Building a Showman's Caravan Part 4

Form and function.... that is paramount at this point.
I want to make sure that this Showman's Caravan can be pulled by a couple of large horses. So the next step is designing the front drivers area, so that there is enough room for the driver to sit without taking up to much room from the caravan living quarters. (And YES, eventually we will have a fully livable working interior!)

The front framed in

sitting in drivers seat

 Once the driver's area had been framed, we could then put the first of the walls in place. This was an exciting time... because now we could start to see a solid shape and begin to visualize the next steps even even more.

Front area filled in!

Front from a side angle, with cardboard valance (just playing with ideas)

With the front walls in place, Ward started to frame in the back door to the caravan.
The back porch was going to be VERY fancy, because I wanted a place to rest and sit during the summer days between shows that was cozy and comfortable.

Ward framing in back door

 This was a very exciting time, because Ward, Jess and I could see great potential in the design and were now looking forward to putting up the rest of the walls.

This part of the story is short, although it took a while for us to build these two areas. I stop here until the next installation of the story... because the next time we meet, we will be putting up the walls EVERYWHERE! and you will see the basic form of the caravan as a solid piece of equipment. 

THE STORY CONTINUES IN PART 5

Building a Showman's Caravan Part 3

One of the things that is going to bring this Showman's Caravan to life, is the details. Those little extra things you do to create something visually interesting.

Personally, I have always enjoyed this side of producing. For years I have searched Antique Shops and surplus stores for little bits of strangeness that would soon become a part of a project. Hell, I have boxes of gizmo's and weird little curios, just waiting to find a place in one of my contraptions or shows.

Disney said, 'Every DETAIL is important', and I believe this to be so.

I want the public to get as close as they want to the Caravan and see that no detail has been left out of the creation of this show piece.

One of the things I thought would be cool as a part of the actual caravan exterior, would be a Steam Powered Distillery, that would be revealed during the show. and the thing that would make it most intriguing is, it would work. Gears, wheels and cogs would be moving constantly as it chugged out a strange steam from a smoke stack.

Some of the things I had accumulated for the Caravan

The idea has been in my head to build some kind of machine like this for years... and now, we have slowly built something that works.

Working on the Strange Distillery Machine

A close-up of some of the components to the Machine

One of the other things that make a Showman's Caravan, is the carved wood, so I have tried to find as many carved wood pieces as possible in my travels and also have tinkered with some carving myself.

Some of the wood detailing for the Caravan

The roof has some major trim going around the top that was put in place when we attached to ceiling to the roof.

First part of trim attached to the roof

Second part of trim added 

And with the roof done, the frame of the Caravan is now completed and ready for some walls.

The Frame is done!

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 4

Building a Showman's Caravan Part 2

 Part 2

Framing the Caravan

Every week, I would travel 115 km's to the ranch to work on the Caravan.

To some, the trip may seem a little long, but I feel that the drive is more than worth it. Ward was always ready for me and prepared to work everytime I came down. For the both of us, it never seemed like work as much as it felt like we were doing something almost magickal. (and when I say this I mean, that we were creating something that truly has not been seen on this kind of scale in a century).

The building of this Showman's Caravan is the start of a great partnership, Ward and I have discovered that the team we have amassed, including Jess and her father Paul, create the synergy to build incredible Victorian styled entertainments and we now are seeing an even bigger picture for our work ahead.

A new sketch was made of the design

The process was a slow one as we contemplated the actual structure of the Caravan. Ward and I started playing with a new sketch of the Caravan at the dinner table, the day I arrived after finishing the base. At first I had envisioned the stage being on the back of the Caravan, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it may be better if we built the stage on the side of the Caravan. This gave me ALOT more room to use as a backdrop.

And so, it was back to the workshop we went, with a new plan in mind.

 With the base in place, we needed to create a support structure for the upper portion of the Caravan. Ward and I worked on a design that we felt would not only support the upper Caravan, but give me a chance to add some nice detail to afterwards.

Lower supports in place

The supports were very strong and could withstand alot of structural weight.

