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 106 Collections and/or Records:
Chipperfield's Circus and Zoo Programme, 1947
Red type on white background on the front cover, inside black type on white background containing programme, 2p.p
Chipperfield's Circus and Zoo Programme, 1946
Red and green type on white background with green stripes across the top and bottom sections on the front cover, inside black type on white background containing the programme and handwritten notes on back cover, 2p.p
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.
Chipperfield's Circus Poster, c1950 - 1999
Chipperfield's elephants, cowboy round-up, Jackie Sloan, The Bratfort Troupe springboard act, performing zebras, The Four Dresslers, Bengal tigers, 10 African lions, The Caesars double perch, 20 polar and black grizzly bears, Fiery Jack and Co, John's wonderful performing dogs, The Palominos, The Royal Percheron stallions, Susan and Sidi high school act. Printed by Swinton Signcraft.
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1972
Colour illustration of woman in blue outfit with white cape and pink feather head piece and wild animals breaking through paper into the picture on a red background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white and colour photographs of performers and acts with titles and some text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1972 - 1973
Colour illustration of woman in blue outfit with white cape and pink feather head piece and wild animals breaking through paper into the picture on a red background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white and colour photographs of performers and acts with titles and some text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1964
Colour illustration of wild animals around the edges on a dark red background and blue and black type on a yellow background in the centre on the front cover, inside introduction and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text on colour and white background, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 12p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1963
Colour illustration of wild animals around the edges on a dark red background and blue and black type on a yellow background in the centre on the front cover, inside introduction and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text on colour and white background, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 12p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1959
Colour illustration of wild animals around the edges on a dark red background and blue and black type on a yellow background in the centre on the front cover, inside introduction and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text on colour and white background, insert with programme and commercial advertising, 12p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1960
Colour illustration of wild animals around the edges on a dark red background and blue and black type on a yellow background in the centre on the front cover, inside introduction and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text on colour and white background, insert with programme and commercial advertising, 12p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1962
Colour illustration of wild animals around the edges on a dark red background and blue and black type on a yellow background in the centre on the front cover, inside introduction and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text on colour and white background, programme in the centre and 2p.p insert with programme, also commercial advertising and entrance tickets, 12p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1976
Colour illustration of roaring tiger's face surrounded by clowns heads, performing elephants, lion's head polar bear, poodles and two horses, on a blue background on the front cover, inside introducion, history of the Chipperfield circus, black and white and colour photographs of performers and acts and commercial advertising, also 2 p.p insert with programme and blue and white photographs, 8p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1976
Colour illustration of roaring tiger's face surrounded by clowns heads, performing elephants, lion's head polar bear, poodles and two horses, on a blue background on the front cover, inside introducion, history of the Chipperfield circus, black and white and colour photographs of performers and acts and commercial advertising, also 2 p.p insert with programme and blue and white photographs, 8p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1975
Colour illustration of roaring tiger's face surrounded by clowns heads, performing elephants, lion's head polar bear, poodles and two horses, on a blue background on the front cover, inside introducion, history of the Chipperfield circus, black and white and colour photographs of performers and acts and commercial advertising, also 2 p.p insert with programme and blue and white photographs, 8p.p
Chipperfield's Circus programme, 1974
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Colour illustration of tiger leaping from the circus ring towards the viewer and blue curtains on front cover, inside introduction, black and white and colour photographs of performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1977
Blue and white photographs of two acts on the front cover and blue type over white background, programme inside in blue type, loose programme, souvenir booklet missing, 2p.p.
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, 1972
Blue and white illustration of woman in performing outfit with cape and feather head dress on the left hand side and wild animals around the bottom and right edges, on a white and blue background on the front cover, inside programme in blue type, 2p.p.
Chipperfield's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Souvenir booklet containing an insert programme, the booklet has a colour illustration of circus animals including roaring tigers and lions, polar bears and elephants on a red background and black and gold type on the front cover, inside colour photographs of acts and perfomers with text and commercial advertising, the programme is black type on blue paper, 9p.p.
Chipperfields Europe's Greatest Circus Poster, 1966
Poster announcing Chipperfield's move from Europe. Colour illustration of the circus being transported on a boat, with clowns, acrobats and animals including elephants, zebras, monkeys and polar bears, background blue, type multicoloured.
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.