A Circus Cracker Jack Vendor!

[CJAAAJ]

Hello Everyone

This photo was on eBay a few weeks ago, I missed the end and did not win it! A Cracker Jack vendor at the Circus!

Anyway, here it is for us to enjoy and guess the year when it was taken?

CJAAAJ

[gsullivan]

Enjoy the photo! My guess is 1937!

[Luke]

Alex, I thought you'd be able to tell us just by looking at the Cracker Jack boxes.

Great photo, thanks for posting it.

[CJAAAJ]

Hi, Luke

Oh, I have my opinion on what date this photo was taken but I thought I would let others think about before I gave my thoughts on the age of the photo

CJAAAJ

[Luke]

When I first looked looked at the photo, the date 1927 jumped in my head. So I'll stick to that date.

[larrydw]

Hello All,

That's an interesting photo. I was trying to guess the age by the surroundings. It looks like the canvas is covering up the back of a grandstand. The cylindrical object looks like a searchlight and my guess is way in the background is a high wire pole. My guess is that it is a traveling circus at some state fairgrounds. Oh, yes, the date - - - - - 1935-1939.

[CJAAAJ]

Hello, Everybody

Great guesses, now my take on the photo. Since I do not own this photo I had to look at the objects in it to decide when it was taken. The first and biggest clue to when the picture was taken is the boxes of Cracker Jack in his basket. They have the logo of Sailor Jack and Bingo boxes used from 1940-1952. That large spotlight, Larry mentioned, I think is important because during World War II there was a blackout during evening hours. So that takes us to 1945. The nice galvanized trash can is shiny NEW. Again the war took care of using any metals for domestic use they were used for the war effort. The NEW trash can would have only been available after the war had ended in 1945. So, I place this picture being snapped at 1946-1952!
CJAAAJ

[bob in exile]

My guess is somewhere around 1950... The Dry Butcher (That's a vendor who sells peanuts or crackerjacks), has a paper hat on , that came into place in the 40's and thereafter... the trashcan is stainless steel which makes me think the 50's it's not a trash can but probably used to make circus lemonade in... The grandstand seats are up and theres no tent...probably too windy that day and they just hung sidewall around the grandstand.

[dianep2]

Watch out Columbo! You two, Alex and Bob, are really great detectives. Thanks for all the clues you analyzed in trying to pinpoint just when this photo was taken.

[lreyver]

this is a very interesting photo! i wonder if you have the original copy of this or was it taken from the internet? i have always wanted to collect old photos with cracker Jack features on it because this is very rare nowadays and it really had become a collectors item that some even make money out of them by selling them in antique stores. hopefully i will be able to score some addition to my collection soon!