Striking Antique Circus Poster Artifact

Description

Without question, the strangest, most striking object I have ever held, seen, or owned in my entire life.
This is one of the most authentic experiences of looking into the past I have ever felt.
Over a 15 years ago, I received a call from an acquaintance on an analog telephone, telling me that I would find something interesting at the corner of such and such and such and such in New York.
Intrigued
, I went to the corner and saw, among the pile of garbage, a broken down foot locker/trunk made of wood. It was very old and very beautiful and old fashioned with a curved top. Inside it, was this plank. It had broken off of the interior planks that made one of the walls.
I took only the plank, as I was not able to take the rest of the trunk.
It terrified me at the time because the faces looked so real, and this has not lessened over time.
When I look at this object and hold it in reality, it feels like the people are living inside the image and are looking directly at me.
These are real performers, a troupe of real people, looking back at me through time.
This is the most authentic piece of real Americana, ever.
Was the trunk was owned by someone in the photo or related to someone in the photo (?) who had it passed to them, and could no longer carry it along in their lives? I wonder who these people are in the photograph and where they performed. Were they a traveling troupe of circus performers or were they with a famous outfit in NYC? I will never know.
There is so much heart and authenticity in each person's face. Even though it's so faded, there is so much being conveyed in each face, it's hard not to be moved when seeing it in reality. Even through complete make-up, I can see each man's face so clearly. Even the photograph is special-they are all subtly embracing one another. They seem like a family. Sometimes I can almost imagine the sounds around them at the time or imagine what they did just before or after this photograph was taken. It's so candid, almost as if they just finished performing and were happy and posed while in great spirits.
This is a program/poster that was glued to the interior of the trunk, you look at the plank on the side, you can slide a finger nail between the paper and the wood as well as see the ripped paper at the bottom (white on image). I also have assumed all along that the trunk belonged to one of the performers, but again, I will never know. Then I guess it was passed on or purchased then left on a corner in NYC.
I have loved this piece for over a decade, have contemplated it, and have felt so many feelings through it about our history and time gone by...but it is time for this piece to find it's rightful place is inside a real collection with other precious artifacts from our American Tradition.
This is a special piece. It should be mounted and preserved for the future by someone who knows how important it is.