Featured CDV "Trading Cards"?

We have a CDV of Billy Andrews (famous circus clown) going through the auction.
It has his name printed on the bottom.

If you google Billy Andrews CDV a few will pop up (RARE! )

Anyways..
Sometimes you do see images like these of popular/famous people.

What were these sold as?
Were they a type of trading card or a "cereal box prize"?
Would you buy his, for example, at the circus "gift shop"?


Took this image from the internet but its the same one we have

 

No cereal boxes surprises here. They were mostly likely for promotional use either sold or given away.

I little history I found:

Legendary early American Circus Clown named, "Billy Andrews" circa 1860's. He is dressed in the traditional attire worn by another similar early clown named "George L. Fox."

Billy Andrews was Born 1840? and Died in 1895. Billy was a clown with Orton Brothers Circus 1865-68, then with John W. Robinson's (not "Old John") in 1870. He then went to Haight in 1871, Great Eastern Circus in 1872 and then to the American Circus in 1873. He partnered with Wootten for a circus troupe in 1873, then Basye's in 1879 and returned from retirement to fill engagements with the St. Louis Circus in the winters of 1879-1880. He acted as a press agent and clown in Thornton's 1880 as well. Finally a returning to a clown role in 1881 with Shelby, Pullman and Hamilton Circus in 1881. His wife was Lotino Andrews. Billy died Kankakee, IL. in an insane asylum, as did many other clowns of this era. A number were institutionalized in insane asylums until their deaths due to the lead poisoning in the white face paint.

 

It would have been sold in stores on its own as a novelty item, or something for the performer to give out for promotion. Most of what are known as trade cards or early collectible cards that were inserted into coffee and tobacco products were printed, and not photographic.

 

Since I like to know sources of information, could you say where you found this info? Thanks!

 

@Figtree3
Absolutely, it was a combination of a few sites. Here you go - http://www.mikemedhurst.com/Image_pages/12320Clown.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-ANTIQU...N-CLOWN-BILLY-ANDREWS-MUST-READ-/202019827028

http://cdm15847.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15847coll3/id/78582

and one reference to his name here
http://www.circushistory.org/History/Road.htm

 

Thank you! I've used that last source before when researching some other things. My observation is that the eBay seller might have used the first link in their research. Seems to have the same basic info, reworded, in the same order. Of course, it's possible that the first one used the eBay listing, if that seller has relisted it many many times.

And I had never seen the third site you linked. National Fairground and Circus Archive of digital images sounds great! Looks like it is offered through the University of Sheffield in the U.K.

 

NP. - Gotta check your sources ... cause if it is on the internet, then it must be true

 

I'm an academic librarian, so my reply is... I always teach students the opposite! (And I do know you are joking...)