Boswell's Circus (1882 - 2015)
Dates
- Existence: 1882 - 2015
Biography
Boswell’s Circus was the most successful and celebrated circus in South Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The Boswell Circus originate with James Boswell, a West Yorkshire clown, equilibrist and animal trainer born on 4 January 1826. By the time James was seventeen years old he was performing at Astley’s Amphitheatre, one of the best regarded circus venues in England.
James married Rebecca Cooke, from the famous Cooke circus dynasty and they had three children, James Clements aka J.C., Harry and Ellen Clara aka Nellie. All of them trained as equestrians and joined the circus when they were old enough, working with some of the most prestigious companies in Britain and regularly touring around the UK and Europe.
The Boswells established their own circus in 1882 in Lynn Street, West Hartlepool. They divided their appearances between the permanent buildings in the winter season and the travelling shows in the summer, which they took to cities and towns around Yorkshire and Lancashire. During the following decade, the business expanded and in 1890 they opened their second permanent circus building in Oxford. They also created their own programme of stage performances, specially designed for music halls and theatres called Boswell’s Stage Circus, which they travelled throughout the United Kingdom.
Boswell Circus first adventured into South Africa in 1911 for a tour of eight months. The Boswell circus by this time was under the management of James Clement Boswell, who saw great potential for the family business to flourish in the new continent and decided to set roots. The Boswells established their first circus in South Africa in 1913 called Boswell’s Royal Hippodrome and Circus Company, later to be known as Boswell Brothers Circus and Menagerie and finally Boswell’s Circus.
Defying the apartheid laws, Boswell Circus created one of the first shows to allow racially mixed audiences in South Africa and offer entertainment on Sundays.
Boswell’s Circus prospered and expanded over the years surviving both world wars and the great depression.
In 1954 a new circus arrived from England led by Wilma and Walter Wilkie, W.H. Wilkie’s Great Continental Circus. Boswell’s started to feel the competition and by 1963 the entirety of the business had been sold to The African Consolidated Theatres company who had been acquiring shares over the years. The African Consolidated Theatres reached an agreement with Wilkie to amalgamate both circuses into Boswell and Willkie Circus.
Boswell and Wilkie operated during the second half of the twentieth century touring around Africa and the UK with increasingly declining success. They stopped travelling in 2001 but continued to operate for corporate and private functions until 2015 when the business folded permanently.
Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:
American and International Circus Programmes, c1950 - 1959
American and international circus programmes including Circo Americano, Boswell-Wilkie, Oklahoma State Fair, Cole Bros Circus, Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. and Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, all contain photographs of the acts and descriptions. In various languages.
Argyle Theatre Collection
This collection contains a large number of posters as well as business records including records of artist bookings, accounts, scrapbooks, contracts and correspondence.
Boswell Bros. Circus Programme, 1952 - 1953
Colour illustration of trapeze act in mid air over a yellow and pink background, small clown holding a white circle with a roaring lion's head in the centre on bottom left, on the front cover, inside introduction, black, green and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p.
Boswell Wilkie Circus and Programmes of Circus in South Africa, c1900 - 2005
Programmes for South African circus Boswell and Wilkie.
Boswell Wilkie Circus Programme, 1971 - 1972
Colour illustration of a man in a brown trunks and a woman in a bikini and pink feathers hanging from a rope and trapeze acts on the background, over blue and white, on front cover, inside introduction, colour photographs of performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Boswell-Wilkie Circus Programme, c1960 - 1969
Colour illustration of female aerial act in yellow bikini with pink stars hanging from a rope in the centre, over a circus ring with two elephants and clowns on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers on yellow background, with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Boswell's Circus Programme, 1954
Colour illustration of clown face on bottom left and small circus ring with polar bear jumping through a hoop and animal trainer, trapeze act and woman seating on edge of ring on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Circus Friends Association Collection
This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses
Digger Pugh Collection
Archive of the Digger Pugh family including newspaper cuttings, photographs, negatives, business records, programmes, research material, posters and films.
Newspaper Cuttings and Scapbooks, 1838 - 2007
A collection of newspaper cuttings on circus, circus proprietors and performers and scrapbooks containing newspaper cuttings, posters, programmes and other items of ephemera, covering mainly British circuses and venues such as Belle Vue and also some international circuses.
Posters, c1880 - 1940
Large collection of Argyle Theatre posters.
Programmes, c1800 - 2019
A collection of mainly British and international circus programmes and some variety and music hall programmes containing circus acts.
Programmes, 1949 - 1970
Programmes from British, European and American circuses and some variety venues in the United Kingdom, in various languages. Also includes a Boswell-Wilkie Circus programme from South Africa.
Trade and Advertising Material, c1900 - 1999
A range of items of promotion and advertising from a range of circus companies and performers, including artistes' photographs with act descriptions used for seeking employment in circuses and pamphlets advertising independent performances and circus companies' literature and souvenirs for public distribution and promotion including Gerry Cottle's Circus, Belle Vue, Blackpool Tower, Bertram Mills Circus, Gandey's, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Knie and many more.