Burr Robbins Circus collection, 1864-1908

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Contents List



Box 1 Volume 1 Photographs of Circus animals and camp scenes


Box 1 Volume 1 Photographs of Red House


Box 1 Volume 1 Correspondence


Box 1 Volume 1 A few family photos


Box 1 Volume 1 Photocopies


Box 1 Volume 2 Robbins Family photographs of people and houses

(With reference materials)


Box 1 Volume 3 Photographs of Circus animals and performers

(With reference materials)


Box 1 Volume 4 Robbins Family photographs


Box 1 Volume 4 Envelopes and correspondence


Box 1 Volume 4 Reference materials


Box 1 Volume 4 Correspondence


Box 1 Volume 4 Family photographs



Box 2 Volume 5 Photographs of Circus performers, animals, and tents


Box 2 Volume 5 A few tickets and envelopes and other ephemera


Box 2 Volume 5 Portrait of Burr Robbins


Box 2 Volume 5 Portrait of Nett Robbins


Box 2 Volume 6 Circus ephemera, clippings, flyers


Box 2 Volume 6 Correspondence


Box 2 Volume 6 Family home photograph


Box 2 Volume 6 Ephemera


Memories of an Old Time Circus, collected for … [the] Grand-children, and … Great-grand-children of Burr and Nett W. Robbins:


Box 2 Folder 3 Hand-colored photocopy of typescript

(With 2 pages of original ms letter placed inside lower cover)


Diary beginning January 1, 1879:



Box 3 Folder 1 The Standard Diary, 1879

(Very few ms notes throughout, placed on specific printed dates, throughout year)


Diary beginning January 1, 1879:


Box 3 Folder 2 Excelsior Diary for 1879

(Ms notes through about half of volume. Day of the week changed at start of notes)


Box 3 Folder 2 Mrs. Burr "Nett" Robbins


Box 3 Folder 3 Diary of European Tour:


Box 3 Folder 3 Theatrical Route Book for the years 1889-90-91-92, Empire Show Printing Co., Chicago

(Manuscript notes written on most pages, not conforming to printed dates. Notes begin on Oct 15, 1891 through February? 1892?)


Box 3 Folder 4 Press Clippings and Small Scrapbook, beginning January 19, 1880


Box 3 Folder 5 John Loring photocopies and research notes


Box 3 Folder 6 John Loring thumb drives: Manuscript of book by Loring on Burr Robbins Circus, and selected high resolution images made from collection

Digital files moved to level-1 preservation. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for access.

A physical copy of the Burr Robbins circus book is also cataloged as the RBML book collection.



Box 4 Press Clippings and Larger Scrapbook, 1873 – 1908

Original volume (very fragile)


Box 4 Enlarged copy of volume