The Victorian Circuses of Leeds
The Victorian Circuses of Leeds

Author: Steve Ward

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: 2021-10-31

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13:

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2018 saw the 250th anniversary of the founding of the modern circus but the Victorian era was its golden age. It was very popular in the north of England, particularly in Leeds. During the C19th there were twelve circus venues in regular use within one square mile in the city centre. There were several more in the outer city ring. To my knowledge, no other UK town or city bar London had as many venues. This is an information packed book, but for the more active reader it will uniquely explore these sites in a guided walk around the city. Each site visited will have full historical information along with interesting contemporary facts and anecdotes about the circus companies and performers who worked in them.

Pablo Fanque and the Victorian Circus
Pablo Fanque and the Victorian Circus

Author: Gareth H. H. Davies

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 9781909796324

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The life story of Pablo Fanque, or William Darby, the first black circus proprietor. His most recent fame is through the words of the Beatles song 'Being for the Benefit of Mr KIte'. Bornn in Norwich in 1810, he went on to become a nationally famous equestrian perfomer and circus owner.

The Victorian Clown
The Victorian Clown

Author: Jacky Bratton

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2006-07-27

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13: 0521816661

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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 Their previously unpublished manuscripts - James Frowde's account of his young life with the famous Henglers' circus in the 1850s and Thomas Lawrence's 1871 gag book - offer unique,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.

Beneath the Big Top
Beneath the Big Top

Author: Steve Ward

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2014-09-03

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1783030496

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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

Son of the Circus - A Victorian Story
Son of the Circus - A Victorian Story

Author: E. L. Norry

Publisher: Voices

Published: 2019-09-05

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9781407191416

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Voices: Son of the Circus - A Victorian Storyexplores the life of a young mixed-race boy, Ted, living with his mother and poorly older brother in Victorian Bradfield. When a stranger, a man the boys don't remember ever seeing before, appears in their kitchen, Ted is hit with a shocking revelation. This man is his father - the first black circus owner in Victorian Britain, Pablo Fanque. Before Ted can recover from his shock, he is sent away with Pablo to learn the tricks of the circus trade. Pablo is determined for Ted to follow in his footsteps. But can Ted adapt to this terrifying new life amongst strangers? And will he ever see his beloved mother and brother again? Fresh new voice, E. L. Norry, continues this exciting new series that explores authentic and moving accounts of the life of British immigrants throughout history. Norry shows us a fascinating and rarely seen world that's sure to hook young readers.

Artistes of Colour
Artistes of Colour

Author: Steve Ward

Publisher:

Published: 2021-02-22

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9781733971270

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We live in a society that places an increasing value in ethnic diversity and cultural identity. However, the contribution that performers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds made to the development of the circus in the nineteenth century is very often overlooked and largely forgotten. Pablo Fanque and Miss La La may be notable names of the period but there were many others besides. Using contemporary records and images, this book explores the wealth and depth of talented black and other ethnic performers, and the contribution they made to the success of the nineteenth century circus. These are iconic figures who should be drawn in from the margins of history and given the recognition they deserve.

The Palace of Curiosities
The Palace of Curiosities

Author: Rosie Garland

Publisher: HarperCollins UK

Published: 2013-03-28

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 0007492820

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A luminous and bewitching debut novel that is perfect for fans of Angela Carter. Set in Victorian London, it follows the fortunes of Eve, the Lion-Faced Girl and Abel, the Flayed Man. A magical realism delight.

The Acrobat
The Acrobat

Author: John Stewart

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-01-10

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 0786491124

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Arthur Barnes--"The 100 Somersault Man"--was the world's greatest acrobat, a legend of the circus. He toured for 23 years with the biggest companies in Britain, Europe and the United States, performing for all the crowned heads, as well as for Abraham Lincoln. This book traces his story as a bright thread of triumphs and tragedies running through the tapestry of the mid-Victorian era, a tapestry made rich by extraordinary events of the day and by the eccentric characters attracted to such a profession as the circus. We follow Barnes as he escapes the doom of the iron foundry by bounding out of the desperate slums of the East End of London at the age of 14 to become the "champion vaulter of all the world."