Victoria Codona Adolph

Victoria Codona Adolph (1891–1983) was a fourth generation circus performer from the Codonas family.{{cite news|last1=Smothers|first1=Ronald|title=Victoria Codona Adolph Dies; Former Star in Circus Was 92|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/14/obituaries/victoria-cordona-adolph-dies-former-star-in-circus-was-92.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=14 August 1983 |accessdate=14 February 2018}}

She was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico, to French and English parents. She performed in Mexican circuses as a slackwire artist. In 1909, agents of the Barnum & Bailey Circus recruited her and her younger brothers, Alfredo{{cite web|title=Portrait of Victoria and Alfred Codona|url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201174/|publisher=Texas History|accessdate=14 February 2018}} and Abelardo Codona, to perform with them.{{cite book|last1=Jensen|first1=Dean N.|title=Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus|publisher=Crown/Archetype}} 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.{{cite web|last1=Manna|first1=Marcia|title=The big top is back, with stamps!|date=7 August 2014 |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-ringling-barnum-bailey-circus-2014aug07-htmlstory.html|publisher=The San Diego Union Tribune|accessdate=14 February 2018}}

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.{{cite web|title=Grave Spotlight|url=http://www.cemeteryguide.com/gotw-leitzel-codona.html|publisher=Cemetery Guide|accessdate=14 February 2018}} 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.