19th C – early 20th C Sanger’s Circus was formed in 1821. There are many snippets about the circus in the Fenwick Scrapbooks. In them Arthur Fenwick tells of the beginning of the circus with “with an old horse and little grey pony” and how George Sanger took the title of Lord so as not… [Read More]

1876 – 1957 “I shall always be interested in the wandering life.” Arthur first encountered circus, while sitting under a tree, when he met a boy who had run away from a fairground. He went down to see if he could help. So started a long life of encounters and friendships with circus and fairground… [Read More]

1877 – 1970 Dame Laura Knight was an artist who was very interested in circus. She is a Royal Academician and was part of the St Ives School and often painted children at the sea side. She was also a war artist. We found out about her through Arthur Fenwick’s scrapbooks where there are lots… [Read More]

19th C & 20th C Mr Felix Testot was a French magician and optical illusionist from the 1820’s. He was known as a real French performer and professor of recreative philosophy.  Later joined by his son, a proficient violinist and juggler, The Testots Travelled for over 20 years performing from town to town including Newcastle… [Read More]

Founded 1850 Pinder’s Circus started in 1850. Queen Victoria summonsed them to Windsor Castle but commanded that they leave the lions behind. “The Queen does not like them”. William Pinder and Sons (Tom Eddie, Billie and George) were a family well known to Fenwick. In his scrapbook in 1929 ‘Pinder” is written at the bottom… [Read More]

There are several orders of prestige for Circus’s and their shows. Some are elaborate high-end productions which attract many people including Royalty. Bertram Mills was of this order, he was known as King of the Circus (Radio Times 1938). His lavish shows were often presented at Olympia in London. Dame Laura Knight painted scenes of… [Read More]

Sale at Newcastle 1931 The animal theme has intersected with circus for years on end, as it has with other showmen’s products such as optical illusions, early cinema & tableaux vivants. Traveling with dangerous animals requires much practical knowledge, going beyond what you would expect. The cost of maintaining & controlling animals is vastly expensive…. [Read More]

1913 – 1976 Mills Brothers Circus said Koringa was from India and the “Only Female Fakir in the World”. Her billing also claimed that she was orphaned at the age of 3 and brought up by fakirs who taught her the arts of sorcery and magic, mesmerizing people and animals, walking over broken glass with… [Read More]

20th C visits Chipperfield’s Circus is a long-running English family show based on the 300-year old Chipperfield dynasty. It can be traced back to a James Chipperfield who exhibited performing animals at the Thames Frost Fair of 1684. Through the 19th century, the circus toured the whole of England, with its growing menagerie and teams of… [Read More]

Mid 20th C Yuri comes from a background of Russian circus, where his family did the ‘unsupported ladder’ act. His dad Michael was in “The Amazing Gridneffs” who were originally from Siberia and came to the UK in 1937, after 5 years in South Africa. Yuri was in Chipperfield’s Circus from 1945-49 where he used… [Read More]