Quite Continental

Betty Jean Pratt Cannon, 1947.

Just wanted to draw your attention to something that I think is kind of amazing that is currently happening on QC, that you might not have noticed…  A few months ago, I discovered a cache of beautiful images taken by Cornell Capa for LIFE magazine in the city of Hugo, Oklahoma in 1947.  This city has a very interesting history, due to the community’s long and storied connection to the traditional American traveling circus.  I was entranced by the pictures of the town, the multigenerational families of performers, the trained animals, and the beautiful costumes.  I ended up posting a bunch of them in April and they drew a pretty average number of viewers, who loved them as much as I did.

Then, around 4th of July, I noticed that the post was drawing a outsized amount of people, and I couldn’t figure out why this was happening.  Finally, someone commented.  A longtime resident of Hugo let me know that one of the beautiful young women in the pictures had recently passed and that her services were to be that very week.  Suddenly, I had an outpouring of comments from current and former Hugo residents, thanking me and letting me know that I had found pictures of their friends, their relatives, and of themselves.  I also was honored to receive heartfelt messages from the daughters, granddaughters, and nieces of Betty Jean Pratt Cannon, the woman who passed, and who is pictured above.

If you have a moment, please stop by the original post to view the amazing pictures and read the touching comments.  I always figured that this silly little blog was something I did to amuse myself, and I never expected to experience anything so poignant.   I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to connect people to their history.

Original post, April 25, 2011:  LIFE Archives: Circus City USA, 1947 {Hugo, Oklahoma}