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This volume establishes the historical foundations of the modern circus, tracing its development from pre-Astley entertainments to nineteenth-century British performance culture. Drawing extensively on rare archival materials, it situates circus within a wider entertainment ecology that includes pantomime, music hall, and theatre. The collection reveals intersections between innovation, engineering, and spectacle, highlighting animal training, aerial performance, and creative experimentation as key sites of development. Attention to provincial activity, particularly in Bristol, enriches understanding of regional practice. Scholarly commentary and primary sources together illuminate the social, cultural, and technological forces that shaped circus as a dynamic popular form.
Contents
Volume I: Circus in Great Britain in the Long Nineteenth Century
Acknowledgments
General Introduction
Volume I Introduction
Part 1. A Century of Circus in Bristol
1. 'Park Row Circus Plans'(1886), Illustration, Bristol Archives, Building Plans and Indices of the City Planning Officer, 22/8c.#
2. 'Astley's Wonderful Troop,' Bristol Gazette & Public Advertiser, 10 September 1789.
3. Report of Amphitheatre construction, Bristol Mercury, 1 March 1790.
4. Handy & Franklin's Troop, Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette, 15 December 1791.
5. Mr Taylor's benefit at Handy's Circus, Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser, 26 April 1792.
6. 'Last week of the Catauba Indians,' Bonner & Middleton's Bristol Journal, 13 February 1796.
7. 'Poney Races,' Bonner & Middleton's Bristol Journal, 24 February 1796.
8. 'New Circus Intelligence,' Bristol Gazette & Public Advertiser, March 3 1796.
9. 'Catauba Indians and the Poney Races,' Bonner & Middleton's Bristol Journal, 5 March 1796.
10. 'Olympic Circus,'Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser, 15 June 1799.
11. Charles Dibdin the Younger, 'Olympic Circus poem,' Bristol Gazette & Public Advertiser, 11 July 1799.
12. Charles Dibdin the Younger, 'IV: Parker and Davis. 1799', The Memoirs of Charles Dibdin the Younger. ed, G. Speaight (London: Society for Theatre Research, 1956 [1830]), 34-38.
13. 'Shows, Exhibitions, Machinery etc', list of St James's Fair stalls & fees, Bristol Archives, Fair accounts, giving details of stall, rent collected, name of holder (some copies from account book 1807 - 1839), 1721-1830, Records of the Anglican Parish of St James', St James' Fair, P St-J F10, 1811.
14. 'During the Fair,' Bristol Mercury, 4 September 1820.
15. St James's Fair Circus & Menagerie advertisements, Bristol Mercury, 1 September 1821
16. Wombwell's Immense Royal Menagerie, Bristol Gazette, 31 July 1823.
17. Wombwell's Menagerie, Bristol Mercury, 4 August 1823.
18. Merchant Taylor's Menagerie, Bristol Gazette, 25 September 1823.
19. 'Ducrow's Amphitheatre,' Bristol Mirror, 5 November 1825.
20. 'Ryan's New Grand Equestrian Arena,' Bristol Gazette, 23 August 1827.
21. 'Ryan's Circus and Spacious Arena,' Bristol Mercury, 25 August 1829.
22. 'Ryan's Equestrian Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 7 September 1833
23. 'Ryan's Royal Amphitheatre,' Bristol Mercury, 20 June 1839.
24. 'Ryan's Amphitheatre,' Bristol Mercury, 16 November 1839.
25. 'POLICE INTELLIGENCE, WEDNESDAY', Bristol Mercury, 22 August 1840.
26. RYAN'S CIRCUS, Bristol Mercury, 12 September 1840.
27. 'Provincial Intelligence, GLOUCESTERSHIRE,' Bristol Mercury, 24 October 1840.
28. 'Ryan's Circus, North-Street,' Bristol Mercury, 14 November 1840.
29. 'Sales by Auction,' Bristol Mercury, 25 December 1841.
30. 'Price & Powell's New Circus Royal,' & 'Ducrow's National Olympic Arena of Arts,' Bristol Mercury, 16 April 1842.
31. 'Ducrow's Arena' & 'The Circus Royal,' Bristol Mercury, 16 April 1842.
32. 'To Carpenters, Builders, &c.,' Bristol Mercury, 11 June 1842.
33. 'Batty's Circus Royal,' Bristol Mercury, 23 July 1842.
34. 'Batty's Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 23 July 1842
35. 'Great Novelty!' Bristol Mercury, 6 August 1842.
36. 'Clifton and Bristol Polytechnic,' [Ryan's Circus] Bristol Mercury, 3 December 1842
37. 'Cornwall's Temple of Wonder,' Bristol Mercury, 24 December 1842.
38. 'Hughes's Circus Royal,' Bristol Times & Mirror, 14 December 1844.
39. Report of accident to Mr Ryan, Bristol Times & Mirror, 31 October 1846.
40. 'William Cooke's Royal Circus,' Bristol Times & Mirror, 25 December 1847.
41. 'A Treat for the Million,' Bristol Times & Mirror, 18 May 1850.
42. 'Allied Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 27 December 1856.
43. Pablo Fanque's Circus, Bristol Mercury, 27 December 1856.
44. 'Pablo Fanque's Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 3 January 1857.
45. 'Important Decision,' Bristol Mercury, 13 March 1858.
46. 'Zoological Gardens,' Bristol Daily Post, 5 August 1861.
47. 'Ginnett's Circus in Bristol,' Western Daily Press, 20 February 1877.
48. Excerpt from 'An Old Man's Recollections Of St James's Pleasure Fair,' Bristol Mercury, 25 December 1880.
49. 'Licensing Application for Messrs Sanger's Circus,' Western Daily Press, 11 November 1886.
50. 'Messrs. Sanger's Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 12 November 1886.
51. 'Opening of Messrs Sanger's Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 16 November 1886.
52. Attendance of Magistrate, Bristol Mercury, 10 December 1886.
53. Excerpt from 'Christmas Amusements,' Western Daily Press, 24 December 1886.
54. 'Hengler's Grand Cirque,' Western Daily Press, 7 September 1888.
55. 'Hengler's Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 11 September 1888.
56. 'Buffalo Bill in Bristol,' Western Daily Press, 29 September 1891.
57.'Buffalo Bill in Bristol,' Bristol Mercury, 29 September 1891.
58. Harry Bow [William Henry Bow], Extracts on Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1891, Bristol Archives, Diaries of W. Harry Bow, 31416/1
59. 'Hengler's Circus: The Water Novelty,' Western Daily Press, 11 October 1892.
60. '"Cinderella" At Hengler's Circus,' Western Daily Press, 29 August 1893.
61. 'Action by a Circus Rider,' Bristol Mercury, 30 June 1893.
62. 'Professor Crocker's Horses at the Drill Hall,' Western Daily Press, 20 November 1894.
63. Harry Bow [William Henry Bow], diary extracts on circus acts at the Zoo & Sanger's Circus, 1894, Bristol Archives, Diaries of W. Harry Bow, 31416/8.
64. 'Lord George Sanger's Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 21 June 1894.
65. 'Boswell's Pavilion Circus,' Bristol Mercury, 2 September 1895.
66. Lord John Sanger & Sons' Circus, Bristol Magpie, 2 December 1897.
67. 'Barnum & Bailey Big Show,' Bristol Mercury, 15 August 1898.
68. 'Earth's Greatest Show,' Bristol Mercury, 16 August 1898.
69. 'Barnum and Bailey's Show,' Bristol Mercury, 22 April 1899.
70. 'The Italian Circus at the Palace,' Bristol Times & Mirror, 2 July 1901.
71. 'The Royal Italian Circus,' Western Daily Press, 18 April 1911.
72. 'Bristol Exhibition,' Western Daily Press, 11 June 1914.
Part 2. The Long Eighteenth Century
2.1 The Late-eighteenth Century Circus
73. William Garbott, 'The New River, a Poem', (London, c.1728), 18, 21-22, 25-26.
74. Letter from Patty Astley to Mr and Mrs Pownall, Astley Theatre Cuttings, British Library, Vol. 1 (TH.cts/35, item 1171).
75. George Speaight (ed), Memoirs of Charles Dibdin the Younger (London: The Society for Theatre Research, 1956 [1830]), 17-21.
76. Charles Dibdin, The Elder, Royal Circus Epitomized (London, 1784), 21-24.
77. Thomas Read, The History of the Royal Circus Introductory to the Case of Mr. Read, Late Stage Manager of that theatre in a letter to a friend (London, 1791), 6-20.
78. Jacob Decastro, The Memoirs of J. De Castro, Comedian ... Accompanied by an Analysis of the Life of the Late Philip Astley ... Also an Accompanying History of the Royal Circus, Now the Surrey Theatre; and an Historical Sketch of Sadler's Wells. Likewise Scarce Theatrical Advertisements (London, 1824), 148-160.
79. James C. Dibdin, The Annals of The Edinburgh Stage with an account of the Rise and Progress of Dramatic Writing in Scotland (Edinburgh: Richard Cameron, 1888), 332-340.
80. Frederick W. Hawkins, The Life of Edmund Kean, 2 vols. (London, Tinsley 1869), Vol.1, 39-41.
81. An Act for the Control of Theatrical Representations 1788 Public Act, 28 George III, c. 30
2.2 Performers and Performances
82. Philip Astley, Natural Magic: or Physical Amusements Revealed (London, 1785), 25-27.
83. S. Hooper, A Guide to Health, Beauty, Riches, and Honour (London, 1785), 51-55.
84. An equestrian career: George Smith, the Little Devil, 1787-1807 (compilation of newspaper sources: Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, Aris's Birmingham Gazette, Manchester Mercury, Bristol Mercury, Newcastle Chronicle, Caledonian Mercury, The Times, Hampshire Chronicle).
85. 'Rope Dancing at the Theatre Royal, Norwich', Bury and Norfolk Post, 6 December 1786.
86. 'Scaglioni's Dancing Dogs at Swann's Amphitheatre, Livery Street, Birmingham', Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 5 November 1787.
87. 'Equestrian Performances at the Botanic Garden, Leith Walk, Edinburgh', Caledonian Mercury, 19 July 1788.
88. 'Frederick Wilkinson's Sagacious Dog at Bathwick Fields, Bath', (Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 29 October 1789).
89. 'Pugilism at the Edinburgh Equestrian Circus', Caledonian Mercury, 3 March 1792.
90. 'Pony races at the Edinburgh Equestrian Circus', Caledonian Mercury, 6 February 1796.
91. 'Fireworks at Jones's Amphitheatre, Mr. Higgins's Livery Stable Yard, Oxford', Oxford Journal 7 May, 1796.
92. 'The Antipodean Whirligig at the Edinburgh Equestrian Circus', Caledonian Mercury, 21 January 1799.
93. Anon. The History and Comical Adventures of Harlequin and His Pleasing Companion Columbine (1790).
94. Nathaniel Wanley, The Wonders of the Little or Moral World: Or a General History of Man (London, c.1790), 115-117.
95. William Frederick Pinchbeck, Witchcraft or the Art of Fortune Telling Unveiled (Boston, 1805), 54-59.
96. Pierce Egan, 'Astley's Spanish Horse', in Sporting Anecdotes (London Sherwood, Jones and Co., 1825), 458.
Part 3. The Nineteenth-century Circus
3. 1 Circus Life
97. William Clarke, Every Night book: or Life after Dark (London: T. Richardson,1827), 22-24.
98. James Grant, The Great Metropolis Vol. 2 (London: Saunders and Otley, 1837) 77-80.
99. Henry Valentine, Behind the Curtain (London: G. F Frost, 1848?), 100-102.
100. Peter Paterson, Behind the Scenes or the Confessions of a Strolling Player (Edinburgh: D. Mathews, 1858), 89-97.
101. William F. Wallett, The Public Life of W. F. W., the Queen's Jester: An Autobiography, J. Luntley (ed.), (London: Bemrose and Sons, 1870), 86-94.
102. Charlie Keith, Circus Life and Amusements (Derby: Bewley and Roe, 1879), 5-10, 28-30.
103. Charles W. Montague, Recollections of an Equestrian Manager (London: W and R Chambers, 1881), 25-28.
104. 'Sanger's and Howes and Cushing's Circus', The Preston Chronicle, 18 June 1870.
105. Samuel Wild, The Original, Complete and Only Authentic Story of "Old Wild's:" ... a Nursery of Strolling Players ... Being the Reminiscences of Its Chief and Last Proprietor, "Sam" Wild. Edited by "Trim" [i.e. W. B. Megson]. Reprinted from the Halifax Courier (London: G. Vickers, 1888), 112-113, 189-195.
106. Whimsical Walker, [Thomas Henry Walker] From Sawdust to Windsor Castle (London: Stanley Paul, 1922), 8-10.
107. James Lloyd, My Circus Life, Etc. (London: Noel Douglas, 1925), 15-17, 20-23.
108. George Sanger, Seventy Years a Showman (London: J. M Dent, 1927), 181-190.
109. E. H. Bostock, Menageries, Circuses and Theatres (London: Chapman & Hall, 1927), 129-140.
3.2 Performances Explained
110. Charles Dickens, (ed.), 'The Trick of the Trapeze', All the Year Round, Vol. 8, No. 186, (Nov 15, 1862), 232-235.
111. George Forrest, 'The Trapèze- Single and Double', Every Boy's Magazine, 1 June, 1863, 360-370.
112. William Henry Cremer and Wiljalba Frikell, Magic No Mystery; Conjuring Tricks with Cards, Balls and Dice ... By the Author of "The Secret Out" [i.e. W. Frikell]. Edited by W. H. Cremer. With ... Illustrations. 1876, 45-47.
113. Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald, The World behind the Scenes (London: Chatto and Windus, 1881), 55-60.
114. Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald, Music Hall Land (London: Ward and Downey 1890), 49-50.
115. Chas E. Griffin, How to become a Contortionist or Bending Made Easy, by an old professional (New York, 1896).
116. Albert A. Hopkins, Magic Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions (London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company, 1897), 139-163.
3.3 Risky Business & Representation: Aerial Performance
117. 'Leotard, The Flying Man', The Era.
118.'M Leotard, the Gymnast', The Field, 1 June 1861, 476.
119.'Lofty Tumbling', Chambers's Journal, 13 June 1861, 28-30.
120. Musicus, 'To the Editor', The Musical World, 22 March 1862, 186.
121. 'Amusements for the People', Tomahawk, 18 July 1868.
122. 'Royal Amphitheatre and Circus Advertisement', The Era, 1 March 1868.
123. 'Royal Amphitheatre', The Standard, 11 March 1868.
124.'Royal Amphitheatre', The Morning Post, 7 April 1868.
125. Advertisements, The Standard, 5 June 1868.
126. 'A New Lady Gymnast', The Era, 15 September 1878
127.'Leona-Dare at "The Oxford"', The Era, 6 October 1878
128. 'Summary of this Morning's News', Pall Mall Gazette, 14 March 1879.
129. 'Birmingham - Myers's Hippodrome', The Era, 25 Jan 1880
130.'Royal Aquarium', Morning Post, 12 March 1879
131. 'Westminster Aquarium', The Era, 16 March 1879
132.'Westminster Aquarium', Morning Post, 16 October 1883
133.'Amusements in Edinburgh - Moss's Varieties', The Era, 13 February 1892
134. 'The Empire Palace', Portsmouth Evening News, 10 October 1893
3.4 Children and the Circus
135. Ellen Barlee, 'Acrobats', in Pantomime Waifs; or, A Plea for our City Children (London: S.W. Partridge & Co, 1884), 111, 113-27.
