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 157 Collections and/or Records:
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, 1988
Black and white photocopies of programmes.
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.
Chipperfield's Circus Ring Plan, 1954
Colour coded aerial plan of Chipperfield's circus ring, with admission prices according to location of seating.
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.
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.
Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1950 - 1999
16 elephants, Arturos on the swaying mast, The Royal Percheron stallions, African lions, The Raluy's fired from a cannon, Ranee tiger riding an elephant, The Ortons gymnasts, 18 grizzly and polar bears, Les French comedy, golden Palomino horses, Royal Bengal tigers, Miss Stella's performing sea lions, camels, llamas, zebras, John's performing poodles, 4 Dresslers. Main background red, type multicoloured on multicoloured background.
Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1950 - 1999
Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, 1955
Chipperfields Present the King's Hall Circus Programme, 24 December 1977 - 22 January 1978
King's Hall, Derby. Black and white illustration of clown, bear, elephant, horse, tiger and poodle on a red background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 4p.p
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
Circus Friends Association of Great Britain's Notes Scrapbook, 1953 - 1954
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings and photographs of The Circus Fans' Association Notes by 'Dicky Bird', 'The President' and 'The Hon Secretary', as well as articles on Billy Smart's, Chipperfield's, Rosaire's, Fossett's, Sanger's, Billy Russell's and Bertram Mills, 45p.p.
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.