Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus

Color photograph of a man and a tiger with white text over the top and black text on the top edge on a bright orange background

This button shows Gunther Gebel-Williams, animal trainer for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.  Gebel-Williams was the animal trainer (predominantly elephant and tiger) for the circus from 1968-1990.  Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus had their first joint show on March 29, 1919 in New York City.  Ringling purchased Barnum & Bailey in 1907 but remained two separate circuses until 1919 when the group decided it was too difficult to run the two circuses independently.