Charles Cushman was an amateur photographer who got into color photography in 1938, long before it became popular. He left behind an archive of 14,500 Kodachrome slides from his travels around the world, and many from Chicago where he made his home for decades. He seemed to particularly enjoy shooting the local flora, circus acts that rolled into town and ladies sunbathing on South Shore beaches.
Cushman was born in Poseyville, Indiana in 1896, and he attended Indiana University, which now hosts his archives. He later moved to Chicago, where he enlisted in the Navy, worked for the railroad and other private companies, including Montgomery Ward and LaSalle Extension University in Chicago. Cushman died in 1972, and his photos nearly ended up in the trash heap until a photo researcher saved them, NPR says.
Little is known of him, according to his brief university bio: "It is known that Charles enjoyed attending the opera and the theater, and presenting shows of his slide collection. After moving to San Francisco sometime in the 1950s he would enjoy having a five o'clock drink while overlooking the ocean."
Below is a collection of 30 vivid color photographs taken by Charles Cushman that capture daily life at Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus in Chicago during the 1940s.
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers in Chicago in the 1940s
(Photos by Charles Cushman)