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Antique Sideshow

Vintage Late 19th Century Canvas Circus Carnival Midway Folk Art Sideshow Banner
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Very early American circus or carnival Sideshow Banner, circa 1890-1900. Fantastic paint detail
Category

Early 1900s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Canvas

The Grand Celebrites of France
By Honoré Daumier
Located in New York, NY
Celebrites de la France was shown in the Metropolitan Museum's show Seurat's Circus Sideshow (At The Met
Category

1830s Realist Antique Sideshow

Materials

Lithograph

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Carnival Midway Sideshow Banner
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Original hand-painted canvas sideshow banner for carnival midway sideshow entrance. Not signed but most likely out of Chicago Tent and Awning's banner shop. Original wood strip attac...
Category

1950s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Canvas

Antique Carnival Midway Sideshow Banner
Carnival Midway Sideshow Banner
H 126 in W 12 in D 0.13 in
Vintage Magician Magic Suitcase Hand Painted Folk Art
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic Magician's suitcase. Hand painted and lettered. Vintage Folk Art rabbit trick and card paintings. Great bookshelf display.
Category

1940s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Fabric, Canvas

Rare Antique Early American Carnival Coin Toss Game Table
Located in Forney, TX
A scarce American carnival coin toss game. The rare and unusual antique hand carved and painted solid wood amusement park / county fair / mid-way gaming table features a square top f...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood, Paint

Mid-20th Century Hand Painted Double Sided English Fairground Sign
Located in London, GB
Mid-20th Century Hand Painted Double Sided English Fairground Sign A genuine English mid-20th Century double sided hand painted fairground sign. Better Game, Better Sport, Better Tr...
Category

1950s British Mid-Century Modern Antique Sideshow

Materials

Plywood

Vintage Midcentury Charles Cobelle Le Pont by Lithograph
Located in Seguin, TX
Le Pont by Charles Cobelle (1902-1994) France, lithograph on paper. Signed Artist Proof in pencil lower right corner. Displayed matted under glass in giltwood frame, opening 11"L x 9...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Modern Antique Sideshow

Materials

Glass, Giltwood, Paper

Antique Zinc Red Hat Maker Trade Sign, France, Early 20th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
XXL Antique hat maker's trade sign, made in France circa 1900 - 1920. This large sign was used as advertising - eyecatcher on the storefront. A large facade sign - advertising sig...
Category

Early 20th Century French Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Zinc

Wood Carved Red and White American Folk Art Barber Pole Trade Sign Sconce, C1920
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Great Americana! c. 1920s American Folk Art wood and iron carved barber pole. Layers of thick original red and white hand painted surface. Substantial iron mounts and iron strapping ...
Category

1920s North American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Iron

French Vintage Art Display Coffee Table
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A vintage coffee table with a mahogany frame and glass top. This vintage table features a French lithograph underneath the glass that can be changed out to display the art of your ch...
Category

20th Century French Other Antique Sideshow

Materials

Glass, Mahogany

French Vintage Art Display Coffee Table
French Vintage Art Display Coffee Table
H 21.5 in W 32 in D 25.25 in
Early 20th Century Carnival Carousel Funhouse Architectural Columns
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fun antique architectural elements from carnival carousel or funhouse ride. Layers of beautiful original park paint. Great scale for wall art or to act as a frame for something else....
Category

1890s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

Scratch Built Fairground Wheel
Located in London, GB
Scratch built fairground wheel Mounted on a bespoke cast iron detachable support stand, this unique, folk art, scratch-built fairground roulette wheel is still in fully working o...
Category

1950s British Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Metal

Scratch Built Fairground Wheel
Scratch Built Fairground Wheel
H 73 in W 30 in D 10 in
American Sideshow Wondercade Circus Banner Signed J. Sigler
By Sigler Studios
Located in Santa Monica, CA
A personal favorite! 15 1/2 feet tall. American "Wondercade" sideshow banner. Painted and signed by J. Sigler. One of the great American sideshow banner artists. Death defying! This ...
Category

1950s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Canvas

Early Sunshine Studios American Side Show Electric Chair Banner
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Early example of American sideshow banner art. Painted at the Sunshine Studio in Witchita, Kansas by Geo Bellis. Signed by artist on front and studio name on front and back. This ban...
Category

1930s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Canvas

Vintage Carnival or Casino Neptune's Trident Lighted Trade Sign Americana
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Unique lighted Neptune's trident carnival ride or casino trade sign. Really nice graphic piece. Original layers of golden yellow and red park paint. Provides a nice amount of warm li...
Category

1930s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Metal

Extra Large Gilt Framed Mistinguett French Lithograph Vintage Poster Circa 1913
Located in West Hartford, CT
Large 64" high French lithograph poster by Georges Kugelmann Benda (French 1873-1961) titled "Mistnguett", circa 1913. Rare and gorgeous in its giltwood frame. A statement piece in...
Category

