fact sources and writings about this individual:
Records transcribed by Kevin Everingham of MI, 2013 & 2019
Of Note; There is a lot of information about George as he was a fairly famous featured performer "Clown" with Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Bros. Circus. He designed his own props and was featured in newspaper ads and posters.
You can find many photos and articles about George online and in Barnum & Bailey Circus history.
1885 Camden County, NJ Marriage Record H210.... Geo. Hartzell 21, Alberta Matlock 20, married 23 May 1885 at Camden, Camden, New Jersey.
1887 Philadelphia, PA Birth Records (Pg.128)... George Hartzell, male, b.28 Sept 1887 at Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, s/o Geo & Alberta Hartzell. no further info.
1895 The Vermont Phoenix, Brattleboro, June 28, 1895.. "George Hartzell, the principal clown in Scribner & Smith's circus, was bitten several times at Keene Wednesday, by two pythons which had just been received from New York, and which he was attempting to handle."
1919 Philadelphia Inquirer Article about George.
1920 CENSUS Philadelphia, PA #868, Sheet 7 ... George Hartzell, 53, b.MD, fa b.MD, mo b.VA,.. Alberta, wife, 50, b.PA, parents born in PA,... George M., 32, son, single, b.PA.
1925 Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, Dec 27, 1925.. "Annual Christmas party for the children of the Elks was held in the Elks club attended by three thousand children. George Hartzell in the guise of Santa Clause passed out gifts from beneath the large tree." ... not positive this is the same George, but the one above is also listed in the Inquirer, Dec 1923 - "George Hartzell as Kris Kringle, distributed 1000 pairs of shoes, 3000 pairs of stockings and 200 suits of clothes besides many other gifts at the Elks club." It should be noted that there were a few George Hartzell's in Philadelphia, including this Barnum & Bailey Clown who is likely to have dressed as Santa. It could be him or his son (A Police Officer). However, it is known that George B. Hartzell was a member of the Elks club.
1930 Census Philadelphia, PA (Ward 4-5, block 267, sheet 7B)
George Hartzell, head, 64 b. Maryland, value of home $7500, worked at City Hall, Alberta Hartzell, wife, 62, b.PA, George M Hartzell, son, 41, b.PA, occ: Sergeant, Motorcycle Police, Lauretta Hartzell, dau in law, 28, b.MI (her parents also born in MI), George A., gr.son, 7, b.PA, Robert E., gr.son, 6, b.PA, James N, gr.son, 5, b.PA.
NOTES One article states that George was the son of a minister and saved his money and invested it. Many of his fellow performers would spend their money or gamble it away between shows but not George. Eventually he bought a home in Philadelphia, bought property in Chicago and Boston. George started in the Pogey O'Brien show doing vaudeville clown acts and when they were bought out by The Clark Bros, he traveled with them for five months before seeking leadership roles with the biggest circus of the era. His son was in the World War and connected with the Police Department in Philadelphia.
OBITUARY - George Hartzell, age 77, former clown, died February 6, 1941 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Began his circus career with John O'Brien in 1882. Retired from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 1925.
Source; Circus Notes, White Tops, Vol. 14, Nos. 4-5 (Feb-Mar), 1941, pg. 4.
Clown Alley a website with information about George.
The article shown is from Boys' Life, The Boy Scouts' Magazine, August, 1922.
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