Bandwagon, August 1957

Bandwagon, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Aug), 1957. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not included. The Circus Historical Society does not guarantee the accuracy of information contained in the information in these online articles. Information should always be checked with additional sources.

The Circus In England

To write a history of the English circus is to write a history of England during the last 300 years. Kings and Queens of England from Elizabeth I to the present Elizabeth move through its pages and Chipperfield's Circus which flourishes today proudly proclaims its links with the early Tudor Queen who reigned in the seventeenth century. Chipperfield's which now travels a round four pole tent, was exhibiting trained bears at the court of the first Elizabethan Queen: bears and other animals still form a strong basis for their present day show. I have seen elephants, camels, llamas, zebras, lions, tigers, black and white bears, chimpanzees, sea-lions, horses, ponies, dogs, an ostrich and a giraffe all introduced in their ring during a single performance; many of these animals being trained and presented by the three brothers Dick, John and James. (The last mentioned brother has now left the circus.) Because of so many animal acts the programme has varied little from year to year and has now lost something of the terrific impact it made shortly after the war when from being a small tenting show largely operating in the English West Country it developed into a mighty eight pole spread of canvas, beneath which sixteen elephants performed, whilst chariot races and roman riding were held around its hippodrome track.

This show is one of the "Big Three" of English circuses, the other two being of comparatively recent origin (for England!). Bertram Mill's Circus is fairly advertised as the "Quality Show" and is noted for the meticulous quality of its appearance and its acts. Founded by the late Capt. Bertram Mills just after the First World War as an indoor Christmas circus later becoming a tenting show, new life was brought to the English circus by the introduction of improved seating, music, lighting, staffing and advertising. No longer were the tired out artists compelled to double or triple in so many acts, but performers of a quality and style not seen in England for many years were introduced to admiring audiences. Today the Mills circus is run by the two sons of its founder, Bernard and Cyril, both men of first-class education, who control the circus very efficiently as back-room boys (they never appear in the ring) and maintain the standard of the "Gentleman's Circus" as it is sometimes termed. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family patronize the Bertram Mills Circus regularly, and each year a host of dignitaries and notabilities attend the luncheon given by the brothers to innaugurate the London Christmas Circus (Olympia) Season.

The other member of our "Big Three" is Billy Smart. This fascinating character of humble origin made a lot of money with his fairground attractions during the Second World War and just after the cessation of hostilities decided to go into the circus business. With the help of his three enterprising sons Ronald, David and Billy Junior, he had the foresight to gather around him circus men of experience such as Josi Vinicky, Frank Foster, Trevor Bale and later the Coco (clown) family so that now Billy Smart's Circus can rank with the finest in the world. He now has the largest tent in England, a huge four pole construction of deep blue canvas, with one ring, and a hippodrome track upon which "Western Spectacles" are held. Mr. Smart has a real showman's appearance and will frequently lead the opening parade: his sons work in the ring and behind the scenes, and now grand-children and other members of the large Smart family may be seen in and around the sawdust ring. Each year Ronald visits America and European countries in search of new talent, and this combined with the large stable and menagerie of the Billy Smart Circus makes the programme one of a very high order.

No history of English circuses would be complete without a mention of Lord George Sanger. This self-styled nobleman was the founder of the circus which occupied the Ampitheatre in which Philip Astley devised the very first circus as we know it today. Sanger toured the British Isles with his gigantic show and was beloved by Queen and common alike. Wars and the years have reduced this once mighty show and today Lord George Sanger's Circus is a small show operating in a two-pole tent playing short stands in small towns. But it is still a good show and is kept going largely by the efforts of the Freeman family of whom the elderly Jimmy was one of the best of all the "Pimpo's" always associated with Sanger's Circus. Freddie Freeman, whom I met recently on the Ringling Circus is also a member of this talented circus clown family.

