the attractions of shows like the Hunt Circus and Barnam & Bailey that Popkorn traveled with over the following decades.

Stay tuned, if I can find published photos of his work I’ll add to this post.

What a cool find!

By: Donna marczak

Donna marczak — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 21:44:53 +0000

I was told my great uncle worked for this circus his name was walter marczak. He was known as “popcorn” for some reason. He did signs and paintings would you be able to show me some of his work?
Donna marczak