PLAYING CIRCUS

Cooney, Fanny Cory (1877-1972) (a.k.a. F. Y. Cory)

Watercolor

1904

2014.35.05

In 1904, Harper & Bros. published a series of lithographs depicting children at play by Montana artist Fanny Cory Cooney (1877-1972), who always worked under the pen name, F. Y. Cory. A part of this series, Playing Circus pays homage to the creativity of the instigators while sympathizing with the plight of the less eager participants-a rooster masquerading as "a ostrich," a tiger-striped dog, and a baby brother who, throughout the series, bears the brunt of his elder siblings' enthusiasm. Each image was accompanied by a descriptive verse; the poem for Playing Circus reads: "We're planning for a circus- / It's the nicest kind of play, / We hope that some grown-ups'll come, 'Cause they have got to pay. / The wild-man really howls because he thinks it isn't fun; / And you just better wait until the tight-rope act's begun!"