The carpet was beautiful and imported from Persia. The Ringlings clearly had good taste and plenty of money. The heyday of the circus was in the 1920’s up until the stock market crash and depression. By 1954 the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus was bankrupt and ceased traveling and performing under the big tent. By the early 1960’s the company was purchased by a group of investors that significantly downsized the circus going back to a single ring performance in existing venues. Since then it has changed hands several times and is still performing.