Victoria Codona Adolph

Victoria Codona Adolph (1891–1983) was a fourth generation circus performer from the Codonas family.[1]

She was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico, to French and English parents. She performed in Mexican circuses as a slackwire artist.[1] In 1909, agents of the Barnum & Bailey Circus recruited her and her younger brothers, Alfredo[2] and Abelardo Codona, to perform with them.[3] She worked for Barnum & Bailey until 1918 and also performed in Australia with the Brothers Circus. She was known as Princess Victoria and was a wire-walker.[4]

She retired from performing when she was pregnant with her first child with William K. Adolph, a race car driver, and they retired to Palm Springs where she died in 1983 at the age of 92.[5] In 2014, the U.S. Postal Service created a stamp of her as part of an eight stamp collection paying tribute to circus legends of the past.[4]

References
  1. Smothers, Ronald (14 August 1983). "Victoria Codona Adolph Dies; Former Star in Circus Was 92". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. "Portrait of Victoria and Alfred Codona". Texas History. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  3. Jensen, Dean N. Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus. Crown/Archetype.
  4. Manna, Marcia (7 August 2014). "The big top is back, with stamps!". The San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  5. "Grave Spotlight". Cemetery Guide. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
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