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SCULPTURAL FANTASY

The Important American Folk Art Collection of Stephen and Petra Levin

The Important American Folk Art Collection of Stephen and Petra Levin

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127<br />

VERY FINE CARVED AND<br />

POLYCHROME PAINT-<br />

DECORATED WOOD CIRCUS<br />

WAGON, WILLIAM BRINLEY<br />

(1917-2016), MERIDEN,<br />

CONNECTICUT, 20TH<br />

CENTURY<br />

Height 8 in. by Length 9 ¾ in. by Width 4 ¼ in.<br />

PROVENANCE<br />

Mr. Stevenson, Harrisburg, Pennsylvnaia;<br />

William McCleary;<br />

Lee Nichols, Breiningsville, Pennsylvania;<br />

Outsider Folk Art Gallery, Reading,<br />

Pennsylvania.<br />

In 1926, a nine year William Brinley and his<br />

father went to see the Christy Bros. Circus<br />

that rolled into their hometown of Wallingford,<br />

Connecticut. Mesmerized by the magic and<br />

excitement of the show, little Bill Brinley<br />

pronounced to his father that one day he would<br />

‘have a circus of his own.’ Using a variety of<br />

“found” materials, Brinley began making his<br />

circus model. For example, he transformed the<br />

common wooden cheese boxes that were used<br />

at the time into circus wagons. The Barnum<br />

Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut has a large<br />

miniature circus created by Brinley. In 1950,<br />

Brinley exhibited his work on The Ed Sullivan<br />

Show. For additional information see https://<br />

barnum-museum.org/mr-brinley-thoughtsfrom-the-museum/.<br />

$ 2,000-3,000<br />

127<br />

153

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