A contemporary of Lord George Sanger was "Sir" Robert Fossett and an excellent circus bearing his name, kept going by great-grandchildren Bobby, Baily and Mary still travels the roads of England. Baily is a first class trainer of wild animals in the "gentle" European style and is at present showing a group of the smaller cats (leopard, panther, puma, etc.) which is a joy to watch. Bobby shows horses: he was once one of the world's best jockey riders and still rides a stylish high school: and Mary once of the most charming of English ballerinas now exhibits dogs and keeps a careful eye on the ticket wagon. Interspersed with acts by relatives and a few good European importations this circus programme is one of the most interesting in England and constitutes a real family circus.

Cousins of the Fossett's are the Robert Brothers, sons of an earlier Ballerina Mary Fossett and they run a successful circus which features a great many animal acts. They have so many wild animal acts that in recent seasons several of their acts have been seen in continental circuses; this being something new for England as formerly a great number of cage acts were imported. The Robert Brothers are enterprising and take their circus to places little frequented by other circus routes such as the Isle of Wight and Isle of Man and this year it is rumored that they intend playing in the Orkney Islands which necessitates a rough sea trip.

Yet another Fossett circus is owned by Dennis of that name. This is a small show of uneven quality and of doubtful staying power. Somehow Dennis manages to keep going with his few animals getting film and music hall dates and each year sees this small circus (sometimes in a one-ring tent) taking the road.

Before the war Rosaine's Circus looked like being one of the biggest of our English circuses. "Count" and "Countess" Rosaine were blessed with a talented family; Dennis, high wire; Ivor, elephants; Derriek, horses; Audry, clown; Zena and Vivienne, trapeze and rings; and the Count himself a real showman. The death of the "Count" and the wars have dispersed the family: most of the boys are holding down important jobs in other circuses, and Circus Rosaine is now reduced a show which spends a season at a seaside resort and gets a few music hall engagements during the winter.

A small circus known as Cody's Circus is run by Harry Coady. This has one big elephant (only survivor of the famous Lockhart Elephant quartette), three lions, and a few horses, ponies, monkeys and dogs. Last year Mr. Coady announced his intention of retiring from the travelling circus business and put his show up for sale. There were no bidders however and Cody's Circus is still out under its original ownership and doing good business in the West Country.

There are several small circuses in England, some boasting one king pole only, but often of great interest to the true circus lover. Joe Gandey's is one of these cheerful small circuses beloved especially by the children; Luckens is another and Winship's Circus Supreme always puts on a modest but entertaining programme. A circus with special appeal is that of William Gilbert as several of the company are members of the famous Paulo family, an ancient and historic circus dynasty.

England has two permanent circus buildings, both situated in flourishing seaside resorts. Of these Blackpool is the most popular and runs a circus season of first-rate acts from spring to October each year. The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus runs a highly successful season from June through September. Both of these circuses have a ring surface which sinks to be replaced by water upon which acquatic spectacles and clown numbers are launched. A circus season is held at the Rhyl Pavilion (a theatre building) during the summer months and is highly popular.

Each Christmas, Bertram Mills Circus occupies the Grand Hall, Olympia, London, and at the same time Tom Arnold, a theatrical producer, promotes a big circus in American auditorium style at the Harringay Arena, London. Indoor circuses are held at Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and some other big cities during the Festive Season. Roberts Bros. and a few other circuses present a condensed version of their shows in the winter season.

All English circuses have one ring only. The three ring circus is intensely disliked by English audiences and artists and the only concession to the multiple circus is the track used by Billy Smarts and formerly Chipperfields.

Stands vary from three days to two or three weeks. The one day stand (excepting for the very small circus) is virtually a thing of the past. With the longer stand the circuses are able to concentrate more upon outside appearances, and most shows feature a strongly-built up front door, festoons of colored lights from king-pole to ground and an impressive line-up of tractors and trailers.

