Each has draw-back canvas fronts for taking in the sights and sounds of the African bush, sturdy beds and tribal furnishings.
It was maneuverable in the city, and it had front-wheel drive, a surprisingly roomy interior and a roll-back canvas roof.
Not unlike a European version of the classic Converse All Star, the laid-back canvas shoes are better suited for scoring at a bar than on a basketball court.
The painting, he explained, had undergone earlier conservation treatment that had involved gluing a backing canvas to it.
When it was noticed that the backing canvas was coming loose they investigated further and found another sketch.
Unsigned, but name on back of canvas.
So it seemed time for Ringling Brothers, too, to get back under canvas.
"I feel like a kid at the circus, trying to pull back the canvas and look inside," he said.
Now, 55 years later, she is back under canvas, sharing a sun-baked football pitch with some 2,500 Palestinians evicted by Shia mobs from their Iraqi homes.
With stylish and spacious accommodation and a warm welcome from owners Judy and Lew, going back to canvas may not be an option.
