Circus, Sideshow & Oddities

Rivers, Eddie (El Nino Eddie [1855—1923]). El Nino Eddie Child Tightrope Walker Lithograph. Philadelphia: Ledger Job Printing, n.d., ca. 1860s. Color lithograph, sample copy, depicting the child tight-rope walker and rope dancer above a river. 17 x 12” (sheet), 12 x 9 ¼” (image). Sharp folds through image with some loss at cross-fold; moderate soiling and foxing, offsetting of rounded top border into image. Rare; we could locate only one similar print institutionally. Victoria & Albert S.5122-1995. El Nino Eddie was the son of American equestrian Richard Rivers, and performed in equestrian, aerial, and contortionist acts as young as seven years old. He performed with the Lewis B. Lent and Nat Austin circus in the 1860s, debuting in Cuba and performing in America and England.