Introduction: The Advertising Poster That Was Almost as Large as a Building
In 1856, an American circus commissioned an advertisement so large that it had to be printed on ten separate sheets of paper. Its five clowns appeared almost life-size, and the finished display measured nearly twelve feet across and seven feet high.
The poster promoted Sands, Nathans and Company’s Circus. Today, it is preserved by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The object provides extraordinary evidence of the scale and ambition of nineteenth-century outdoor advertising.
Long before digital billboards, advertisers were experimenting with enormous images designed to capture attention in public spaces.
Circus companies became particularly important innovators.
Their performances travelled between cities, making it necessary to attract large audiences within relatively short periods.
A spectacular poster could announce the arrival of a circus, display its attractions and create anticipation before the performers entered town.
The Ringling Brothers later became among the most successful companies to use this approach.
However, they did not begin advertising their circus in New York City in 1835.
The Ringling Brothers Circus was founded in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1884.
The origins of large-scale poster advertising therefore predate the Ringling enterprise by several decades.
To understand its development, we must examine a much longer history of public communication, printing technology, urban commerce and visual persuasion.
What Is Outdoor Advertising?
Outdoor advertising refers to commercial communication displayed in public or publicly accessible spaces.
The contemporary industry commonly uses the term Out-of-Home advertising, abbreviated OOH.
Traditional examples include posters, billboards, advertising columns and signs displayed on buildings.
Modern formats also include advertisements on vehicles, digital screens and other public installations.
The historical definition requires some care.
Ancient political notices and medieval shop signs were not identical to modern commercial advertising.
Nevertheless, they shared an important characteristic: they communicated information through visible surfaces in places where people gathered or travelled.
The development of outdoor advertising is therefore closely connected to the history of public space.
Marketing historians D. G. Brian Jones and Mark Tadajewski emphasize the importance of studying marketing practices before the emergence of modern marketing management (Jones and Tadajewski, 2016).
Their historical perspective helps explain why the origins of advertising cannot be reduced to a single company or invention.
Pompeii: Public Advertising Before the Modern Poster
One of the richest surviving collections of ancient public inscriptions comes from Pompeii.
The Roman town was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Its preservation provides historians with an exceptional record of everyday communication.
Among the surviving inscriptions are political election notices known as programmata.
These were painted directly onto building facades.
They promoted candidates for municipal office and sometimes identified supporters.
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples documents more than 2,600 such electoral texts.
The inscriptions were frequently positioned along important streets.
They therefore offer early evidence of the strategic use of visible urban locations for public persuasion.
Raffaella Biundo’s research examines the relationship between candidates, supporters and the organization of electoral campaigns in Pompeii (Biundo, 2003).
The ancient notices were not commercial billboards in the modern sense.
However, they demonstrate that the visibility of a message depended on its location, scale and relationship to the surrounding community.
These concerns remain fundamental to outdoor advertising.
The Commercial Importance of Visible Locations
A message displayed in a busy street has different opportunities for exposure from one placed in an isolated location.
This principle was relevant long before the development of formal advertising agencies.
The electoral inscriptions of Pompeii were connected to political networks and the use of urban property.
Their placement suggests that visibility and social relationships both influenced public communication.
Biundo (2003) shows that supporters played an important role in the political messages preserved on Pompeian walls.
The inscriptions could function as public endorsements.
This reveals a connection between location and credibility.
A visible message did not merely transmit information.
It could also demonstrate the public support surrounding a person or cause.
The historical comparison with advertising is useful, provided the differences between ancient political communication and modern commercial promotion are maintained.
Medieval Signs and the Development of Commercial Visibility
During the medieval period, signs and public notices remained important means of communication.
Merchants and craftsmen needed ways to identify their businesses.
Inns displayed recognizable symbols.
Shops used signs associated with their trades.
Such devices were particularly valuable in communities where literacy was unevenly distributed.
A visual symbol could communicate the nature of a business without requiring customers to read a lengthy description.
These signs helped people recognize commercial locations.
They also contributed to the visual identity of streets and marketplaces.
However, shop signs were not necessarily advertisements in the same sense as nineteenth-century posters.
Many primarily identified the location of a business.
Their historical importance lies in demonstrating the longstanding relationship between commerce, visual communication and the built environment.
William Caxton and Early Printed Advertising in 1477
The introduction of printing transformed the possibilities of commercial communication.
One of the earliest known printed advertisements in Britain dates to approximately 1477.
It was produced by William Caxton, the pioneering English printer.
The advertisement promoted a handbook intended for priests following the Salisbury liturgical tradition.
The Victoria and Albert Museum identifies this printed notice as an important early example of advertising in Britain (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2026).
Caxton had established his printing business in Westminster in 1476.
His work demonstrated how printing could reproduce commercial messages.