Early 20th Century French Antique Sideshow

Materials

Giltwood

Parker Carousel Company Wood Carved Chariot Side
By John Adams Parker
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Carved wood Parker Carousel chariot side. Fantastic carved dragon with the original jewel eye.
Category

Early 20th Century American Steampunk Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

Large Art Nouveau Bronze Lady Bust Sculpture by Georges Van der Straeten, Paris
By Georges Van der Straeten
Located in Lisse, NL
Finest workmanship bust with original and beautiful patina from an important Belgian sculptor 'George Van der Straeten.' This stunning bust depicts a beautiful young lady with a big...
Category

Late 19th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Antique Sideshow

Materials

Bronze

Recent Sales

Jumbo London Zoo Sideshow Banner
Located in Pease pottage, West Sussex
Wonderful late 19th-early 20th century sideshow or advertising banner, oil on thick oilcloth canvas
Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Sideshow

Antique Jumbo London Zoo Sideshow Banner
Jumbo London Zoo Sideshow Banner
H 39.38 in W 47.64 in D 1.19 in
Original Wood Carved Carnival Sideshow Letterpress Wood Cuts
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic wood carved letter press made in the late 1920's by the Neal Walters poster company in Arkansas. Giant reptile jungle scene with a giant snake and two tribesman fighting t...
Category

Early 20th Century American Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

c. 1920's Carnival Sideshow Boxing Arena Carvings
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Fantastic pair of hand carved boxer and training athlete sculptures with original, layered park paint surfaces. These figures once hung outside of a carnival "Athletic Show," which p...
Category

Early 20th Century American Antique Sideshow

Materials

Masonite

American Carnival Sideshow Banner "CRIME" c. 1920's Chicago
Located in Santa Monica, CA
CRIME banner from American carnival midway sideshow. Appropriately painted by the Driver Brothers
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Leather

Rare "Cheating At Poker" Carnival or Circus Sideshow Banner
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Early 20th century sideshow banner with an extremely unusual subject matter. Painted and signed by
Category

Early 20th Century American Antique Sideshow

Materials

Iron

1930s American Painted Circus Canvas Carnival Strange Girls Freakshow Sideshow
Located in Haarlem, NL
Antique American hand painted circus carnival canvas or banner to announce a sideshow with "Strange
Category

Early 20th Century Central American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Leather, Canvas

The Fun Fair - Vaugirard - Pari
By Luigi Moretti
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
-go-rounds, circuses with menageries, and collections of sideshow freaks were particularly appealing
Category

1920s Impressionist Antique Sideshow

Materials

Oil, Panel

Early Carnival Midway Sideshow or Circus Prop Sign Egyptian Mummy Crate
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Great early vintage, circa 1920s sideshow or circus prop sign. Egyptian mummy shipping crate. Very
Category

1920s American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

Hand Reading, Palmistry Shop or Circus Tent Sign, Americana, Folk Art
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Antique sideshow banner carnival circus Folk Art large American palmist trade sign from a unique
Category

Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

Leona LaMar “The Girl With a 1000 Eyes” Vaudeville Mentalist Lobby Marquee
Located in Savannah, GA
, “Secrets of the Sideshows”, 2005) 48 ½ inches wide by 70 inches tall by 2 inches deep
Category

1910s American Other Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

Rare Fairground Sideshow Game Sign
Located in London, GB
In The Form of Two Galloping Racehorse Silhouettes Painted and Weathered Metal
Category

Early 20th Century English Antique Sideshow

Rare Fairground Sideshow Game Sign
Rare Fairground Sideshow Game Sign
H 18 in W 20.75 in D 1.25 in
"Oriental Magic" Framed Circus Sideshow Banner
Located in North Hollywood, CA
to lure the public into the sideshow tent. The turbaned magician is conjuring up bats and snakes from
Category

Early 20th Century American Antique Sideshow

Fun-House Mirror
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
A silvered glass fun-house mirror from a Philadelphia sideshow. the body is painted wood.
Category

Early 20th Century American Antique Sideshow

Fun-House Mirror
Fun-House Mirror
H 72 in W 42.25 in D 9.5 in
Fairground Devils
Located in Llandudno, Conwy
this type were fitted to the front of Showmans wagons as a rolling advert for the Circus or sideshow
Category

Early 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Sideshow

Materials

Wood

Fairground Devils
Fairground Devils
H 24.41 in W 23.63 in D 11.42 in
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Finding the Right folk-art for You

Folk art refers to a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Vintage, new and antique folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, portraiture and paintings, carnival art, quilts and duck decoys.

American folk art is frequently valued because of the traditional skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.

During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.

Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of folk art on 1stDibs.