article_snippet: It's thanks to those 19th-century promoters that the elephant rose to become the circus's king of beasts -- the living symbol of "The Greatest Show on Earth."
article_snippet: This is something that has been a big deal historically," says circus historian Janet Davis, an American studies professor at the University of Texas.
article_snippet: Traditionally, circus historian Janet Davis, an American studies professor at the University of Texas observes, elephants are the stars of the parade when circuses come to town.
article_snippet: Brown was perhaps the first to make elephants a part of the circus atmosphere.
article_snippet: By the 1850s, elephants were regular circus attractions.
article_snippet: and then you went to your seat in the big top," Deborah Walk, curator of collections for the Ringling Museums, told PBS for a 2010 documentary called "Circus."
article_snippet: Elephants become this incredibly important signature part of Circus," says Davis.
article_snippet: The attitudes towards elephants, and circus animals in general, started changing in the early 20th century, says Davis.
article_snippet: At a show Davis attended in 2013, elephants had elephants own space, and a bunch of children were standing nearby, watching elephants in awe.
highlights_snippet: Elephants have been symbolic of the circus since the 19th century .
  