One of my favorite projects from IATH (the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities) at the University of Virginia is the Circus in America project; spanning the period from 1793-1940.
The Circus has been one of the most significant forms of popular entertainment in America. Between 1793 -1940 the circus evolved from a small operation managed by the performers, into a major business. This academic study produced by the Institute of Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia is the first major study of the circus in America during this formative 150 year period. It examines the role that the circus played in American society through the growth of American popular culture. The site concentrates on six major circuses that were chosen for their impact upon broader cultural industries. The site contains much primary evidence; digital artefacts collected from museums and archives as well as artefacts from private collections. Some of these artefacts including books, posters, newspaper clipping, and oral histories have been brought together for the first time. The archive and extensive analysis makes it possible to study the important contribution that the circus made the American society.
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