A notice no longer needed to be copied individually by hand.
Instead, multiple copies could be produced from a prepared printing surface.
This represented a major technological step toward the later poster industry.
The advertisement was relatively small and text-based.
It did not resemble the colourful, illustrated billboards that appeared centuries later.
Nevertheless, it established an important connection between printing and commercial promotion.
From Printed Notices to Large Advertising Posters
The development of the modern poster required more than the invention of printing.
Early presses were limited by the dimensions of their printing surfaces and the practical difficulties of producing large images.
Posters were frequently dominated by text.
Their purpose was often to announce a publication, performance, event or sale.
As printing technology improved, larger and more visually elaborate advertisements became possible.
Printers could combine multiple sheets to create a single display.
Illustrations could be reproduced more consistently.
These changes made it possible to design advertisements for viewing from greater distances.
The development was gradual.
There was no single year in which the modern advertising poster suddenly appeared.
Different industries adopted new techniques at different times.
Entertainment businesses were among the most enthusiastic users.
Lithography and the Transformation of Poster Design
Lithography became one of the most important technologies in the history of printed advertising.
Developed by Alois Senefelder near the end of the eighteenth century, the process made it possible to reproduce drawings through the interaction of greasy and water-based substances.
Lithography offered new opportunities for artists and printers.
Illustrated material could be reproduced more efficiently.
Further developments in colour printing expanded the creative possibilities.
By the nineteenth century, lithographic posters were becoming increasingly important.
The Victoria and Albert Museum identifies advances in lithography as central to the emergence of the modern pictorial poster (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2026).
These changes affected the relationship between text and image.
Advertising could increasingly rely on large illustrations rather than lengthy written descriptions.
This was particularly useful in busy streets, where pedestrians might only glance briefly at a display.
A British Theatre Poster from 1833
An important example predating the Ringling Brothers is an English poster from 1833.
The Victoria and Albert Museum documents a print entitled The Siege of Troy or The Giant Horse of Sinon.
The poster was printed by Thomas Romney.
It demonstrates that theatrical entertainment was already using conspicuous printed advertising during the early nineteenth century.
Theatre managers faced a commercial problem similar to that later encountered by travelling circuses.
They needed to attract audiences to performances taking place at specific times.
A printed poster could announce the event and generate public interest.
It could also communicate the nature of the entertainment.
This example is particularly valuable because it predates the supposed Ringling advertising campaign of 1835.
It provides direct evidence that the development of prominent entertainment posters was already underway.
The 1830s and the Expansion of Urban Advertising
The 1830s were an important period in the evolution of printed public communication.
Cities were growing.
Retail competition was expanding.
Theatres, publishers and entertainment businesses increasingly used printed notices.
Outdoor advertising became more visible in urban environments.
However, the development was not limited to one country or company.
Different printing techniques coexisted.
Text-heavy woodblock posters remained common.
Illustrated advertisements gradually became more sophisticated.
Large displays could be assembled from several printed sections.
The technological foundations of monumental advertising were therefore developing well before the later boom in American circus posters.
Why Circuses Became Major Users of Outdoor Advertising
Travelling circuses had distinctive commercial requirements.
Unlike a permanent theatre, a circus regularly moved between locations.
Its potential audience changed with each stop.
The company needed to announce its arrival and persuade local residents to attend.
This created a strong demand for advance publicity.
Posters could communicate the date, location and attractions of a performance.
They could also make the arrival of the circus appear extraordinary.
Images of clowns, acrobats, animals and elaborate performances created expectations.
The poster became part of the entertainment experience before the event itself.
Circus advertising therefore combined practical information with emotional appeal.
The industry helped establish the importance of large, visually dramatic promotional images.
The Library of Congress Circus Poster Collection
The Library of Congress preserves an extensive collection of circus, carnival and rodeo posters.
Its collection includes approximately 500 prints dating from around 1840 to 1950.
The largest concentration comes from the period between 1870 and 1910.
The represented businesses include Barnum & Bailey, Forepaugh & Sells, Ringling Brothers and other entertainment companies (Library of Congress, n.d.).
The collection documents the evolution of printing methods and advertising design.
Some early posters employed woodcuts.
Later examples used lithography and other reproductive processes.
The surviving prints show the increasing importance of colourful imagery.
They also reveal the commercial value of recognizable performers and extraordinary attractions.
The posters are historical evidence of how entertainment companies presented themselves to the public.
The Giant Circus Poster of 1856
One of the most remarkable surviving American circus posters was produced in 1856.
Its title was Five Celebrated Clowns Attached to Sands, Nathans and Company’s Circus.
The design was created by Joseph W. Morse.
The poster depicted five clowns on an enormous scale.
It measured almost twelve feet wide and seven feet high.
The image was printed on ten separate paper panels.
