Documents 

A radical new history that rediscovers the remarkable freak performers whose talents and charisma helped define an era.

On March 23, 1844, General Tom Thumb, just 25 inches tall, entered the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace and bowed low to Queen Victoria. On both sides of the Atlantic, this meeting marked a tipping point in the nineteenth century, and the age of the freak was born.

Bewitching all levels of society, it was a world of curiosities and astonishing spectacle—of dwarfs, giants, bearded ladies, Siamese twins, and swaggering showmen. But the real stories—human dramas that so often eclipsed the fantasy presented on the stage—of the performing men, women and children, have been forgotten or marginalized in the histories of the very people who exploited them.

In this richly evocative account, John Woolf uses a wealth of recently discovered material to bring to life the sometimes tragic, sometimes triumphant, always extraordinary stories of people who used their (dis)abilities and difference to become some of the first international celebrities.

Through their lives we discover afresh some of the great transformations of the age: the birth of show business, of celebrity, of advertising, and of “alternative facts” while also exploring the tensions between the power of fame, the impact of exploitation, and our fascination with “otherness.”

This beautiful book charts the development of the circus as an art form around the world, from antiquity to the present day.

Using over 200 circus related artworks from the French National Library's private collections, celebrated cultural historian Pascal Jacob tells the story of travelling entertainers and their art and trade. From nomadic animal tamers of the Dark Ages to European jugglers and acrobats of the 1800s, from the use of the circus as Soviet propaganda to the 20th-century Chinese performance art renaissance, this is an exhaustive history with a uniquely international scope.

Jacob draws on both rare and famous artworks, including prints dating from the 13th century, and paintings by Picasso and Doré. In doing so he demonstrates the circus to be a visual and physical masterpiece, constantly moving and evolving, and just as exciting an experience for audiences now as it was 1,000 years ago.

The nineteenth century saw the American circus move from a reviled and rejected form of entertainment to the “Greatest Show on Earth.” Circus Life by Micah D. Childress looks at this transition from the perspective of the people who owned and worked in circuses and how they responded to the new incentives that rapid industrialization made possible.
The circus has long been a subject of fascination for many, as evidenced by the millions of Americans that have attended circus performances over many decades since 1870, when the circus established itself as a truly unique entertainment enterprise. Yet the few analyses of the circus that do exist have only examined the circus as its own closed microcosm—the “circus family.” Circus Life, on the other hand, places circus employees in the larger context of the history of US workers and corporate America. Focusing on the circus as a business-entertainment venture, Childress pushes the scholarship on circuses to new depths, examining the performers, managers, and laborers’ lives and how the circus evolved as it grew in popularity over time. Beginning with circuses in the antebellum era, Childress examines changes in circuses as gender balances shifted, industrialization influenced the nature of shows, and customers and crowds became increasingly more middle-class.
As a study in sport and social history, Childress’s account demonstrates how the itinerant nature of the circus drew specific types of workers and performers, and how the circus was internally in constant upheaval due to the changing profile of its patrons and a changing economy. [editor summary]

Philip Astley first pegged out his circular 'ride' on the banks of the Thames in 1768 and so laid down the foundations of the modern circus. Performing feats of trick riding with his wife Patty Jones, little did he realise that before long women would become a dominant force in the circus. Sawdust Sisterhood explores how the circus empowered women and gave them the opportunity to compete and succeed as performers in their own right in an otherwise masculine world. Drawing upon historical news reports and contemporary interviews, the book explores the lives of female circus performers and focuses upon several of the more well-known artistes from across two centuries of circus, including; Madame Saqui, the renowned French wire-walker of the early nineteenth century; Nellie Chapman, the Victorian 'Lion Queen' of Wombwells's Menagerie and Circus; and Katie Brumbach, otherwise known as Sandwina, perhaps the most famous Strongwoman of the twentieth century. Sawdust Sisterhood acknowledges the role of the female circus performer across the centuries.

As paragons in heir field, these women became rich, famous and powerful despirte the prevailing sexist attitudes of their time. They often had to overcome undue criticism of their work and censure from those who felt their acts were at best inappropritate and at worst immoral. In performing remarkable, often death-defying physical feats, these women subverted the classic ideals of femininity and undoubtedly contributed to the later sexual revolution.

