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 New World Circus and Zoo Poster, 20 December 1954 - 22 January 1955
Birmingham, Bingley Hall. Colour illustration of wild animals running on grass including elephants, lions, bears, polar bears, camels, llamas and cebras in a circle on the centre of the poster. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus and Zoo Poster, 3 - 4 June 1955
Cheltenham, Sandford Park. Colour illustration in a circle in the centre of the poster of dancing elephant wearing a pink tutu and woman also wearing a pink tutu in a circus ring. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus and Zoo Poster, 3 - 8 September 1956
Preston, Queens Road site. Colour illustration of dancing elephant and woman both wearing a hula skirt and flower necklace, in a circus ring. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus and Zoo Poster, 25 - 30 March 1957
Dewsbury, the Feast Ground. Tagora the human volcano. Colour illustration of bare chested man wearing a turbant and spiting fire and a large face of man wearing a turbant on top left, over a red and blue background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Poster, c1900 - 2019
Billy Smart’s New World Circus Poster, 1952
Framed. Poster reads ‘Just arrived, 10 baby elephants’.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Poster, 7 - 26 November 1955
Birmingham, Perry Bar stadium car park. Colour illustration of circus parade seen from behind heading towards a blue circus tent on a field. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Poster, 15 October - 3 November 1956
Manchester, Platt Fields. Eight Flying Croneras. Colour illustration of trapezee act showing eight artistes performing in mid-air ona blue and pink background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1947
Southsea Common, Western Parade. Colour illustration of cowboy clown in the centre, equestrian acts and clowning on top section and caged animals on bottom section over a dark blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of patrons, owners, performers and acts and programme in the centre, 5p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, Christmas 1947
Gaumont State, Kilburn. Red outline illustrations of circus acts including a clown playing a drum, horses, elephants, a caged tiger and clowns on a blue background on the front cover, inside programme in blue and red type on a white background with red illustrations around the edges and blue and white photographs of Billy Smart and Lord Morrison on the back cover, 2p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1962
Colour illustration of show girl in green outfit and large feather head dress standing on an elephant's leg while the elephant is balancing on a circus platform on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1961
Colour illustration of show girl in green outfit and large feather head dress standing on an elephant's leg while the elephant is balancing on a circus platform on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1964
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1966
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, 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 New World Circus Programme, 1965
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, 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 New World Circus Programme, 1964 - 1965
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, inside introduction, report on royal visit, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1965
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, 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 New World Circus Programme, 1966
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, 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 New World Circus Programme, 1964
Colour illustration of pink elephant wearing a pointy hat and seating on a circus platform and a tamer in a red, gold and black outfit holding a whip on a blue background on the front page, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 14p.p.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Programme, 1966
Colour illustration of show girl in green outfit and large feather head dress standing on an elephant's leg while the elephant is balancing on a circus platform on a blue background 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, 6p.p