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:
Ringling Bros Barnmun & Bailey Handbill, 25 January - 29 January 1961
Front side: title, drawing of a clown, 'The Greatest Show on Earth' logo, dates and times. Back side: blank. 1 page.
Rod Spooner Collection
The collection includes photographs taken by Jack Mellor and includes images of fairground rides, sideshows and traction engines. There are copies of Rod Spooner's photographs of South and Midland Fairs from 1952-1953. Also included is a cassette recording of an interview With Kay Smart and other showmen/women.
Ronnie Smart's Notes for European Tour, 1954
Business records related to the Smart family and Smart circus.
Route Sheets and 6 Route Cards for Billy Smart's Circus, c1960 - 1969
Various items of ephemera.
Rowland Scott Collection
Photographs related to all aspects of British travelling fairgrounds including; rides, transport, living wagons, showpeople, fairground shows, circuses and organs by Rowland Scott and other authors, a selection of manuscripts by Rowland Scott and a small amount of correspondence.
Royal Gala Performance Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 1964
Colour illustration of people on the front cover, inside programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 42p.p
Royal Windsor Big Top Programme, 1977
Held on 28 May 1977 at Home Park, Windsor and was attended by The Queen and Prince Philip.
Royal Windsor Big Top Show Programme, 28 May 1977
Home Park, Windsor. Black and white illustration of Wombwell's tent with elephant walking out and people around on top section and silver and white type on blue background on the front cover, inside Black and white photographs of the Queen, famous personalities and circus performers, articles and commercial advertising, 22p.p.
Royal Windsor Safari Park Promotional Material, c1900 - 2000
Contains information about the park and the various animals; a map; colour and black and white photographs of the animals. 16 pages.
Saturday Night Out Scripts, 1 December 1956
From behind the scenes of Billy Smart’s Circus Winter Headquarters at Winkfield Zoo, near Windsor.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1950 - 1953
Scrapbook of posters, newspaper cuttings, advertisments and black and white photographs, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Blackpool Tower, Chipperfield's, Billy Smarts, John Duffy and Sons and Belle Vue, 82p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1952 - 1954
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings and black and white photographs, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Moscow State Circus, Bertram Mills, Billy Smarts, Harringay Circus, 37p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1936 - 1975
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Rosaire's, Bertram Mills and Billy Smart, 98p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, c1900 - 1999
Scrapbook of black and white photographs and newspaper cuttings, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Bertram Mills, Billy Smarts, Knie and Chipperfields, 52p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, c1900 - 1999
Scrapbook of black and white photographs and newspaper cuttings, relating to multiple circus and acts including Chipperfield's, Billy Smarts and Belle Vue, 56p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1949 - 1960
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, black and white photographs and advertisments, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Belle Vue, Billy Smart's, Bertram Mill's, Rosaire's, 61p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1949 - 1971
Scrapbook of newspaper articles, black and white photographs and advertisments, many articles in Dutch, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Chipperfield's, Boswell's and Billy Smart's, 109p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1963 - 1978
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, photographs, advertisments and correspondance, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Belle Vue, Cottle and Austen and Billy Smart's, 196p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, 1934 - 1952
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Chipperfield's, Blackpool Tower, Billy Smart's and Bertram Mills, 202p.p.
Scrapbook of Multiple Circuses, c1900 - 1999
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings and photographs, relating to multiple circuses and acts including George Wombwell, Lord George Sanger, Billy Smart and Bertram Mills, 102p.p.