Sawdust sisterhood explores the journeys of these women and their contributions to the advancement of women's rights. Steve Ward, an expert on the circus, draws together various primary sources. newspaper articles, and feministe scholarship to give a full picture of the pivotal role of women in this medium. He also includes interviews with contemporary female performers and over thirty exquisite images. This is a detailed, personal, and deeply moving account of an often overloocked aspect of the struggle for female emancipation. [Editor's summary]

Chacun possède sa propre vision du cirque, un univers aux richesses insoupçonnées et en constante évolution. Cet ouvrage en propose une histoire abondamment illustrée, de ses origines saltimbanques à ses formes les plus contemporaines.

Au fil des pages, affiches, dessins, estampes et photographies dévoilent les secrets de chacune des disciplines qui peuplent le grand chapiteau et offrent un voyage planétaire haut en couleurs. Né en Angleterre en 1768, développé en France, il magnifie avant tout le cheval. Entre 1880 et 1930, c’est l’âge d’or du dressage, de la splendeur allemande et du gigantisme américain motivé par le développement du chemin de fer. Viennent ensuite la révolution du cirque soviétique, la puissance d’évocation du théâtre acrobatique chinois, et le renouveau du cirque avec les écoles françaises, belges ou canadiennes.

Un ouvrage complet pour retrouver son âme d’enfant. [résumé de l'éditeur]

Beneath the Big Top is a social history of the circus, from its ancient roots to the rise of the 'modern' tented travelling shows. A performer and founder of a circus group, Steve Ward draws on eye-witness accounts and contemporary interviews to explore the triumphs and disasters of the circus world. He reveals the stories beneath the big top during the golden age of the circus and the lives of circus folk, which were equally colourful outside the ring : - Pablo Fanque, Britain's first black circus proprietor; - The Chipperfield dynasty, who started out in 1684 on the frozen Thames; - Katie Sandwina, world's strongest woman and part time crime-fighter; - The Sylvain brothers, who fell in love with the same woman in the ring [editor summary]

Nella Verona del periodo neoclassico gli spettatori avevano a disposizione un vero e proprio menù degli incanti, la cui portata principale consisteva spesso in una compagnia equestre. Poi i virtuosi delle varie discipline del corpo: giocolieri, equilibristi, trapezisti, acrobati e gli spericolati funamboli. Animali ammaestrati, dai rinoceronti alle pulci sapienti. Fenomeni della natura e curiosità etnografiche. Maghi e illusionisti di ogni tipo. Infine un grande assortimento di spettacoli pseudoscientifici come i panorami, o le dimostrazioni della luce elettrica, del telegrafo e le molto amate ascensioni aerostatiche. Il tutto servito in un’inaspettata città scaligera, crogiolo di tendenze, humus di culture, punto di riferimento per compagnie di artisti di ogni genere. Con una serie assai variegata di spazi: dai teatri ufficiali, alle improvvisate baracche, sino all’Arena. È questo il mondo emerso dall’approfondito lavoro di ricerca ed analisi, svolto da un gruppo di titolate ricercatrici, coordinate dai curatori del progetto, le quali hanno setacciato i più importanti archivi di Verona, del Veneto e del Nord Italia, alla ricerca di qualsiasi testimonianza afferente le discipline circensi. Un’esperienza unica nel campo della storiografia dello spettacolo popolare, che ha permesso di riscoprire incredibili repertori, delineare i profili dei principali protagonisti, capire le caratteristiche dei luoghi deputati, delle modalità di fruizione e del relativo riscontro da parte del pubblico e della critica giornalistica.

El trabajo es una crónica de los más de 200 años de actividad circense en Chile muy bien documentado, que empieza con la entrada del circo ecuestre inglés de Nathaniel Bogardus en 1827. La documentación que existe es escasa: alguna novela, revistas, diarios, y algunos libros centrados en otras temáticas, que tangencialmente nombran al circo. Ese vacío busca llenar la investigación que realizan actualmente la bióloga Pilar Ducci y el fotógrafo Francisco Bermejo. Ante la poca documentación existente, su principal fuente ha sido la tradición oral, los recuerdos que los artistas circenses guardan de lo que, al fin, no es más que su vida familiar.

The circus is a source of nostalgia for Americans of all ages, either from memories of attending P. T. Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth," or through the colorful evocations in many movies, television programs, and books. Interest in the circus phenomenon is unflagging, yet there have been few publications that look closely at how the circus's European origins were refashioned for an American audience. Lavishly illustrated and carefully researched, this volume explores how American culture, values, demography, and business practices altered the fundamental nature of the European circus, and how, by the end of the 19th century, they had transformed it into a distinctly American pastime.

