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:
Tom Hopkins for New World Circus Presents Billy Smart's Circus Programme, 2004
Front cover: a large moon in the background, three clowns in the foreground, the middle clown has face paint and a colourful clown suite. Inside: programme is in the centre, description of acts with photos, commercial advertising. Back cover: night time photo of the circus tent. 8 pages.
Tom Hopkins for New World Circus Presents Billy Smarts Circus Programme, 2004
Front cover: a large moon in the background, three clowns in the foreground, the middle clown has face paint and a colourful clown suite. Inside: programme is in the centre, description of acts with photos, commercial advertising. Back cover: night time photo of the circus tent. 10 pages.
Tony Hopkins Entertainment Souvenir Programme, c1990 - 2005
Front cover features illustration of a clown in green sitting on an umbrella which is held up by the leg of a feamle performer in a pink costume. Programme contains photographs and information about the performers.
Tony Hopkins Presents Chipperfields The Classic Circus Programme, c1900 - 2000
Front cover: red background with stars and title. Inside: brief history of the Chipperfield circus, programme in the centre, photos of acts with a brief description, commercial advertisement. Back cover: red background with stars. 6 pages.
Tower Circus Centenary Souvenir Brochure Programme, 1994
Front cover: clown climbing Circus Tower with a cake that reads 1894 - 1994 in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other hand. Inside: programme in the centre, description of acts with photos. Back cover: animated Christmas tree with clowns, Santa in a rocket ship and a dinosaur. 6 pages.
Tower Circus Centenary Souvenir Brochure Programme, 1994
Front cover: clown climbing Circus Tower with a cake that reads 1894 - 1994 in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other hand. Inside: brief programme in the centre, description of acts with photos. Back cover: animated Christmas tree with clowns, Santa in a rocket ship and a dinosaur. 6 pages.
Tower World Circus Souvenir Brochure Programme, 1993
Front cover: three clowns (2 adult and 1 child) imposed on to the front of Tower World. Inside: programme in the centre, foreword, introduction by Laci Endresz, photos of acts with brief description. Back cover: Winter Fun at Tower World advertisement. 8 pages.
Trade and Advertising Material, c1900 - 1999
A range of items of promotion and advertising from a range of circus companies and performers, including artistes' photographs with act descriptions used for seeking employment in circuses and pamphlets advertising independent performances and circus companies' literature and souvenirs for public distribution and promotion including Gerry Cottle's Circus, Belle Vue, Blackpool Tower, Bertram Mills Circus, Gandey's, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Knie and many more.
Trade and Advertising Material, c1900 - 2000
Promotional material for Smart Circus and other circuses includign leaflets and brochures.
Trains Album of Photographs Number 19: Circus Trains by Charles Philip Fox Publication, 1947
Research material on the life and career of Billy Smart as well as a monograph by Bernard Wicksteed.
Tribute Luncheon to the Press, TV, Newsreel and Radio Services River Room, Savoy Hotel London, 12 December 1974
Programme and menu.
Untitled Audio Recording [MISSING], c1900 - 2000
Thought to be a 1/4 audio reel.
Untitled Film, c1900 - 2000
VHS.
Untitled Film, c1900 - 2000
VHS.
Untitled Film, 2000
VHS PAL. Note on tape reads 'Mr Sentation, no sound/ Circus with sound B&W/ Circus no sound colour/ Princess Margaret/ USA Caravans/ New World Circus no sound, colour/ staff, exterior ring etc/ Pathe Pictorial/ ring B&W horses skaters elephants/joined scraps Royal Winchester, French?? Mr and Mrs Billy Smart, Australia'. Note on case reads '0020'.
Untitled Film, 1993
VHS. Note on case reads 'Video 009'.
Untitled Film, c1900 - 2000
VHS PAL. Note on tape reads '8mm transfers, no sound, family B&W, 2nd half Circus Gala, colour, no sound'.
Untitled Film, 1993
BETACAM. Note on case reads 'SM 1 establish day, disabled toilets, heating, staff cabins and int, lorries, generators, box office and int, toilets int, wardrobe int, horses, toilets, cabins, tigers, toilets, lorries, tong, power, heaters, booking, toilets, signs, press shot, AL S1, SM1'.
Untitled Film, 1993
BETACAM. Note on case reads 'AL S1, Rushes, SM3, day establish, anchor frame, pins, electricity, reception, clowns and robot, tent shot, supports, power, exits emr, tent, power, entrance, security, robot, face paint, crowd'.
Untitled Film, 1993
BETACAM. Note on tape reads 'Blacked'. Note on case reads 'AL S1, Rushes' and 'SM Show 1'.