Amazing Old Photos Show the Circus Girls of Sarasota's Daily Lives in 1949, in Between Training and Rest.
Renowned photographer Nina Leen was dispatched by LIFE magazine in 1949 to capture a day-to-day account of a rebellious group of young ladies who had run away and joined the renowned Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida. What emerged was a picture of a sisterhood forged over acrobatics that combined high-flying wire acts with stylish high-waisted shorts; Sarasota was once referred to as “the home of the American circus.” Leen's breathtaking images capture an apparent carefree way of independent single women thriving at a period in American history when the majority of women were expected to marry rather than pursue careers. Leen went behind the scenes barely seven years before the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows announced that they would no longer be performing indoors.
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960426619.jpg) |
During a 1949 practice for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida, a group of circus girls ride in a circus vehicle. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960426144.jpg) |
In 1949, LIFE takes a trip to a Florida circus, where acrobats and theatrical actors are in various states of performance. |
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Acrobat practising on a tent rope at a 1949 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus practice in Sarasota, Florida, with an unnamed woman standing nearby. |
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In 1949, in Sarasota, Florida, an acrobat practising on a rope while holding an umbrella for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960427794.jpg) |
In 1949, an unnamed guy clutching a rope observed an acrobat practising for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960427574.jpg) |
During a 1949 rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida, a circus girl was seated on a ladder. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960428743.jpg) |
A circus girl during a 1949 rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida, sitting on the ground and massaging a wound. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/20231126170096042889.jpg) |
During a 1949 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus rehearsal in Sarasota, Florida, a circus girl is positioned close to a pole, and an unidentified man is holding a rope between them. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960428504.jpg) |
At Sarasota, Florida in 1949, an aerialist was practising with a rope for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960429358.jpg) |
a photo taken in 1949 in Sarasota, Florida, depicts a circus girl sitting and cuddling a dog during a rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960429421.jpg) |
In 1949, an aerialist in Sarasota, Florida, practised for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, with a circus girl holding a rope. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960429651.jpg) |
Acrobats and other performers in various states of performance at Life Visits the Circus in Florida in 1949. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960430466.jpg) |
At a rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida in 1949, an acrobat is practising with a tent rope while two girls are seated close by. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960430113.jpg) |
In 1949, an aerialist in Sarasota, Florida, was smoking during practise for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960430460.jpg) |
During a 1949 rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida, three circus girls are seen lounging next to a pole. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960431264.jpg) |
Perched on a wooden board, three circus girls observe a group of aerialists practising rope routines for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida in 1949. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960431241.jpg) |
a photo taken in 1949 in Sarasota, Florida, depicting a group of circus girls attending a rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960431766.jpg) |
a photo taken in 1949 in Sarasota, Florida, depicting a circus girl practising her sitting position atop an elephant's head for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
![](https://k2orgvn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/202311261700960431323.jpg) |
During a 1949 rehearsal for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida, a circus girl was seen standing at a vehicle's door. |
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