At the peak of its cultural significance, the circus was a sophisticated combination of theater and business, and made effective use of advertising, train travel, and hyperbole. The subjects in The American Circus reflect this complexity, ranging widely from thematic explorations of circus music and elephants to more closely focused studies of objects such as circus toys, souvenirs, and performers' costumes. The book also explores the dark and even nefarious side of the circus, and its associations with marginalized dimensions of American life and culture. With contributions from leading scholars, this stylishly designed volume aims to identify the salient features of an Americanized cultural product and to analyze its appeal for American audiences.

In 1864, when Japan was still semi-closed to foreigners, world-famous American acrobat and impresario "Professor Risley" introduced Western-style circus to Yokohama. Less than three years later, in 1866, he formed the Imperial Japanese Troupe and left with it to tour America and Europe. When Japan's feudal government issued its very first civilian passport to a member of Risley's troupe, it helped trigger a world-wide fever in Japanese acrobats, and all things Japanese. From San Francisco to Philadelphia, New York to London, Boston to Madrid, crowds could not get enough of performers like "Little All Right." Risley's Imperial Japanese Troupe tour thus fueled the West's first craze for Japanese popular culture—one that, unlike the better known and intellectualized Japonisme art movement, spread throughout all levels of society. [editor summary]

At the turn of the 20th century, the circus was the most popular form of American entertainment, and New York City was the hub of circus-related activity. Featuring superb archival photography, this book documents a wide variety of ephemera, images, and artifacts relating to the history of the circus in the city, from the seminal equestrian displays of the 18th century to the iconic railroad circuses of the late 19th century. Matthew Wittmann offers a thorough history of the circus in New York City, including stories of P. T. Barnum's triumphant entry into the circus business, the famous dwarf General Tom Thumb, and Jumbo, the African elephant that touched off a craze known as "Jumbomania." The histories of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the WPA Circus of the Great Depression, and the Big Apple Circus are testaments to the enduring popularity of this American pastime.

Footit et Chocolat, c'est le plus célèbre duo de clowns de la Belle Epoque qui a inventé la comédie clownesque centrée sur deux personnages, le clown blanc et l'Auguste. Leurs numéros mettaient en scène de façon comique les relations de domination entre blanc et noir. Amis des peintres vivants à Montmartre, les deux clowns ont été immortalisés par Toulouse-Lautrec et ont été les premiers acteurs du cinéma muet. Le clown Chocolat, esclave noir cubain ayant fui en Europe, fut le premier artiste noir à susciter un tel engouement populaire, célébré comme un " monument national ". L'affaire Dreyfus mettra brutalement un terme à ce succès, le rire provoqué par les clichés racistes étant devenu gênant. Malgré son talent, Chocolat se trouvera exclu du monde du spectacle et mourra dans la misère. [résumé de l'éditeur]

At the turn of the 20th century, scores of circuses crisscrossed America. In many towns, Circus Day was a major holiday, right behind Christmas and Fourth of July. Schools and businesses closed as the populace flocked to the circus street parade and, later, to the circus grounds. Their anticipation had been fueled weeks beforehand by the circus's advance squads of billposters, who covered walls and fences for miles around with brilliantly colored, boldly bombastic posters advertising the season's feature attractions. The Amazing American Circus Poster: The Strobridge Lithographing Company catalog uses extant posters to explore the circus and its impact on American culture. It also examines the role of the posters themselves in the evolution of visual communication and consumer advertising, particularly outdoor advertising. [editor summary]

This intriguing work chronicles the history of the American circus from its roots in England through its importation to America to the end of the nineteenth century. It introduces the early pioneers of the circus, addresses business concerns such as management and training, and discusses the development of the show itself, including the incorporation of menageries, the need for animal training and care, the addition of circus music, the use of the tent, and the unique attractions of side shows and "freaks." Personal stories of those who made their lives under the "big top" are woven throughout the narrative, adding an intimate perspective to one of America’s most enduring entertainments. [editor summary]

The Victorian Clown is a micro-history of mid-Victorian comedy, spun out of the life and work of two professional clowns. Their previously unpublished manuscripts - James Frowde's account of his young life with the famous Henglers' circus in the 1850s and Thomas Lawrence's 1871 gag book - offer unique, unmediated access to the grass roots of popular entertainment. Through them this book explores the role of the circus clown at the height of equestrian entertainment in Britain, when the comic managed audience attention for the riders and acrobats, parodying their skills in his own tumbling and contortionism, and also offered a running commentary on the times through his own 'wheezes' - stand-up comedy sets. Plays in the ring connect the circus to the stage, and both these men were also comic singers, giving a sharp insight into popular music just as it was being transformed by the new institution of music hall. [editor summary]