At the Shorpy Historic Photo Archive, members have identified the above photo as a Society Circus show at Rosslyn's Fort Myer about 1922. General Pershing attended a similar performance on March 31, 1922. It included "monkey drills, trick riding and horse jumping, chariot race, cossack drill, artillery drill, tandems and ladies' ride."[1] . The flag pictured is the company guidon for Troop E, 3rd US Cavalry (
A Society Circus was held at Conmy Hall (Fort Myer's ceremonial hall) every Friday and Saturday during winter months from 1919 to 1941. A historic walking tour of Fort Myer this past October explored Conmy Hall and discussed the Society Circus. According to the walk brochure, "Members of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment would find themselves in various historical uniforms such as those of the Roman Legions, Genghis Kahn's Mongols [whose descendants now run a school in Rosslyn -ed.], Custer's 7th Cavalry and Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders."[2]
Learn more at walking tours of historic Fort Myer upcoming this spring.
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Notes:
[1] The quote is from "Society Will Entertain at Fort Myer Circus," Washington Post, Mar. 31, 1922. That article refers to a circus performance on that day (a Friday). The photo is dated Apr. 4, 1923. That date, however, was a Wednesday. Circus performances occurred on Fridays and Saturdays.
[2] The Society Circus was a type of event rather than a specific group. Here's a Society Circus photo from a performance in Long Branch, NJ in 1909.
