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handa Inner circle Pittsburgh, PA 1357 Posts |
I understand that the Brill Plans are not working blueprints, and that many of them may be pirated plans anyway.
Of more interest to me would be the use of these plans as a part of an archive/museum. Given the number of people selling the plans out there, what is the probability of the plans being nothing more than badly-done photocopies and is there any way to authenticate them? And, most importantly, are these things that are appropriate for public display or should they be kept from laypeople? Chris |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
My perspective and mine only...
I would use the word 'quaint'. A.K. was a character to say the least. SOME of his 'plans' could be used by a talented builder to actually build a ride if you could read them. They were done on an old mimeograph machine and the results were spotty and random. Some of the info was passed on 6th hand...he told me once that when he did the plan for the Ferris Wheel he only measured a single strut and then extrapolated the rest of the structure from that ONE measurement. In other words if 'A' was X" then 'B' must be Y" etc. He might just scratch out lines and pencil in a correction...as the years went on and his health went to hell in a hand basket, the quality of the plans got even harder to read. Much of the art work, drawings etc were pretty amatuerish and scratched out...but then he was a writer (Newspaper man) not an artist. But all that was OK. It was Brill...a legend...a character and a hell of a showman. I knew him by phone and it was always a treat to talk with him. Great stories. It was a plan from his 'Bible' that got me started and filled my head with dreams of sideshow wonders. The plan was the Pickup Truck Show and the Little Trailer Show...both of them out of date and not really viable as drawn up but containing enough ideas to come up with my own plans. Also an advertisement from Peter Henning selling Oddities out of Florida got me my fist Zibit (a Two headed Pig.) As to keeping from lay people...I suppose that would depend on the material...there was an awful lot of inside stuff you might have to make a judgement call on...and there was a ton of info that wouldn't matter a bit. The above is based on the 25 or so plans and reports that I used to have...always interesting but none of them fully realized. I would think that a couple of them would be a kick for the public...like the Moonshine Show and the Round Table show. Like I said...Quaint. Doug
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
Just now, on Ebay, there are Brill plans on sale at Ebay... They just pertain to carnival games. Cheapest I ever saw...
Slim
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
ringmaster Inner circle Memphis, Down in Dixie 1974 Posts |
Brill always tried to sell full sets of plans to libraries, does anyone know of a full set in existance?
I saw aone of his pickup truck shows, it had been cut down into a cargo trailer for a Land of the Little People Show. I've built a striker, a kid ride jeep and a long range basket ball. Mr Brill was always willing to answer questions and the bible is a hoot to read.
One of the last living 10-in-one performers. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was it.
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Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
Ringmaster sounds like he is with it! And he lives in Jimmy Dixon country. Welcome.
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ringmaster Inner circle Memphis, Down in Dixie 1974 Posts |
Once worked a flea market in Jimmy Dixons geek pit. Once.
One of the last living 10-in-one performers. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was it.
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
For the next couple of days, on eBay there are several Brill Plans for auction. I think they are legitimats plans. Skip the top one, just the catalog...Caveat Emptor
Slim
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
ringmaster Inner circle Memphis, Down in Dixie 1974 Posts |
Don't skip the top one. The bible is a classsic, an education., and a hoot to boot.
Don't miss the blade box either, the most profitable magic trick in history,featured in the famous play "Carnival Knowledge".
One of the last living 10-in-one performers. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was it.
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
Hmmm, Carnival Knowledge... I think I heard about that.
Slim
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
'Carnival Knowledge'...hmmm...does sound a mite familiar....
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
Higley, Higley? Who he?
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
Todd Higley...he's a distant cousan of Slim Whitman Price Meah who married Bobby Reynold Hall's ex wife's sister Emiteena Bejano. Bunch of friggin' hillbilleys...hard to keep track ya know...Col. Robbins was in there someplace but got hung for a horsethief in '86.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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