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 1058 Collections and/or Records:
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1967
Colour photograph of clown's face with red nose and black hat on the front cover, inside introduction, report on royal visit, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1967
Colour photograph of clown's face with red nose and black hat on the front cover, inside introduction, report on royal visit, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1968
Colour illustration of elephant wearing a stripey blue and yellow apron bathing a baby elephant, which is holding an umbrella, bubbles and blue background on front cover, inside introduction, article on Billy Smart, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Photocopy of 1946 programme and a front cover and a back cover of Smart circus programme.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1969
Front cover: drawing of a mother elephant bathing her young child. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, photographs of the acts with a brief description. Back cover: advertisement. 12 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1968
Front cover: close up photo of a clown's face. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisement, photos and information about the various acts, a tribute to Billy Smart, information about circus history. Back cover: cigarette advertisement. 12 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1968
Front cover, an adult elephant washing a baby elephant, bubbles all over. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisement, photos and information about the various acts, a tribute to Billy Smart, information about circus history. Back cover: cigarette advertisement. 12 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1969
Front cover, a baby elephant wearing a small party hat looking happy. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, information and photos of the acts. Back cover: cigarette advertisement. 12 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1970
Front cover: a baby elephant wearing a small party hat looking happy. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, information and photos of the acts. Back cover: cigarette advertisement. 12 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, c1900 - 2000
Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisements, photos of the acts with a blurb, information on the regal mobile home of Mr and Mrs Billy Smart. 8 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1994
Front cover features a large harlequinn clown opening Smart's circus tent allowing circus acts to spill out into the foreground including horses, dogs and clowns. Programme has insert in the middle that lists the performers in the show.
Billy Smarts Circus Programme, c2005
New World Circus presents Billy Smarts Circus. Front cover is blue with illustration of harlequin clown and two other performers. Inside features information and photographs of the acts.
Billy Smarts Circus Programme, c2005
New World Circus presents Billy Smarts Circus. Front cover is blue with illustration of harlequin clown and two other performers. Inside features information and photographs of the acts.
Billy Smart's Circus Programme, c2008
Tony Hopking for New World Circus presents Billy Smart's Circus. Front cover is blue and features photograph of a male aerial artist hanging with silks. Programme contains information and photographs of the acts.
Billy Smart's Circus Promotional Material, 1999
Contains colour photographs of the performers and their names; timeline of Smart family circus; photographs of setting up the Big Top; black and white photographs of the Smart family; colour and black and white photographs of star guests. 8 pages.
Billy Smart's Circus Stationary, c1900 - 2000
Includes folders, envelopes and letter headed paper.
Billy Smart's Circus The Quality Show Handbill, 15 October - 7 November 1993
Front side: title, drawing of a clown face, dates, location, booking information, blue background. Back side: blank. 1 page.
Billy Smart's Circus This is My Life Poster, c1946 - 1999
Colour illustration of Billy Smart in cowboy hat holding a cigar on his right hand, wearing his signature white shirt and stripey brown waistcoat. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Watercolour by Laurence Burn, 1955
External view of Billy Smart’s Circus showing the ticket office, some transport and accommodation and a large circus tent on the background.
Billy Smart's Clapham Common Rehearsal Schedule, 1997
Business records related to the Smart family and Smart circus.