Spectators under the big top during a July 27, 1950, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus performance in Lexington. The circus was in town for a one-day, two-performance stand at the show grounds on Newtown Pike. After nearly 150 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus will perform its final show Sunday, May 21, in New York. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff

Felix Adler, known as “The King of Clowns,” prepared for a show in Lexington on July 27, 1950. The world-famous clown also was known as “The White House Clown” because of his many appearances for U.S. presidents. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff