This 1944 photograph documents Herbert Walters with Russell’s Circus at Grennleaf, Kansas during the late World War II era of regional touring tent shows.

Small and mid-sized circuses continued to operate across rural America during the war years, adapting personnel and acts while maintaining traditional tented presentations. Performers often filled multiple roles, with specialty costumes and character pieces forming part of the day’s varied program. Kansas towns such as Grennleaf provided open grounds suitable for temporary canvas installations supported by rope lines and stake systems.

The image shows Herbert Walters standing before a circus tent wall, holding a heavy rope line. He wears bib overalls, a brimmed hat, and elements of a clown costume referenced in the handwritten notation on the reverse, which identifies Russell’s Circus, Grennleaf, Kansas, September 1944, and describes him in cow costume. The compact 3 x 3 format and informal outdoor setting suggest a candid documentation of circus life beyond the main performance ring.

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