Ward attaching upper bracket shelf

I wanted as much carved wood on the Caravan as possible, so I opted on having carved wooden letters for the side walls.

Some of the wooden lettering with first coat of paint color

 Jess painted the letters so that they would be ready when we finally came to the point of adding all of the detailing.

Now came the time to create the side walls that would become the structure for the Caravan. 

Here I am holding up the two side support walls

 It was rather exciting to see the side walls up on the lower supports, it gave me an idea in silhouette form of how large the wagon top was to become. We had taken the upper portion of the Caravan off of the wheel section, so that we could could work closer to the ground.

Side wall frames in place

The next step was creating the side supports, much like building a house.

Side supports in place

 And then Ward  added the roof supports, creating a strong skeletal frame before applying the walls and roof.

Ward attaching the roof supports

All of this came together pretty fast, we worked on the building of the structure for only 2 days, before starting on the main build. This was an exciting time, because we  could see the form taking shape and knew that the Caravan was going to be BIG and Beautiful. I was losing sleep thinking up new artistic designs that could be implemented every time I went to the ranch to work with Ward. 

To be continued in Part 3

Building a Showman's Caravan Part 1

PART 1
The Beginning of something GREAT!

This past year has been filled with change. And with change comes NEW ideas and also inspiration. Everything happens for a reason and this past summer of 2010 was an interesting turning point in my life.

I had booked my World of Wonders at Upper Canada Village and found that the nostalgia of working at a Historical Park got me thinking about my show from the past, Prof. Crookshank's Traveling Medicine Show.

Jess and I working the World of Wonders at Upper Canada Village

I have worked the adult sector of entertainment for the past 18 years, and when I saw that there was a hole in the industry for good 'Ol fashioned Vaudeville Entertainment... I started to think about bringing back my Medicine Show.

My next big gig was at the Ottawa Super Ex, and they had given me the opportunity to set up, not only my World of Wonders, but also a Museum about my grandfather's past as a Carnival owner and Showman. This got me thinking even more about the past and my work as a purveyor of Victorian entertainments. I worked daily at the Fair, enjoying the the daily influx of people coming to witness our Freakshow and Historical Displays.

Crowds enjoying the Historical Artifacts at the Ottawa Super Ex

During our run at the Ottawa Super Ex, there was a group of people called 'The Pioneer Gathering' , that had set up a 19th Century Pioneer Camp on the grounds.

They ate, slept and lived the life of pioneers for the 11 days we were open.

While working daily at the Super Ex, on my breaks I would walk around and I stumbled upon this great group of people and began to chat about life back in the 19th Century. The more we talked, the more I could see we had in common. I found these people very down to earth and honestly a good time to hang out with. Now, as I have said, everything happens for a reason, and the timing of meeting these great pioneer re-enactors, started me on a path of wanting to bring back my Medicine Show and do it on a larger scale.

The person that I bonded with the most was a man named Ward Wright. Ward was the silver back of his group and had many old time skills that  have been forgotten. Ward was and is a renaissance man. (not the type that dresses up in foofy costumes and does Ren Faires) His knowledge of old world skills is fascinating and the more we talked, the more we saw that we had something in common and respected each others abilities.

Nikolai Diablo (me) and Ward Wright with his daughter

I told Ward about my Traveling Medicine Show idea and he started talking to me about where we might be able to find the wheels for the base to building a Showman's Caravan. This is something I had always wanted for the show, but never had the carpentry background to do. Ward on the other hand, had not only the background, but the drive for such a huge project.

And so, we set out to find the base for the Showman's Caravan. And after a month of searching... Ward found a set of carriage wheels attached to a base for driving, that was in immaculate condition. The farmer he had talked to, had kept the wagon base and wheels in his barn for years and they were almost like new.

Proud owner of a set of wagon wheels with chassy, circa 1880

The Wagon wheels were over 120 years old and I knew I had to make this purchase. This decision was the start of a great adventure. as Ward and I embarked on building a Full-Sized Showman's Caravan.

Cleaning off 100 years of dirt.

It started with a couple of simple sketch's that were the bases for the project.

