Flying Melzoras

Worlds Premier Aerialist

on back:

Bus and I painting the barn looks swell and i am glad ???? done.

author note: this is the training barn in Saginaw at Webber and  Collingwood streets

where Harold Voise would have had his earliest training at the Melzora barn.  City Directories indicate that the Melzers lived at 800 Brown Street and the Voise's lived at 808 Brown Street.  Harold states that he grew up

with the Melzora's kids. "They were training them and so they took me right along with them"

That was about 1921 which is the same year the barn was built.  He played parks and fairs in the summer time and went back to school and then he

joined the Flying Wards in 1924 in Bloomington.

Harold was playing in Albany New York and Wards was near by with Sells-Floto. Eddie and Harold exchanged addresses and Harold at 15 with permission from father and mother left Saginaw

and started in with the Wards of Bloomington.

Thomas Melzer and Jane (Ma) married in 1904 but in the 1920s separated.

They had 3 sons: Melzer Jr aka Buster (died Auguest 1994), Ray and Bill

Ray married Anne in 1932'

Bill later left the act and became a CPA in Saginaw.

Besides H. Voise other performers would train here:

Steward Roberts, Jess Detwiler, Harold McClossen, Roddy Cushman and Garee Bros. and Roy Deisler

The act was retired in 1950s

note: sources include Steve Gossard and Stuart D Gross.