Englishman Philip Astley is credited with inventing the modern circus, but the art form and entertainment spectacle dates back to ancient times where trained beasts and chariot races brought audiences to a roar. These boldly colored vintage posters of circus acts from the 19th and early 20th centuries show how the circus evolved on European shores. The images come from the Circus Museum in the Netherlands — we first spotted them on Juxtapoz — and they feature whimsical characters and eye-catching designs.
From the Circus Museum, 1909
From the Circus Museum, 1906
From the Circus Museum, 1896
From the Circus Museum, 1922
From the Circus Museum
From the Circus Museum, 1945
From the Circus Museum, 1949
From the Circus Museum, 1967
From the Circus Museum, 1932
From the Circus Museum, 1916
From the Circus Museum
From the Circus Museum
From the Circus Museum
From the Circus Museum, 1930