European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 5, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Howard Tibbals has been carving and collecting pieces of the Boggett Lille Shew in Earth " far 30 Yean. Impresario of the Littlest big top by Joy Aschenbach National geographic and he run away Wilh the circus Howard Tibbals would no have been a Clown lion Trainer trapeze artist or even a ringmaster. What enchanted him from he age of 7 when he first watched one of the great circus trains Roll into a West Virginia town during a visit to his grandparents in the summer of 43 was How a great big Monsler of an organization 1,500 people and All those animals could move into a vacant lot one Day set up All those tells. Put on a show Lor several thousand patrons and the nex Day it would All be gone. It was unbelievable i still can t believe ii he says at age 49. Howard Tibbals had joined the circus he probably would have been the train Boss or the transportation chief. Even better a says the layout Foreman the Man who went to the lot the Day before decided where everything was logo and put the coloured hags Down  be of America s largest manufacturers 01 pa7que flooring never travelled Wilh the circus he says because he realized that although it looked like fun it was really a very rough life instead he has Span 30 years of a Hometown of Onelda Tenn. Carving and collecting nearly a million pieces to create win a Orcus world Howard Bros. Circus. The biggest Utle show on Earth captures the 1930s Golden Era of Ringling under the big lop. Noetic us inside a building Ever interested me himself. Tibbals puts Tho finishing touches on a new act Gold and while living statues Lor the circus seven month run of fee performances at the National geographic society in Washington. O.c., continuing through june 1986. Like the real circuses that paraded through Tibbals boyhood his own Howard Bros. Circus in a masterpiece of organization and magic. It arrives by Mode train lilting neatly into 122 wagons on 47 flatbed and Slock cars. Ii features everything from the big lop and a travelling zoo to sideshows Midway Concession stands Back let dining Lent rehearsal areas rest Lent and dressing tent. Authentic to the tiniest Ditallo and accurate at v of an Inch to the fool scale the miniature circus requires 15,000 stakes nearly five Miles of rigging Cord seating for 850 a the dining Lent 6,000 individual knives works and spoons and 1,300 to 1,400 employees from performers to roustabout. Authenticity that s the Challenge. Tibbals says. And just like its real life counterparts his circus is constantly growing adding acts and animals changing costumes and improving equipment and facilities. I never quit Tibbals says working As he talks. Ii i m building a circus Wagon i go to sleep looking at photographs of old wagons i keep them on the neg he land beside me. Everything i sob i wonder where can i use this " in his hands hundreds of i Humble Tike Salt and Pepper shakers saved from airline meals have been Iran stormed into Blue water buckets for the circus. Dome shaped Silver Caps from deodorant Sticks have been turned upside Down for the Bottoms of steam kettles in the Cookhouse. Velvety red cattails from a lower shop Are plumes for circus horses. Small Metal Caps from cans of floor Wax double As Leeding pans for animals. What Tibbals can t buy or carve pain and make himself he designs and commissions or production. For sunday january. 1986 example the 7.000 individual folding chairs or spectators in the big top Are miniature replicas of Ringling chairs. To get exact measurements he studied old photographs using a eng pitying Glass to count the chairs dividing the number into the tent s known dimensions Howard Tibbals has Pul his boyhood dreams into the big lop. A seven year old s version was one of the tits circus structures he made in his grandparents Yard in Fairmont . He Cut up his grandmother s old sheets and lion them Wilh bits of string rom his Grandfather s homemade Ball of twine. He used Lollipop and Popsicle Sticks and toy trucks. I d play circus All  he recalls. During Summers in High school. Tibbals would hitch a ride on one of his lather s flooring company trucks to catch up with a circus in Columbus Ohio. To took along a camera and spent Alt Day sneaking Aboul she Back lot. Finally in College while studying Wood technology and engineering of North Carolina state University in Raleigh he came upon the Best miniature circus he had aver seen. Its creator. Harold Dunn was so impressed with Tibbals interest and enthusiasm thai the to began an association that continues today Howard Tita Bals was t born wih the circus in his blood. None of his ancestors Ever joined one. Tie says and none of his six children shows any interest in circuses. His House he admits. Had become a three ring circus until he built a 40- ool-by-25 loot climate controlled addition to store his creations and his collection of real circus Memorabilia a Hall million photographs 7.500 posters programs booklets and heralds and More than 1.000 books Tibbals attributes his circus passion on life in a Rural Community of 3,000 in Northern Tennessee near the Kentucky line. There s nothing to do in thai town. I forced me to have n desire to do something besides just he family flooring  the stars and St types Page 13