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Clip description
This clip shows a horse-drawn wagon and car carrying animal cages belonging to the Colleano and Sole Brothers Circus, as they travel down a Melbourne street. Signs advertising peace bonds are erected on the cages of a lion and kangaroo. The lion’s cage is covered with a banner which reads ‘Buy peace bonds. Take a big bite’, while the kangaroo’s enclosure is covered with a banner that reads ‘Peace bonds. The best investment. Hop into them’.
A young boy is filmed feeding the kangaroo through the cage wire.
Curator’s notes
As the title of this Australasian Gazette segment suggests, this is indeed a novel way of advertising peace bonds! It would also have been a novel way to advertise the Colleano and Sole Brothers Circus, who were obviously performing in the town at the time.
While there is very little in this clip to identify the location, an intertitle introducing the segment identifies the city as Melbourne. Intertitles were commonly used as descriptors in the days before sound and identified the places, people and events seen on the screen; or added a layer of commentary.
