Vintage sideshow banners, the massive hand-painted canvases that once lined carnival midways — are one of the most exciting corners of American folk art collecting. They’re bold, oversized, one-of-a-kind, and increasingly hard to find. They’re also commonly misidentified. Fakes exist but are not extremely common. Buyers and sellers make assumptions based on a quick glance….
The June 2021 Circus, Sideshow and Oddities auction at Potter & Potter displayed quite a few fantastic pieces, and some of the best examples of sideshow banner art still around today. The crown jewel of the banner lots was the Rosshill “Circus Carnival Show Banners” which was clearly used as the main sign for the…
What you see: Painters of the Peculiar: A Guide to Sideshow Banner Artists & Their Respective Work, by Michael Papa and Johnny Meah. $24.99. * Does it fit in my purse? I guess it could if I rolled it up, but I wouldn’t want to do that to it. Cut to the chase. Should I buy this book? If…
As a young boy, Eisman immigrated with his family from Europe. His father, who was a sign painter, started Nieman off with painting, which lead him, in 1910, to work for one of the first banner painters to set up a shop in Chicago: Sigmund Bock. After Bock passed away, Eisman worked for United States…
It is hard to talk about Fred Johnson without mentioning that he is the most prolific painter of sideshow banners. Being unclear if that prolific stature came from his art style, body of work, location of studio, or a combination of all of it, he clearly is the most popular name among collectors, or maybe…
You may have a sideshow banner that you would like to know the value of, or you may be in the market to buy one and want to know what you should pay. Whatever the case, we can help you. The Criteria for Appraisal Sideshow banners are very unique vintage items. They are often one…
View the original article on Live Auctioneers here. NEW YORK — Handpainted on canvas, vintage circus sideshow banners — some measuring up to 30 feet in width — were designed to titillate and shock circus-goers. A form of on-site advertising, they offered entry (for an additional fee, of course) to view sword swallowers, knife throwers,…
One of the most illusive, seemingly mysterious, and sought after banner artists of all time was Snap Wyatt. His name alone has been the subject of awe, when many think “that’s the coolest name ever.” Yet some believe that Snap Wyatt may be “the most important name” in banner art. His banners have such a…
We were happy to work with the great Johnny Meah and sponsor a book by Johnny and our owner, Michael Papa Painters of the Peculiar is a guide book to sideshow banner artists and their respective work. Since this form of art is only now being seriously considered and respected, the purpose of this book…