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 38 Collections and/or Records:
Brian Boswell's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colouring book programme. Colour illustration of roaring lion's head and leaping tiger on a blue background and yellow and red type on the front cover, inside out line of circus performers and scenes for colouring and a loose programme page, 11p.p.
Brian Boswell's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Purple and red type on yellow background with red stars and images of past programmes on the front cover, inside introduction, colour photographs of acts and performes, a page on animal care and programme, 8p.p.
Chipperfield's Circus Scrapbook, 1949 - 1990
Scrapbook containing black and white photographs, newspaper cuttings, programmes and some items of ephemera from Chipperfield Circus and other various other circuses including Wilkie's, Bertram Mills, MikkenieJoh Pearson and Billy Smart, some pages are blank, 84p.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
Circus Hippodrome Programme, 4 December 2004 - 9 January 2005
Folding programme with poster inside. Colour illustration of laughing clown's face in orange outfit and woman in red long dress riding a white horse and colour photograph of rollercoaster ride on the background of the front cover, inside programme over blue starry background with colour photographs of acts and inside, same clown's face surrounded by colour portraits of all the circus staff.
Circus Photographic Album, 1952 - 1954
Photographic album containing black and white photographs of circus, including tents, animals, performers, transport and people from various circus including Smart, Bertram Mills, Wilkie's, Chiperfield's and Fossett's and performers including Priscilla Keys, Togare, The Corinthians and The Bakers, some images are missing, 22p.p.
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, 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.
Programmes, c1800 - 2019
A collection of mainly British and international circus programmes and some variety and music hall programmes containing circus acts.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1949 - 1971
Scrapbook of newspaper articles, black and white photographs and advertisments, many articles in Dutch, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Chipperfield's, Boswell's and Billy Smart's, 109p.p.
The Big Top Programme, c1900 - 1999
W. H. Wilkie's circus programme contining black and white photographs of the acts and the circus and short paragraphs as well as some advertising and illustrations inside, also colour illustration of a circus tent, a clown's torso on the foreground and a female aerial act on the right, 18p.p.
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.
Various Circuses' Promotional Newspapers, c1950 - 1989
Various circuses' promotional newspapers including Circus Barlay, Gleich, Amar, Pinder, Cirque Rancy, Busch, Barum, Olympia, Chipperfield and Boswell and Wilkie, containing images and text including an article on the Chinese National Circus.
Various Newspapers and Newspaper Cuttings, 1927 - 2007
W. H. Wilkie Presents the Fabulous Dancing Waters Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of woman playing a piano over a multicolour background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs on red background of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 6p.p.
W. H. Wilkie's Super Big Top Circus Programme, 1957
Colour illustration of clown's face on left hand side over a blue background and red, green and black type on yellow background on the right on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs and orange and white illustrations of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.