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The Greatest Show on Earth: What’s American about the Circus with Matthew Wittmann

  • April 29, 2026 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

  • Aldrich House

    110 Benevolent Street
    Providence, Rhode Island 02906
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Description

Join the Rhode Island Historical Society on Wednesday, April 29th, at 5:30pm for the presentation The Greatest Show on Earth: What’s American about the Circus from Matthew Wittmann, Curator of the Harvard Theatre Collection.

Just over a month after George Washington’s second inauguration in Philadelphia on March 3, 1793, an enterprising equestrian by the name of John Bill Ricketts gave the first circus performances in the nascent American Republic. From these humble beginnings, the circus evolved into the most popular form of entertainment in the United States over the course of the next century. The development of the circus intersected in dynamic ways with the larger growth of the American nation, and this talk will explore how the comparatively modest circus performances by Ricketts were transformed into a grand spectacle that could be legitimately billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

Matthew Wittmann is the Curator of the Harvard Theatre Collection at Houghton Library. He is the author of Circus and the City: New York, 1793-2010, and has written widely about the history of American popular culture and the performing arts. More recently he has curated exhibitions at Harvard Library focused on immigration and theater, American Drag, and the evolution of sports entertainment in the United States.


 

Date & Time

Wed, Apr 29, 2026 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Venue Details

Aldrich House

110 Benevolent Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02906 Aldrich House
Rhode Island Historical Society

The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state's oldest and only statewide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting and sharing Rhode Island's past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st  -century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center and the Aldrich House.


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