Sketch made a month before the purchase of the wagon

 I took a bulk of the money I had made doing Fort Fright in October, and put it towards the building of the caravan. Jess and her father also pitched in to help bring the caravan to life, using their skills to enhance the building process.

Jess and I painting the wagon wheels

Painting wheel rims

Ward painting under carriage of wagon

At first it seemed like a big gamble with my money, but as time wore on over the first couple of weeks, I could see that this was going to be a great investment. Ward worked his magic and began to build from the ground up a 19th Century Showman's Caravan... without any blue prints.

Ward working on wood supports

I have never seen anyone so confident in wood working. Ward innately knew exactly where to start and worked meticulously daily with me at making this dream come to life.

Ward working on caravan base

To be continued in Part 2

Prof. Crookshank's Traveling Medicine Show is HERE!

A low rumble could be heard as hooves pounded the pavement and horses pulled a large strange caravan down the old dirt road. The townsfolk looked on, through closed shutters and cracked doors as the Medicine Show rolled into town. A stranger had come, and with him came the promise of mystery and miracles. Soon, he will come to your town and you will witness the last true purveyor of wonderment.
 
After many years of travel through exotic lands and continents of the world, Prof. Crookshank has finally made his way back to civilization to bring you the finest medicinal cures from the darkest reach's of the beyond! And what wonders lay hidden within his caravan!
 
For the first time in 20 years, Prof. Crookshank has decided to come forward with his amazing findings! Now is your chance to witness this great explorers most astounding discovery, as he unveils to the world his Miracle Elixir. Is it the libation that will give you eternal youth? The cure all to your problems? The potion to steal someone's heart?
 
YES... what he has found could very well change your lives forever!
 
And this is just the beginning! Prof. Crookshank has not only been traveling the world for the past 20 years in search of this Miracle Elixir.... but has created a machine that allows him to travel through time! Allowing him to see the wonders of our amazing planet as no one has in the past... or the future!
 
You may now get a chance to witness Prof. Crookshank's breakthroughs in the world of science for the first time, after 20 years of adventures through time and space. He now proudly unveils to you and the world, the incredible, the astounding and the incomparable ... Prof. Crookshank's Traveling Medicine Show!
 
Go NOW to http://www.miracleelixer.com/
 
AND Welcome to Prof. Crookshank's outrageous world!!!
 
And for the adventurous, keep checking out the site for updates and NEW pix of his amazing travels... many people have wondered what his Mysterious Caravan looks like, in the next week, YOU will see pictures of this Amazing Time Traveling Caravan!!!

By the pricking of my thumbs... something Wicked this way comes.

Victorian X-Mass Soiree!

The weekend has come and gone, but the glow from the wonderful memories will last a long time. Once again I threw my Victorian X-mass Soiree, a tradition that I started in 2002. It was the first gathering we had at our new digs in The Cabin in the Woods. Jess and I pulled out all the stops and cleaned like crazy and did ALOT of food prep before the party.

Around 32 people showed up and all were dressed in Victorian and 19th Century finery. One of the highlights of the evening was when my friend Lindsay Lambert sang for his supper. He sang 3 hilarious old Vaudeville tunes and was in perfect form.

Later in the evening, I did my rendition of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the night was full of great stories and good friends.

I have really enjoyed the move from Toronto to the Cabin in the Woods. It has been a very therapeutic and  life changing move. The friends I have made in the last 6 months are very down to earth and kind. So many of them are lovers of Victorian and Pioneering history and live the lifestyle.... so, the Victorian styled party was a cinch for all involved.

One of the things I enjoy most of my new found friendships is the fact each and every one of them has a talent in some sort of olde world craft. Some are Pioneer re-enactors, some are Steam Punk enthusiasts and some are into the Goth scene. It is exciting to hear their views on the past and I enjoy seeing them all dressed up in their finery (which they do on numerous occasions)

All in all, the X-Mass Soiree was a smashing success!

A BIG thank you goes out to Jess and her Mom and Dad for all of the help in the week leading up to the big day.

Here's to a Great New Year and more adventures with my new found friends.