Clowning Around

Recently, a researcher was going through some old newspapers and came across a photograph of a rather odd-looking band. When it comes to journalism, the typical rule of thumb is to answer who, what, when, where, and why, but in this 1949 edition of the Litchfield Independent Review, the paper admitted to only knowing the “who.”

Back: Jack Palmquist, Ikey Delaney, Eldo McGannon, Theodore Olson. Middle: Solly Burnquist, CE Young, August Erickson, F Rudberg, Andy Palmquist, Charley McGannon, Robert Putzier, "Boob" Anderson, Axel Johnson, Ed Happ. Front: Alfred Palmquist, Prof Olson

The same photo is in the Museum Archives, and with a closer look and a bit of research, we were able to fill in the details.

The group in the photo is none other than the well-known and well-respected Litchfield Band. The Museum’s photo is labeled “clown band” while the newspapers called them the “Hayseed band” and “Hey Reuben,” a bit of old slang for a country bumpkin.

As to the when, where, and why – the occasion was the first ever Litchfield Street Fair, held on September 17 to 19, 1903. Much like today’s county fairs, street fairs included entertainment, vendors, and prizes for produce and livestock. Litchfield’s fair was no different.

The Litchfield Band, appeared at least twice during the fair. Once in their traditional band uniforms and again wearing a memorable mix of mismatched clothes, fake beards, and notable make-up. One newspaper said the band was “so cleverly made up that it was difficult for the public to recognize them as old acquaintances.”

In the photograph, behind the band is a banner that reads “Edison’s Volcanic Eruption of Mont Pelee.” It was this detail that helped us narrow down the date of the photo. The eruption of Mount Pelée occurred in May 1902 on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean, causing almost 30,000 deaths. The story made headlines around the world, including in Litchfield’s newspapers, so the residents would have been familiar with the tragedy. Beneath the banner was a tent where fairgoers could watch a film about the disaster. For many of the attendees, this was probably the first moving picture they had ever seen.

Other fair attractions included a hot air balloon ascension, baseball games, a snake eater, a traveling quartet, high divers, acrobats, fireworks, and a very popular needlework display at the G.A.R. Hall. There were also nearly one thousand entries to be judged, with everything from hogs and turkeys to pumpkins and honey.

Not everything was as it should be, however, as pickpockets were on the prowl and there was some illegal gambling happening. The latter was brought to the authorities’ attention after one young man lost over $60, more than $2,000 in today’s money. In addition, rainy weather in the days before the fair caused some of the preparation to go awry. But despite everything, the fair was considered a success, with great attendance and great entertainment for all!