Billy Smart's Circus (c1946 - 2006)
Biography
Billly Smart's Circus was established by William 'Billy' Smart (1894-1966). Billy came from a fairground family from London with an interest in horses and circuses. In 1946 Billy came across Cody's Circus and bought the big top.
Billy Smart's New World Circus made its debut at Southall Park, Middlesex, on 5 April 1946, for the first full season after the end of the war. Initially, Billy run his circus in conjunction with his fun fair, which was being run by his children, but by 1952 the fun fair, which was overshadowed by the circus, disappeared. The success of the circus side of the business however continued to increase and in 1955, Billy Smart's Circus grew from its two-pole tentto a 6,000 seat, four-pole round big top with a hippodrome track around the ring, and a vast entrance tent, thus enabling the staging of spectacular parades, which became a Billy Smart's Circus trademark.
Billy's greatest innovation, however, was his relationship with the newly established television networks when he agreed to broadcast his circus live on the BBC in 1947. Over the years, Billy Smart's Christmas Spectacular became a BBC holiday tradition, which ITV took over in 1979 and carried on until 1982. The BBC's first-ever colour broadcast was a 'Tribute to Billy Smart', while Royal Performances took place in London, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
A large part of the success of the circus was the showmanship that Billy brought to the operation of the circus, the large family he could draw upon to run the shows and his ability as a showman to market and capture opportunities to advertise. Whilst other circus proprietors were threatened by the rise in popularity of television and shunned the cameras, Billy Smart embraced them. Smart's Circus grew to be one of the largest in the world, touring every part of the British Isles, and with permanent quarters and an associated zoo at Winkfield, Berkshire, not far from where Smart began his fairground career. His success took the circus through twenty-six tenting tours, winter seasons, frequent TV appearances and the provision of animal acts to other circuses.
Billy died in his caravan on 25 September 1966 and the circus passed onto his sons Ronnie, David and Billy Jr. who continued travelling Billy Smart's New World Circus until around 1971.
In the 1990s Ronnie and his sons Gary and Lord revived the Smart Circus and started to tour a smaller scale version of the original circus. However, the Smart Circus was never the same after the dead of Billy and soon after, the Smart name was rented out to other circus operators until it stopped operating in the early 2000s.
Found in 1050 Collections and/or Records:
2 Black and White Negatives of Billy Smart, Hand Written Notes, Typescript Note 'Circus Days Gone By', 1993
Various items of ephemera.
2 Colour Photos, Pen and Ink poster Designs, Black and White Transparencies and Colour Proof Prints, 2002
Works of art collected by the Smart family.
17E Festival du Cirque International Monte-Carlo Programme, 1993
Front cover: cartoon clown and cartoon tiger. Inside: programmes for the various days of the festival, pictures of the acts, commercial advertisement, index of names. Back cover: cigarette advertisement . 24 pages.
17e Festival International du Cirque Poster, 1993
Monte Carlo, 28 January - 4 February 1993. Colour illustration of leaping tiger on a black circle background and clown's torson on top left over a red background and green, blue and black type.
17e Festival International du Cirque Poster, 1993
Monte Carlo, 28 January - 4 February 1993. Colour illustration of leaping tiger on a black circle background and clown's torson on top left over a red background and green, blue and black type, some text along the bottom edge.
18E Festival du Cirque International Monte Carlo Programme, 1994
Front cover: drawing of a female circus performer riding a white horse. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, information about the festival and the acts. Back cover: advertising. 22 pages.
19E Festival du Cirque International Monte Carlo Programme, 1995
Front cover: drawing of a circus clown blowing a tuba and two white horses. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, information about the festival and the acts. Back cover: commercial advertising. 22 pages.
19E Festival du Cirque International Monte Carlo Programme, 1995
Front cover: drawing of a circus clown blowing a tuba and two white horses. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, information about the festival and the acts. Back cover: advertisement. 22 pages.
20E Anniversaire Festival du International Cirque Monte Carlo Programme, 1996
Programme for circus run 1 - 8 February 1996. Front cover features large text and a sketch of a clown head. Includes a handwritten note of name of circus performers on a separate document.
30' - 15' - 5' - Overtures + Halftime Audio Recording, 1992
Audio casette tape sent from V. M. Mason & Co. Sticker on the original envelope stated 'Richard O'Sullivan Tapes Story Smart'. Audio recordings of 30 minute, 15 minute and 5 minute staff and act calls which would be broadcast to circus staff and acts ready for their performances. Also includes audio recording announcing a half time 15 minute interval which would be broadcast to audience members. Audio recording created for the 1992 run.
A Harold Fielding Concert Programme, 26 July 1959
Front page: blue background with a white spiral and the title. Inside: programme, information on Shirley Bassey and Kenny Baker. Back page: information on Ronnie Carroll and Ronald Chesney. 2 pages.
Alaskan Dogs Film, c1980 - 2000
VHS. Label reads Sally Chipperfield's Eskimo Dogs presented by Alixia.
Ancienne Belgique Programme, 26 March 1949
Front page: picture of Gaston Ouvrard, the comic. Inside: pictures of acts and information. Back page: picture of an act. 2 page.
Anna Carter, Steam Fair Film, c1900 - 2000
VHS. Media Nations Inc. Ltd.
Annotated Contract with Comments in Red Ink, 27 April 1993
Business records related to the Smart family and Smart circus.
Apollo Theater Dusseldorf Programme, c1950
Front cover: drawing of the outside of the Apollo theatre. Inside: programme in the center, commercial advertisement, information on the shows and future shows. Back cover: advertisement. 8 pages.
Appointment Certificate to Mrs Kay Smart for Being Initiated as a Grand Knight of the Horse Rangers Association, 6 February 1973
Various items of ephemera.
Argus Miniature Catalogue of Circus Miniature Vehicles, 1997
Catalogue of miniature circus vehicles available to purchase.
Artiste Contracts Between Billy Smart's Circus Limited and Various Artists, 1977 - 1982
Business records related to the Smart family and Smart circus.
Arundel Circus Poster, c1900 - 2019
Evening Argus, Arundel Circus back on the move pictures. White type on red background around the border and black type on white background in the center.