ELLSWORTH – People have been enamored with the circus for centuries, but not as many people know the local impacts the circus had in Pierce County.

“The Circus: The Smallest Show on Earth,” currently on display at the Ellsworth Public Library, showcases just how vast that history is. Sixteen art pieces created by Trudi Schaefer are the centerpiece of the display, showcasing a variety of things from old time circuses. In addition to the art, historic newspapers from the Pierce County Historical Association tell stories about when the circus came to town, in addition to “The Day the Circus Came to Town” by Jayne Hoffman of River Falls. Her book documents the lightning strike that killed seven people at a circus performance in River Falls in 1893.

The Ellsworth Public Library has prioritized local art and history displays for years, and the most recent display relives one of the largest pastimes from the time period.

Youth Services/Program Coordinator Caroline Herfindahl hopes the display brings people of all ages to the library to learn about the county’s history. Herfindahl said the library’s annual theme of togetherness is similar to how people from all over came together to put on the circus, and people came together to watch.

“Our theme this year is ‘All Together Now’ and the circus is a lot of people that come together to put on a show,” Herfindahl said.

Herfindahl believes the circus was so popular at the time because people could go their whole lives never seeing an elephant or tremendous trapeze act. Now, people can view the acts at the click of a button.

“There’s the pictures of the elephants and camels and stuff walking down Main Street,” Herfindahl said. “This would have been like going to the movies.”

Herfindahl said she often imagines what it would be like to be in the pictures at the time and live through those much different experiences.

The art pieces are made from small items such as tuna cans and cigar boxes. Things that other people may consider as having no value, Schaefer turns into centerpieces of colorful projects.

During the pandemic, times were not always happy for people, sparking Schaefer to continue the circus series to give people a reason to smile.

“I chose the circus because I wanted to do something that was small, and would be lighthearted,” Schaefer said. “Something that when it was done and when it was on display would lift people’s spirits.”

Recently a friend of Schaefer’s daughter from Minneapolis 3-by-5-foot found a wall-hanging art piece of the circus. Schaefer created the wall-hanging for two children in the 1970s but had no recollection of doing so.

Finding this piece made Schaefer emotional, realizing this interest in the circus has gone on much longer than she remembered.

“I guess I’ve had this thing about the circus in my head for a long time,” Schaefer said.

When Schaefer finished the project, she knew she did not want to separate the pieces from each other by selling them individually. The 16 pieces are all connected, and Schaefer wants the art to be displayed in public places such as libraries and hospitals.

Three women from circus history inspired Schaefer to make three centerpieces of the display. The first was May Wirth, a trick rider known for doing things such as back somersaults from one horse to another during the early 1900s.

The second inspiration was Antoinette Concello, an early 1900s trapeze artist who became known as “the greatest women flyer of all time.”

Maria Spelterini was the final inspiration, an 1800s tightrope walker who accomplished many things such as crossing Niagara Falls many times, skipping and going backwards the whole way.

“Circus life can be kind of dodgy, and it’s not the life for everybody,” Schaefer said. “But these women show the good side of that.”

Herfindahl said women in the circus are not always highlighted, but spotlighting them can spark a desire to learn.

“We don’t always necessarily think about women in the circus and what that life might have been like,” Herfindahl said. “I hope they find a lot of whimsy and interest in her pieces, but also maybe spark a little curiosity to learn.”

There will be a meet the artist open house 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 6 at Ellsworth Public Library. At 1 p.m. July 18, Peter Shrake will give a Wisconsin circus history presentation.

The display will be available for viewing until July 28.