Chipperfield's Circus (Established c1800)
Dates
- Existence: Established c1800
Biography
Chipperfield's Circus has its roots in the Thames Frost Fair of 1684, where James Chipperfield started to show performing animals. The tradition of working with wild animals has been the signature of the Chipperfield family ever since.
The tradition of dipping in and out of the fairground continued with James William Chipperfield Sr. (1775-1866), who worked as a bootmaker and theatre costume maker during the winter, and travelled the fairs during the summer with his performing animal shows.
Over the following decades, the family grew and the business expanded exponentially as the small fairground shows evolved into a circus. By the nineteenth century, Chipperfield Circus had become one of the best-known circuses in England and was touring widely with a menagerie of animals and teams of acrobats, clowns and animal trainers generated by the family. By the end of the Second World War, they could boast of having one of the largest circus in Europe.
Chipperfield’s Circus reached its peak of fame in the mid twentieth century, when siblings James ‘Jimmy’ (1912–1990), Richard ‘Dick’ (1875-1959), Marjorie (1916-1975) and John (1875-1978) became joined proprietors of the business.
In the 1960s led by Jimmy Chipperfield, the business expanded into drive through safari parks. They opened Longleat Safari Park in 1966, Windsor Safari Park in 1969 and Lambton Lion Park in 1972. In 1970 they helped start the Woburn Safari Park and in 1971 Blair Drummond Safari Park, and they also helped open Knowsley Safari Park. At the same time they provided and trained pets and circus animals for Hollywood movies.
Chipperfield Circus, stopped touring in 1990, only to return in 2010 as Charles Chipperfield Circus, an all human show, led by Charles Chipperfield, seventh generation of the family. Other members of the Chipperfield family have continued working for other circuses in the UK, Europe, South Africa and America.
Found in 28 Collections and/or Records:
British Circus and Variety Programmes, 1949 - 1970
Chipperfield Circus Posters, c1950 - 1999
Chipperfield Circus posters including Chipperfield Circus, Chipperfield Brothers Circus, Sally Chipperfield's Circus, Circus Spectacular, Chipperfields Europe's Greatest Circus, Chipperfield's Bingley Hall Xmas Circus, Mary Chipperfield's Circus and Jimmy Chipperfield's Circus among others.
Chipperfield Circus Programmes, c1900 - 1999
Chipperfield Circus programmes including Chipperfield Brothers Circus and Sally Chipperfield Circus
Chipperfield's Christmas Circus Programme, 19 November 1976
Thames Television invitation ticket admit one, David Hamilton Ringmaster, Mary Chipperfield and her elephants, poodles, monkeys and tigers, Los Alamos Wild West show, Herculeans Moustachioed strongmen, Bubi Ernesto and company clowns, Dick Chipperfield with panthers and leopards, Brucksons balance act, The Leotaris trapeze act. Contains tiger illustration, 4p.p.
Chipperfield's Circus Film, 1980 - 1992
Chipperfield's Circus Poster, c1950 - 1999
17 to 19 July. The Four Dressiers, The Royal Bengal tigers, The Five Caesars double perch act, black grizzly and polar bears, The Percheron stallions, Susan and Sidi high school act, The Cowboy round-up, Fiery Jack and Co, Chipperfield's zebras, The Golden Palomino horses, Bradfort Springboard Troupe, canine capers, Jackie Sloan, Los Argentinos, Chipperfield's elephantasia.
Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, 1954
Miss Stella's sea lions, 16 elephants, Roman chariot racing, Ranee the only tiger to ride an elephant, 70 horses, The Raluy's fired from a canon, 18 grizzly and polar bears, The Dorchesters cowboy riders, The Cutanos aerial acrobats, giraffe, camels, llamas, zebras, Les French comedy, 12 African lions, high school act, The Domis wirewalkers, John's performing poodles, 3 Henris trapeze act. Colour illustration of chariot racers, type and background multicoloured.
Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1950 - 1999
Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, 1955
Christopher Palmer Collection
Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.
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
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Family La Bonche Project Collection
Posters, a book, a postcard, project newspaper and 3 promotional handbills.
Films, 1927 - 2007
Compilation of circus films showing acts on the ring as well as interviews with performers and proprietors, mainly produced by tv companies in the UK and Europe. Many of them narrated in German.
Handbills, 2013
Handbills related to the Arthur Fenwick collection, Chipperfield Circus and Circus Central.
Jimmy Chipperfield's Circus World Programme, 1979
Margaret Chipperfield and animals, Carl Fischer Junior wild animal trainer, Rochelle Flyers trapeze, Noe-Noe and Gary clowns, Brenda Larenty wire walker. Contains photos, 12p.p
Jimmy Chipperfield's Circus World Programme, 1979
Mary Chipperfield and animals, Margaret Chipperfield and animals, Rochelle Flyers trapeze, Noe-Noe and Gary clowns, Brenda Larenty wire walker, Carl Fischer Junior wild animal trainer and others. Contains photos, 12p.p.
Les Cirque Programme, 1 - 31 March 1974
William Voss presents Chipperfield lions, Miss Andrey Duval and her dogs, Les 4 Victoria balancing act, Les Ritcher tumblers, Li Shuang highwire, Desiree Rech chimpanzees, Little John equilibrist and others. Contains photos, 8p.p.
Newspaper and Magazine Cuttings on Circus, 1897 - 2005
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.