Forty hand-carved woodblocks were used to produce the four-colour composition.
These details are documented by the Library of Congress (2017).
The scale suggests that the poster was intended for a large building or similar surface.
Its design allowed the figures to be recognized from a distance.
The poster required substantial planning, printing skill and physical materials.
It therefore demonstrates that large-scale outdoor advertising was already technologically sophisticated by the middle of the nineteenth century.
Why the 1856 Poster Matters to Marketing History
The poster was more than an announcement.
Its imagery was designed to create an impression of spectacle.
The almost life-size clowns transformed the advertisement into a visual attraction.
Potential visitors could encounter the performers before seeing the actual show.
This helped establish expectations about the experience being offered.
From a modern marketing perspective, the poster combined awareness generation with the presentation of a distinctive entertainment proposition.
The circus was not simply informing people that tickets were available.
It was presenting the promise of an extraordinary experience.
The distinction is important.
Outdoor advertising could influence how audiences imagined a product or event before making a purchasing decision.
The Ringling Brothers: Founded in 1884, Not 1835
The Ringling Brothers are central to the history of American circus advertising.
However, their circus did not exist in 1835.
The Wisconsin Historical Society dates the founding of the Ringling Brothers Circus to 1884 in Baraboo, Wisconsin (Wisconsin Historical Society, n.d.).
The brothers had performed together before establishing the circus.
A family entertainment performance involving five brothers took place in November 1882.
Their first circus season began in May 1884.
The company subsequently expanded into one of the largest travelling entertainment enterprises in the United States.
The historical record therefore rules out the claim that the Ringling Brothers were advertising their circus in New York in 1835.
Their importance lies elsewhere.
They became highly successful users of advertising, transportation and organizational methods that had developed over previous decades.
Advertising as a Specialized Business Function
The Ringling Brothers organized their enterprise through a division of responsibilities.
Different family members managed publicity, advertising, finance, transportation and performance operations.
The Wisconsin Historical Society records that Alfred handled publicity while Gus arranged advertising (Wisconsin Historical Society, n.d.).
This division of labour reveals how important commercial communication had become.
Advertising was not merely an occasional activity carried out by performers.
It was a specialized function within a growing business.
The circus needed to coordinate promotional activities with its travel schedule.
Messages had to reach audiences before the performances.
The advertised attractions had to match the actual programme.
These requirements made marketing and logistics closely interdependent.
The Railroad and the Expansion of Circus Advertising
The growth of railway transportation transformed the American circus industry.
Large companies could move performers, animals and equipment over considerable distances.
The Ringling Brothers became a major railway circus.
By the 1910s, their enterprise employed more than 1,000 people and travelled with 92 railway cars, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Such operations required careful coordination.
Advertising materials needed to arrive in the appropriate towns.
The public had to learn about upcoming performances.
The company had to create demand before its temporary appearance.
Outdoor advertising was therefore integrated into a wider commercial system.
The visible poster represented only one stage in a complex sequence of planning, production and distribution.
Barnum & Bailey and the Competition for Audiences
Barnum & Bailey became another major force in American circus entertainment.
The company competed with the Ringling Brothers for audiences and commercial prominence.
Circus posters emphasized spectacular attractions.
They displayed exotic animals, performers, acrobats and other features intended to differentiate one show from another.
Advertising helped establish the perceived scale of an entertainment enterprise.
A large, colourful poster could communicate ambition and excitement.
The rivalry between major circus companies illustrates the growing importance of branding and competitive positioning.
In 1907, the Ringling Brothers acquired Barnum & Bailey.
The two circuses initially continued to operate separately.
They were eventually combined into a single organization.
The merger reflected the increasing concentration of the American circus industry.
Colour Lithography and the Golden Age of Circus Posters
The later nineteenth century brought increasingly sophisticated colour printing.
Circus advertisements became more elaborate.
Large illustrations depicted performers, animals and dramatic scenes.
Colour helped posters stand out in crowded public spaces.
The Library of Congress collection provides extensive evidence of this development (Library of Congress, n.d.).
The posters were not simply practical notices.
They were designed visual compositions.
Their imagery could create excitement and strengthen recognition of the circus name.
The relationship between art and advertising became increasingly important.
A successful poster needed to be legible, attractive and memorable.
These demands encouraged new approaches to illustration, typography and composition.
European Poster Art and the Influence of Jules Chéret
In Europe, the development of colour lithography helped transform poster design.
France became an important centre of commercial poster art.
Jules Chéret was among the artists associated with the rise of the illustrated advertising poster.
His work helped establish the poster as a distinctive form of visual communication.
The development reflected a broader change in commercial culture.
Businesses increasingly recognized the value of artistic design.
A poster could communicate more than factual information.
It could create atmosphere, identity and emotional associations.
This was particularly important for entertainment, leisure and consumer products.
