R.I.P. Ringlings

Behind this gate, rest John and Mable Ringling.  (So does John's sister, Ida, although we don't hear too much about her.)  John is in the middle and Mable is on the right.  The plots are tucked away on the grounds of the Ringling Muesum of Art in a beautiful flower and statue garden known as Mable's Secret Garden.  It's a short distance from Sarasota Bay and the Ringlings' winter home, the Ca d'Zan.  (Although they also owned homes in New York City and New Jersey, the Ringlings wanted to be buried in Sarasota.)   John died in 1936 from pneumonia when he was 70.   He's the person who is credited with envisioning Sarasota as a place that would be developed and become a fashionable place to live and visit.  Mable passed away in 1929 at the age of 54.  Although she died two years before their art musuem opened (and John subsequently married and divorced) Mable was listed as a director and vice president.  I'm linking to Taphophile Tragics.  Check it out here.

Atlas

We all feel like this occasionally, don't we?  Here's to a relaxing, weight-of-the-world free day.  (I snapped this yesterday afternoon on the grounds of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota while thinking about what I need to get done before taking some time off.)

Rubens at Ringling

We'll end the tour of the Ringling Museum of Art with one of the highlights in the museum itself: a room dedicated to several large scale canvases created by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).  John Ringling was an avid Rubens collector, but his advisors apparently were quite perplexed as to why he wanted to build one room just for Rubens.   All five pieces are permanently housed here and they're related to Rubens' tapestry series 'Triumph of the Eucharist'. The vivid detail, color and sheer size are amazing.   And, that does it for the museum!   I'll have to see what I scare up for my next post.

Ringling Courtyard

The lush Ringling courtyard, filled with oversized flowering pots and large statues (including one of David), separates the classic art gallery from the visiting exhibitions gallery.  It's a popular venue for special events including galas, wedding receptions and even the occasional political rally, where the Republican presidential nominee was spotted just a couple of weeks ago..

Of course, Governor Romney's visit at the courtyard attracted some protesters and sparked this scene outside the museum: 

Yep...there's always something interesting going on at the Ringling estate!  (Usually it's pretty sedate.)  Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Ringling Mansion

John and Mable Ringling lived here on Sarasota Bay in their winter home called the Ca'd'Zan, which means 'House of John'.  It's five stories tall with 36,000 square feet including 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms.  Built in one year, from 1924-25, it cost the Ringlings $1.5 million.  From the far right side of this photo, if you looked up, you would see the view that's now the SDP banner.  And, if you pivoted 180 degrees you would see this: 

What a view!  Whenever I'm out here, I can almost hearing the tinkling of wine glasses during a Gatsby-style party with music wafting over the bay during a warm winter evening.  This must have been quite the place to see and be seen back in the day.  Check out more about the Ca'd'Zan here.

Rose Garden Suitor

I can't believe I missed yesterday's post.  I got so caught up in the presidential debate and the post-debate dissection, it was just too late to get it done.   Okay...today we're at a very special place -- the grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art.  Most people don't realize it, but the grounds are open and free to the public.  You can walk through the musuem lobby without paying admission to the galleries and stroll the grounds to your heart's content.  Gotta like that!  One of the highlights is Mable Ringling's rose garden, where dozens and dozens of statues are placed amid the flowers.  I especially like this statue depicting a suitor back in the day.  Unfortunately, the roses weren't in bloom when I visited, so I guess I'll have to return and share that with you.  There's a total of 1,200 rose plants here, according to the museum's website.  By all accounts, this is a wonderful public rose garden and it's been recognized nationally by those who know about such things.

Classic Posters

I just love the classic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey posters at the circus museum.  There are oodles, but these were two of my favorites.  The top one was created in 1920 and the bottom one, with the prowling lion, was distributed in 1927.  Can you imagine the excitement these posters generated announcing that the circus was coming to town?  I can almost see a little boy looking at that lion, eyes wide open, and asking his parents if he could, please, go see the greatest show on earth.  John Ringling was terrific at marketing, that's for sure!  Tomorrow we'll step out of the circus museum and take a stroll around the Ringling grounds.

Itty Bitty Circus

Within the circus museum is the Tibbals Learning Center, where an extensive miniature circus is on display. It's extremely detailed and shows life on the road with the circus -- from train cars to acrobats to clowns to animal trainers.  The creator, Howard Tibbals, spent 50 years making the miniature scenes, which collectively are known as the Howard Bros. Circus model.  Occupying 3,800 sq. feet, not only is the display impressive, it really highlights how many people and how much work was involved with the circus coming to town.  Interestingly, when I first walked in the building, I immediately was told by a museum volunteer the Ringling name was not authorized to be on the model, thus the name Howard Bros. Circus.   You can learn more about the miniature model and the man behind it here.  This scene shows spectators watching  trapeze artists, clowns, and dancers along with lions and tigers. While I was taking this photo, I overheard an elderly gentleman say excitedly, 'You see the lions and tigers in the same cage?  That's how it really was!  That was the first time it was ever done!  No one ever thought that could happen.'

Clowning Around

Smithsonian Magazine sponsored Museum Day throughout the country on Saturday with more than 1,400 museums offering free admission, including the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.  The place was packed!  As I've mentioned before, John Ringling and his four brothers created the world famous Ringling Bros. Circus, and Sarasota was the winter home for the entire circus -- performers, animals, owners and all.  The Ringling Museum has always been known for its beautiful grounds located right on Sarasota Bay, the Ca'd'zan (the Ringlings' mansion which is now featured on the SDP banner) and Ringling's extensive classic art collection.  Within the past couple of years, though, two new buildings opened highlighting the history of the circus.   This was my first time into the circus area and it was fun.  It's well done with lots of history -- plus visitors have the opportunity to learn the secret of how clowns apply their make-up so perfectly.  Lots of interesting stuff to see. Over the next few days we'll explore the museum and grounds a little more.  See you tomorrow!

Ringling After Hours

During the last month, I've had fun shooting Christmas decorations at night.  So, when I drove by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art last night and saw it all lit up I had to stop.  My plan was to photograph a statue outside the front gate.  But, when I looked through the wrought iron fence toward the main entrance of the museum, I knew exactly today's post was going to be.  Voila!  It really is a beautiful entrance.  To see previous Ringling posts including a smidge of the inside and the rose garden click here. 

Mable's Statues

This is one of the many statues in the Mable Ringling Rose Garden at the Ringling Museum of Art.  It's one of my favorite places to wander in the city.  It's a great escape, taking in the fragrant flowers and interesting statuary.  And, here's a bonus:   the gardens are free to the public.  To see a previous post from the garden click here.

Rubens at Ringling

When it was raining interminably last weekend, I spent an afternoon enjoying the Ringling Museum of Art, one of Sarasota's true treasures.  These pieces, painted by Peter Paul Rubens in 1625, are on display in the museum's first gallery.  Talk about an entrance!  With the two people (a teenager and an adult) standing in the lower left hand corner, you can get some perspective on the sheer size of the paintings.  The museum was built by circus magnate John Ringling in 1931 to house his extensive art collection.  I'm told what's on a display is just a fraction of what the museum owns.  

Mable's Garden

This statue is located in the Mable Ringling rose garden on the grounds of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.  Yes, Ringling....as in Ringling Circus.  Sarasota has a long, colorful history surrounding the circus, including the city being the winter home for John Ringling and his wife.  (More on that in a future post.)  The rose garden is one of three accredited public rose gardens in the State of Florida.  Few people realize this, but the grounds are free and open to the public, including the statue filled gardens and the beautiful tree lined grounds leading to the Ca d'Zan (the Ringling mansion) situated right on Sarasota Bay.  The art museum, which John Ringling built to house his personal collection, is a must-see and requires admission.  There's also a fairly new circus museum, which I haven't visited yet.