136. Ellen Barlee, 'Appendix: Juvenile Acrobats', in Pantomime Waifs; A Plea for our City Children (London: S.W. Partridge & Co, 1884), 273-6.
137. Ellen Barlee, 'Theatres, Music-Halls, etc.', in Pantomime Waifs; A Plea for our City Children (London: S.W. Partridge & Co, 1884), 34-40.
138. 'Juggling', in Routledge's Book of the Circus (London: Routledge: 1892), 36-9.
139. Frances Stratton, Nan the Circus Girl (London: J.F. Shaw & Co, 1898), 11-16, 26-28, 33-36.
140. Kenneth Grahame, 'The Magic Ring', in Dream Days (London and New York: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1899), 72-93.
141. Henry Camille Bordeaux, The House, trans. Louise S. Houghton (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1916), 228-234.
142. An Act to regulate the Employment of Children in places of amusement in certain cases, 24th July 1879 (The Children's Dangerous Performances Act, 1879)
143. An Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to, and better Protection of Children, Child Protection Act, 1889 (The Children's Charter)
144. An Act to extend the Age under which the Employment of young persons in dangerous Performances is prohibited, 6th August 1897.
3.5 Menageries, Exotic Animals, and Horses
145. Isaac Van Amburgh, 'Van Amburgh's Magnificent Collection of Trained Animals', A Concise Account Interspersed with Anecdotes of Mr. Van Amburgh's Celebrated Collection of Trained Animals, etc (London: J. W. Peel, 1841), 3-12.
146. Peter Hanley, Random Recollections of the Stage. By an Old Playgoer (London, Diprose and Bateman, 1883), 38-40.
147. Charles Frederick Holder, 'Jumbo', in The Ivory King (London: Sampson Low & Co, 1886), 64-68.
148. Frank C. Bostock, 'Origin and History of WildAnimal Training', in The Training of Wild Animals (New York: The Century Co, 1903), 23-33.
149. Carl Hagenbeck, 'Training Wild Animals', in Beasts and Men: Being Carl Hagenbeck's Experiences for Half a Century among Wild Animals (New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1909), 118, 121-26, 129-30, 133-36, 139-40, 143-46.
150. Mixed Species Act with tigers, lions, polar bears and brown bears. German, late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century. (Image)
151. 'Lord' George Sanger, 'How Buck-Jumping Horses are Trained', in Seventy Years a Showman (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1927), 192-94.
152. A. H. Kober, Circus Nights and Circus Days, extracts from the diary of a circus man, trans. Claud W. Sykes (London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co 1931), 154-164.
153. An Act to regulate the Exhibition and Training of Performing Animals, 30 June 1925.
3.6 Patents
154. 1869, No. 447. Walking on Ceilings, etc. Patent lodged by Alfred Walter Taylor.
155. 1877, No. 4587. Appliance for Theatrical or Gymnastic Performance. This is Farini's second, improved patent for firing performers out of a canon.
156. 1882, No. 753. Travelling Building for a Circus. Patent lodged by Charles Henry Keith.
157. 1890, No. 9047. Apparatus for Producing Nautical or Aquatic Scenes in Circus Arenas, Theatres, and the like. Patent lodged by Albert Henry Hengler.
158. 1891, No. 2041. Improvements in and relating to Bicycles (patent filed by Nicholas Edward Kaufmann).
159. 1892, No. 8708. A New or Improved Gymnastic Apparatus (velocipede/bicycle on rope /wire with trapeze). Patent lodged by Cornelius Latelle and Richard Latelle.
160. 1892, No. 11,675. Apparatus for use in Performances of Physical Strength and Endurance. Patent lodged by George Mulhall, otherwise known as George Testo.
Bibliography
Index