Bertram Mills' Circus is the only railroad show and even some of their personnel with their trailers move by road. The other bigger circuses send elephants, horses and "led" stock by rail. They are thus able to feature an un-official parade from the station to the circus grounds, which though the police may frown upon, are powerless to stop.

This then is an outline of the English circus of today, a circus which I am happy to say is alive and flourishing. Of necessity this article has had to be as brief as I could make it, and I trust that in the future I may be allowed to expand on the programme and the lay-out of a typical English circus.

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The Giraffe

The heart of a full grown giraffe is said to weigh about 25 pounds. To pump its blood from its heart to its brain it must be lifted around thirteen feet. The heart is 40 times as large as a human's. The neck is about eight feet long. The tongue 18 inches in length, and its front legs longer than its back legs helps it to eat foliage from 18 to 20 foot high frees. They kick with their front feet to protect themselves and are very dangerous in such an attack.

Giraffes, mountain sheep and goats can go longer without water than the proverbial camel of the desert. Gazelles, ground squirrels and mice do not drink water at all, naturalists tell us. Next to the trees the giraffes are the tallest living things on earth. Some of these beautiful, slender creatures are over nineteen feet high, and eighteen feet is not exceptional at all. The giraffe's shoulder height of twelve feet is rarely surpassed even by an elephant; and a man can actually stand upright between a giraffe's front legs.

In open country this animal can speed along at thirty-two miles an hour. But even when it comes to the bush, the tall giraffe is at no disadvantage - it does not need to slacken its speed. Instead, it swings along, swaying its head and long neck under the branches and in between the trees, without any danger of a crash.

Perhaps one of the reasons the giraffe swings along so gracefully is that when traveling it usually paces like a camel; the legs on the same side of the body move simultaneously. This produces an even, swaying motion akin to the roll of a ship riding the waves. Of course, the giraffe also walks, trots, and canters, as well as gallops.

Another trait that the giraffe has in common with the camel is that it does not show to advantage in the water. It is a poor wader, and is unable to swim. A deep river is an impassable barrier as for as the giraffe is concerned.

Dry, arid country, where the ground is packed firm and hard, is essential for the giraffe. In deep mud and swampy country it will bog down and become hopelessly mired. Even though its hoofs may measure twelve inches in length, they cannot support the huge, tall body on anything but solid ground.

Aside from being the tallest animal in the world, the giraffe comes close to being the third biggest in bulk, competing with the rhino for this honor. A large bull giraffe weighs two tons. A cow is two or three feet shorter than her mate, and weighs about twelve hundred pounds.

Almost as remarkable as the length of the giraffe's neck is the fact that it has no more bones in its neck than does a horse or a cow. The length of the neck is due entirely to the elongation of the bones - not to any extra vertebrae. The shoulders of a giraffe are of course much higher than the hindquarters.

A dangerous foe if put to the test, the giraffe can strike a smashing blow with its head, or deliver a terrific kick with its fore and hind feet. The customary lead attack is with the head.

Aside from its own kind - and, of course, man - The giraffe has only one natural enemy in Africa: the lion. Even this dangerous assailant will attack only under certain conditions. First, the big cat must be pressed by hunger. Second, a single lion would not undertake to attack a full-grown giraffe; but two or more lions have been known to kill a mature bull. Finally, lions will strike only when the giraffe is vulnerable when reaching down to drink. At such times, the giraffe has to spread the forelegs wide apart before its mouth can reach the water level.

The giraffe has a fairly long life expectancy; it has lived in captivity for twenty-eight years.

There is a popular belief that the giraffe has no vocal cords and is therefore mute. The some is thought of a number of other animals-possibly because no one has happened to be around when they were exercising their vocal powers. In any event, the giraffe is not voiceless - we do have evidence of its uttering sounds. For example, a cow giraffe will produce a low call note when her calf strays out of bounds. In at least one case, a calf giraffe, ridden down on horseback, "blared" like a steer.

When Dr. Gross, veterinarian at the New York Zoological Park, performed an autopsy on a large bull giraffe, he found only undeveloped vocal cords. Yet this animal had uttered several groans or moos before dying! We may therefore say that the giraffe posseses ineffective vocal cords, but it can make sounds without them.

Giraffes seem to have no fixed mating season. The newborn calf, which arrives fourteen or fifteen months after the mating, is a mere five and one-half feet high. An ungainly little creature, it is all neck and legs.

The above material on animals was secured at the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus in Sarasota, Fla., by the writer. Additional facts were included from Vol. 11 of The Animal Kingdom by George C. Goodwin, ass't, curator of the American Museum of Natural History. - L.M.W.

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How Do You Like Your Circus Music?

Editor's Note: This article was written by Mr. Braathen in May of 1956, as an answer to an article that appeared in another circus publication. We feel that there is a great deal of historical interest in this story, and hope you will enjoy it even if your views are different.

Firstly I want to say that circus bands do not play the some selections that other bands and orchestras play. How many circus marches or galops do you hear the U. S. Marine Bond, the U. S. Navy Band or the Goldman Band play? How many circus marches and galops did you hear the Sousa Band, the Creatore Band, The Innes Band, the Pryor Band or other big name concert bands play? For marches they played Sousa and More Sousa and generally speaking music from the eastern music catalogs.

The marches played by all of the circus bands in this country including Kelly Miller; Mills Bros.; Clyde Beatty; King Bros.; Hunt Bros.; Cristiani; and the Ringling band until the 1956 season were almost exclusively circus marches. They do not play Sousa, Pryor, Conway or other eastern composers' music. Circus bands play circus music just as ballet orchestras play ballet music for the ballet.

Many fans saw the Ringling show the season it used canned music. Many fans have seen great circus acts at the big state fairs working with a pit theater orchestra or a local amateur band. Yes, many fans have seen the circus acts practice between shows, and know that without a good circus band playing circus music they are flat and dead pan. They are like an unflavored meal.

True, circus acts and animals do not follow the music, but a good circus band director does lay out a music program that is suitable for the acts so that they work with the music.

Circus marches, galops, and novelty numbers are in a class by themselves. There is as much difference between the circus marches written by Russell Alexander, Walter P. English, Karl L. King, Frederick Alton Jewell, Merle Evans, C. E. Duble, Jack Richards, and the others as compared to those written by Sousa, Goldman, Hall and the other composers as there is between night and day, or between a circus and an ordinary movie.

Let's consider the music for a liberty horse number. If you have sawdust in your veins or circus in your blood the minute that you hear a march by King, Alexander, Jewell, English, Merle Evans, Richards or other circus composers you can sense the running of horses. Do you have a phonograph at hand? If you do, try a couple of Sousa marches. Do you sense the running of horses? Next, try one of Merle's records with "Symphonic" by Merle Evens; "Ringling Bros. Grand Entry" by Al Sweet or "Olympic Hippodrome" by Alexander. What do you find? If you have circus in your blood you cannot help but note the difference.

Let's move over to the acrobats or leapers. Try "Storming El Caney" by Alexander; "Circus Echoes" by Hughes; "Big Cage" by King; or "Con Celerita” by Richards. Then see if any standard non-circus march or other number will fit the bill. Don't the acrobats appear to work twice as fast to a circus galop? What puts the speed, the zip, and go into acrobatic acts but the galops of a good circus band?

What about the old time street parades. Listen to "Cantonions" or "Crimson Flush" by Alexander. Don't you just sense the jerking and rumble of the heavy circus band wagons? Would "Stars and Stripes", "The Thunderer" or "High School Cadets" by Sousa, "National Emblem" by Bagley, or "On the Mall" by Goldman fill the bill? For rattling the store windows and letting the people know its the circus parade can any one put his hands on better marches than "Tropic to Tropic" and "The Southerner" by Alexander; "Gentry's Triumphal", "The Screamer", "High and Mighty" or "Battle Royal" by Jewell; "Rolling Thunder", and Circus Bee" by Henry Fillmore; the old stand-by "The Billboard" by John Klohr, "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite", "The Huntress", "Ponderoso", or "Robinson's Grand Entree" by King?

For elephants what about "Royal Decree" by English or "Them Basses" by Huffine. For clowns could an ordinary band or orchestra march take the place of "Broadway One Step" by King; "Pahjamah" by Henry D. Onivas; "Bull Trombone" by Henry Fillmore; "Big Time Boogie" by Deke Moffit; "High Riden" or "Stop It". Then for the grand entry, would you bring it in like an army with a Sousa March or would you prefer "Old Glory Triumphant'' by Duble or "Pageant of Progress" by Jewell? For wild animal acts can we think of a better number than "Caravan Club" by King; or for jugglers, "Kentucky Sunrise" by King. For other fast moving acts what better than "Homestretch Galop", "Sunshine Galop", "Emporia Galop", "Majestic Galop" or Circus Days Galop", King; "Shoot The Shoots" Galop or "The Bastinado" Galop by Alexander; "Whirlwind" Galop by Jewell; or "Thunderbolt" Galop by Huffer?

Is all circus music noisy and brassy, or fast as chain lightning? Who will ever forget Lietzel? What did Merle and his band do for her? Who will forget Unus? What did the Merle Evans band do for him? From the moment Unus appeared in the ring Merle and his band would begin to build his act. Slowly and surely he moved along until Merle brought it to a climax. What about Burton on the high ladder with the blocks, performing to "A Night In June" and "Evening Shadows" by King. Are these numbers noisy and brassy? Then the beautiful flying acts with "Crimson Petal" by Jewell. Who will ever forget Dorothy Herbert and the high fire hurdle with "Post Horn" Galop? Who will ever forget the "Changing of the Guard" with pretty Kitty Clark mounted high on an elephant with "Pageant of Progress" by Jewell?

The movies, the juke boxes and the radio around the clock have their music with their pit show orchestra. The circus like the ballet has music that is unique. You just cannot create a circus program without a good circus band and a good circus band director.

No, circus bands do not use ordinary band or orchestra music. Circus bands play music for circus acts that was written by strictly circus musicians. Do you know that nearly all circus composers came out of the Barnum and Bailey band? There was Russell Alexander, Walter P. English, Karl L. King, John J. "Jack" Richards, Charles Sanglear, Frederick Alton Jewell and others. From Ringling Bros. come Al Sweet and from the Ringling Barnum band came Merle Evans, C. E. Duble, Fred Huffer and others. It is said that Sousa is the march king. Did he write more marches or better marches than our circus composer Karl L. King? Did Sousa, R. B. Hall, Arthur Pryor, Conway, Edwin Franko Goldman, or others write more or better marches than Frederick Alton Jewell, John J. Richards, Russell Alexander, Walter P. English or the other circus composers? I say no.

From the day the Ringling show hit the rails until the leaving of Merle Evans at the close of the 1955 season, the Ringling show had a great circus band under great circus band directors that played circus music all the way. The bands under Al Sweet and Jack Richards numbered up to thirty-six pieces. In 1895 the Ringling show featured the fifty piece Sig. Liberati band as a special concert feature preceeding each matinee and night performance.

You can change the circus and you can change the acts but you cannot replace a circus band with a pit orchestra and have a good circus performance.

The circus has and has had its great circus composers, and I venture to say they wrote as good music as has been written in this country. One of these days we are going to get more and more of this circus music on long play records and we are going to give the circus composers and the music they wrote the credit they and it deserves.

Right or wrong these are my views and my sentiments.

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Hagen in Baraboo in 1957

The visit of Hagen Bros. Circus to Baraboo on Wednesday, May 29, proved to be a homecoming for two members of the personnel who had trouped out of this city.

