J. Purdy Brown

American circus proprietor

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July 16, 2026

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J. Purdy Brown was an American circus proprietor known for introducing the circus tent, or "big top," around 1825. This innovation allowed him to travel widely with his circus, covering areas like Virginia and along the Mississippi River in the 1820s. His show featured minstrel acts and was the first to incorporate an animal menagerie in 1832. Brown's circus career ended with his sudden death in 1834, and it would be nearly four decades before circus entrepreneurs of similar influence emerged.1

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circus
History
…itinerating show of the American J. Purdy Brown. His reasons for exhibiting shows under canvas tents (which were at first very small, housing one ring and a few hundred seats) are unknown, but it was an innovation that became a standard component of circuses for more than a century and…
Read More
…itinerating show of the American J. Purdy Brown. His reasons for exhibiting shows under canvas tents (which were at first very small, housing one ring and a few hundred seats) are unknown, but it was an innovation that became a standard component of circuses for more than a century and…
Read More