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Come and see the circus! A combination of artwork and photographs show children some of the things they might see in a circus, such as clowns, dancers, the juggler and acrobats. A combination of illustrations and photographs show them at work.
Examining photographs, illustrations, films and live performances, Peta Tait presents an extraordinary survey of 140 years of trapeze acts and the cultural identities that are presented by bodies in fast, physical aerial movement.
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.
“A valuable and illuminating read, shedding a lot of light on the political, economic and technological factors that have driven circus evolution” (The Circus Diaries). 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 eyewitness 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 colorful outside the ring: • Pablo Fanque, Britain’s first black circus proprietor • The...
Circuses and film are a natural pairing, and the new essays making up this volume begin the exploration of how these two forms of entertainment have often worked together to create a spectacle of onscreen alchemy. The films discussed herein are an eclectic group, ranging from early silent comedies to animated, 21st century examples, in which circuses serve as liminal or carnivalesque spaces wherein characters--and by extension audience members--can confront issues as far-reaching as labor relations, sensuality, identity, ethics, and more. The circus as discussed in these essays encompasses the big top, the midway, the sideshow and the freak show; it becomes backdrop, character, catalyst and setting; and it is welcoming, malicious or terrifying. Circus performers are family, friends, foe or all of the above. And film is the medium that brings it all together. This volume starts the conversation about how circuses and film can combine to form productive, exciting spaces where almost anything can happen.
Readers are taken under the big top and learn great tricks of the circus. This title is filled with activities such as face painting, fortune telling, and juggling and will keep readers and their audience entertained for hours. This is a great addition for those looking to explore performance art and creativity.
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Billy Smart was a successful fairground showman who began his New World Circus in 1946. It grew rapidly and became Britain's largest travelling show complete with over 100 animals and top circus acts from all over the world. This book contains a unique collection of photographs from archives and individual collections.