Al Dean, the steward of Hagen Bros. was an equestrian and a Roman chariot rider with the Gollmar Bros. Show from 1910 through 1916. Unfortunately the present duties prevented him from a sightseeing tour or attending the Showmen's Memorial Service. However, Al did enjoy a visit with some of the members of the Gollmar family,

Capt. Eugene Christy, the lion trainer, was with the Ringling Show in winter quarters in 1913 and recognized the animal barn in which he worked the "cats". He has appeared or visited Baraboo on a number of occasions - was with the Ayres and Kathryn Davies Show, which had its lot below the Broadway bridge - next to the river in 1948.

Shirley Lindemann Bentley recalls appearing here with her father's and uncle's Seils Sterling Circus, which exhibited in Tinkham's acres, West Baraboo, on May 31, 1947. She was a young girl then, just breaking into the "business". Her next appearance here was with the Al G. Kelly-Miller Bros. Circus which exhibited July 14, 1955, at the Sauk County Fairgrounds. Mrs. Bentley, the daughter of Pete Lindemann, the last member of Wisconsin's last show, is carrying on in the family's footsteps, and has become an accomplished aerialiste and performer and elephant trainer.

Robert and Elva Stanley, the wire walkers and educated canine act also recalled their appearance with the Seil's Sterling Circus here on May 31, 1937, and doing a subsequent vaudeville bill in the Al Ringling Theater.

Cecil Eddington, the producing clown with this show, hails from Milwaukee. He remembered coming to Baraboo with Mill's Bros. Circus about 1944.

Among the visitors to the circus here were Mrs. Walter S. Gollmar, Sr. and son, Walter of Evansville, Wis., State Senator Cliff "Tiny" Krueger or Merrill, Wis., Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Ahlberg, St. Paul, Minn. Mrs. Gollmar, a former resident of Baraboo, is the widow of Walter S. Gollmar, Sr., one of the co-owners of Gollmar Bros. Greatest of America's Shows. She is the daughter of George Hall who was an early day wagon show operator.

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Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth

By Ed Cripps. Bandwagon, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Aug), 1957, p. 7.

Forty-five years ago on the above date this great show played this city. I just received an old program and a Barnum & Bailey Magazine and Review which was discovered in an old building that was being torn down here. This old building was once part of the old Imperial Hotel. The local paper sent the above items over to me with their compliments and are a welcome addition to my collection.

The above show route as printed on it as follows: St Thomas June 11, London June 12, Woodstock June 13, Stratford June 14, Berlin now Kitchener June 16, Brantford June 17, Hamilton June 18 and Toronto June 19-20. Dog-gone it, I was only three years old at the time, I wonder if it was as hot the day it was here forty-five years ago as it was this June 17, if so it would have been a great day.

Edwin H. Brill was Bandmaster and I see that King was a member of the band suppose this was Karl King later Bandmaster of the show. Oh for the days when the circus band gave a concert before the afternoon and evening show, the last time I saw a show give a band concert was on the Cole Show in Niagara Falls in the forties. I wonder how right I am in my thinking that if say the Clyde Beatty Show or Mills, etc., would copy some of the old time circus features as shown in this program that it would be a shot in the arm for circus business, I feel it would.

What features this show had that year, The Spectacle of Cleopatra, 3 rings of elephants, 4 trapeze acts on at the same time, Riding acts by Mae Davenport, Victoria Davenport and Stella Wirth, also such riders as Fred Derrick, Orrin Davenport and Chas Siegrist wire act by Bird Millman and Flying Acts by Viennese Troupe and Six Neapolitans. The show finished up with the Grand Hippodrome Races and Chariot Races.

I know there are likely a lot of members who have a copy of this program, but I thought some of you would like to share my enjoyment of reading and picturing in my mind what a wonderful aggregation this show must have been.

My thanks go to our local paper for giving me these.

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The Adam Forepaugh and Sells Brothers Circus Official Route - Season 1898

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