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 Poster, c1990 - 1999
Derby, Thursday 13 - Sunday 23 August. Colour illustration of harlequin Clown. Poster reads ‘First Visit for 28 years’.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1900 - 2019
Colour illustration of harlequin clown. Poster Left blank for overprinting of dates. Printed by: Harbour Park Ltd
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1900 - 2019
Colour illustration of harlequin clown. Poster Left blank for overprinting of dates. Printed by: Harbour Park Ltd
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1900 - 2019
Blackpool 20 July - 8 August. Wild West Show and the Arabian Nights Review. Colour lithograph showing scenes from the Arabian nights. Printed by: W.E. Berry Ltd., Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1970 - 1971
Poster left Blank for overprinting 1970/71. Colour illustration of tigers and acts.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1959
Framed. Peterborough Agricultural Show Ground, 1 - 6 October. Colour illustration of tigers and acts. Red, yellow and green border. Printed: W.E. Berry, Ltd., Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1966 - 1967
Walton Hall Park, Liverpool 20 July - 1 August. Colour illustration of cartoon elephant in a tutu wearing a party hat. Printed by: W.E. Berry, ltd., Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1950 - 1959
Bristol, 2 - 14 June. Colour illustration of a pink elephant and grey mouse. Printed: W.E. Berry, ltd., Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1966 - 1967
Framed. Colour illustration of cartoon baby elephant wearing a tutu and a party hat with 'BOOK HERE' at the bottom. Printed: W.E. Berry, ltd., Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1994
Richmond Old Deer Park, 22 October - 20 November. Colour illustration of a clown face.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1900 - 2019
Framed. Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 23 May - 4 June. Wild West Show and the Arabian Nights Review. Special Gala Performance on May 25th in aid of Iona Appeal Trust. Colour lithograph showing Billy Smart’s bust portrait, holding a cigar on his right hand. Printed by: W.E. Berry Ltd., Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1970
Framed. Colour illustration of two tigers leaping towards the centre on the foreground, rearing horses on the left, elephants on top right, a clown’s face and a male and a female performer. Printer’s proof. Left blank for adding location and date.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1960 - 1969
Waterloo Road car park, Blackpool, 13 - 25 August. White, green and blue type on white and green background and black, white and green illustration of a woman in a kilt dancing with an elephant wearing a Scottish hat and a kilt cover.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1900 - 2000
Very large poster left blank for overprinting. Harlequin Clown illustration which features the Pepsi logo.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1971
Colour illustration of tigers leaping on the bottom section, animal tamer behind them, clown face on centre right, horse trainer with horses on centre and two elephants on top right on a red and yellow background, bottom section left blank for printing location and date. Signed by Thomas.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 27 July - 8 August 1964
Porstmouth, Southsea Common. Yellow type on blue background and blue type on white background with half of a clown face on the right hand side and a pink speech bubble on bottom section. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 18 March - 3 April 1965
Birmingham, Hay Mills. Yellow type on blue background and blue type on white background with half of a clown face on the right hand side and a pink speech bubble on bottom section. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 17 March - 2 April 1966
Birmingham, Hay Mills. Yellow type on blue background and blue type on white background with half of a clown face on the right hand side and a pink speech bubble on bottom section. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Scarborough, Burniston Road Barracks Sports Field, 5 August to 10 August. Colour illustration of baby elephant on brown background, wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood up on two legs with its head turned towards the viewer and holding a yellow sign under his right leg reading The World's Greatest Circus, Thrills, Spectacle, Beauty. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Clapham Common, South Side, 28 October to 23 November. Colour illustration of baby elephant on brown background, wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood up on two legs with its head turned towards the viewer and holding a yellow sign under his right leg reading The World's Greatest Circus, Thrills, Spectacle, Beauty. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.