The visual qualities of advertising became part of its commercial value.
Ernst Litfaß and the Advertising Column
Germany contributed another important innovation to the history of outdoor advertising.
In Berlin, the printer Ernst Litfaß developed the advertising column that bears his name.
The first Litfaß columns were installed in 1855.
They provided designated locations for posters and public notices.
The invention responded partly to the problems created by uncontrolled posting on buildings and other surfaces.
The advertising column offered a more organized approach.
It created a recognizable place for public announcements.
It also helped authorities manage the use of urban space.
The development demonstrates that outdoor advertising was shaped not only by printing technology but also by urban regulation.
From Informal Posting to Professional Outdoor Advertising
During the nineteenth century, outdoor advertising became increasingly organized.
Businesses required suitable locations for their posters.
Specialist contractors could arrange printing and placement.
Advertising sites became commercial assets.
Nelson and Sykes (1953) describe the development of professional poster contracting and the importance of rented advertising locations.
The transition was significant.
Rather than placing posters wherever space could be found, advertisers increasingly purchased access to particular sites.
This created opportunities for a specialized outdoor advertising industry.
The location itself acquired economic value.
The development also encouraged more systematic planning.
Why Location Became a Commercial Asset
The value of an outdoor advertisement depends partly on the number and characteristics of people who can see it.
A poster near a busy market or transport route has different exposure opportunities from one in a quiet area.
Visibility is also influenced by size, orientation and surrounding obstacles.
These factors became increasingly important as outdoor advertising developed.
Nelson and Sykes (1953) identify site selection as a major aspect of professional outdoor advertising.
The principle connects historical posters with contemporary billboard planning.
The medium may have changed, but the importance of location remains.
Outdoor Advertising and the Competition for Attention
The history of outdoor advertising can be understood as a long competition for visibility.
Ancient political campaigns used painted walls.
Early printers produced commercial notices.
Nineteenth-century entertainment businesses developed increasingly large posters.
Circuses became especially effective users of spectacular imagery.
The Ringling Brothers eventually integrated advertising into a sophisticated travelling entertainment enterprise.
Each stage involved new techniques.
Yet the central problem remained similar.
Advertisers needed to place messages where people would notice them.
The history of outdoor advertising is therefore also a history of public attention.
From Historical Posters to Digital Out-of-Home Advertising
Contemporary outdoor advertising includes traditional billboards and digital displays.
Digital Out-of-Home advertising, commonly called DOOH, allows promotional content to appear on electronic screens in public spaces.
Campaigns can be scheduled and changed without physically replacing a printed poster.
Nevertheless, the historical principles remain recognizable.
Advertisers still consider location.
Messages still need to be understood quickly.
Visual design remains important.
The objective is still to communicate with people as they move through everyday environments.
Modern digital billboards therefore belong to a historical development extending far beyond the nineteenth century.
Conclusion: The Ringling Brothers and the Longer History of Outdoor Advertising
The Ringling Brothers were not the inventors of outdoor advertising.
They did not operate a circus in 1835.
Their business began in Wisconsin in 1884.
By that time, public advertising had already undergone centuries of development.
Ancient Pompeii preserved painted political notices.
William Caxton produced an early printed commercial advertisement around 1477.
British theatres used prominent posters during the 1830s.
American circus companies were producing enormous illustrated advertisements by the middle of the nineteenth century.
The remarkable Sands, Nathans and Company poster of 1856 demonstrates the technical sophistication of this early large-scale advertising.
The Ringling Brothers subsequently became important practitioners of circus promotion.
Their contribution lay in the professional integration of advertising, logistics and entertainment.
The history of outdoor advertising is therefore not the story of one invention.
It is the history of changing technologies, commercial competition, visual culture and the continuing effort to make messages visible in public space.
References
Biundo, R. (2003) ‘La propaganda elettorale a Pompei: la funzione e il valore dei programmata nell’organizzazione della campagna’, Athenaeum, 91(1), pp. 53-116.
Jones, D. G. B. and Tadajewski, M. (eds.) (2016) The Routledge Companion to Marketing History. London: Routledge.
Library of Congress (2017) ‘Pic of the Week: Caring for the Library’s Oldest Poster’. Available at: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2017/10/pic-of-the-week-caring-for-the-librarys-oldest-poster/ (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
Library of Congress (n.d.) Circus, Carnival, and Rodeo Poster Collection. Available at: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005675800/ (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
Nelson, R. and Sykes, A. (1953) Outdoor Advertising. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Victoria and Albert Museum (2026) ‘A Short History of the Poster’. Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/a-short-history-of-the-poster (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
Wisconsin Historical Society (n.d.) ‘Ringling Brothers: The Beginnings of the Greatest Show on Earth’. Available at: https://legacy.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS547 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
