Circus Friends Association of Great Britain (Established 1934)
Biography
The CFA, formerly known as the Circus Fans Association was stablished on Saturday 20th January 1934 in the ring of Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia, London by a group of enthusiasts. The CFA’s purpose remains the same as in its conception; to stimulate, foster and promote enthusiasm for circus and related performances as part of British culture.
During 1934, the pattern for CFA activities was established, with the formation of the library, the publication of The Sawdust Ring magazine and the first rallies, including ones to the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth and Blackpool Tower. The annual subscription at the time was one guinea for residents in a radius of 60 miles from London 'as defined by Automobile Association handbook', and half a guinea for those residing outside that area, in the provinces. 'For residents in the Colonies and foreign counties' the subscription was 7/6.
The first President of the CFA was Lady Eleanor Smith (1902-1945), the eldest child of the politician F. E. Smith. Lady Eleanor Smith was an author, a society reporter and cinema reviewer and worked as a publicist for circus companies.
Other notable presidents were; Dame Laura Knight (1877-1970), the most celebrated British impressionist female artist of all time and the first woman to ever be elected to the Royal Academy. The actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke (1893-1964), wine merchant and philanthropist Sir Walter Gilbey (1831-1914), theatrical manager and empresario Sir Charles B. Cochran (1872-1951), Sir William Savory (1882-1961), author Antony Hippisley Coxe and Commander W. J. Gerard.
The first five years of the CFA saw the firm establishment of the Association its activity, although it was active by Alfred 'Dickey' Bird. The post-war years were difficult but the CFA continued operating with the same aims and ambitions.
The library was started in 1937, as a gift of 30 books from A.C. McLachlan. Others titles were acquired by purchase or donation. It contains books on virtually every aspect of circus life from individual acts, to acts of Parliament, from erecting a Big Top, to the logistics of transporting circuses, works of fiction, photography and juvenile literature all of which help to create a greater understanding of the many contrasts in circus life; of the romance, tragedy, spectacle and hardships.
Notable authors who have contributed to the myth and legend of circus include Lady Eleanor Smith, who in 1945, donated all her circus books to the CFA, Ruth Manning-Sanders and Courtney Ryley Cooper, an American writer who, after having first joined a circus aged 16, went on to write crime books and ghost-wrote articles under J. Edgar Hoover’s name in the 1930s.
After the war lists of holdings were printed and distributed to members, who could borrow a book at a time by post. By the mid 1970s, the ‘Library Catalogue’ listed 525 books and a ‘Circusiana’ section was created for valuable books, for reference only.
The CFA continues maintaining the collection, ensuring its growth and establishing it as the primary, national collection of books on circus.
The CFA has also amassed one of the most fascinating and important collection of circus related material in the United Kingdom expanding over 200 years. This material has supported research and literature produced by its members over the years and has ensured that an important part of British circus history will be available for future generations of researchers and enthusiasts.
The association has always welcomed enthusiasts and circus artistes to it’s membership and has always produced a regular publication giving news, reviews and articles on circus artistes and personalities and reviews of British and foreign circuses. The current quarterly magazine King Pole, named after the masts, which support a circus tent, is regarded as one of the leading circus periodicals in the world.
The CFA continues to organise visits, formerly called rallies, for the members, to UK circuses and recognises the achievements of those involved in circus with special awards.
After almost 85 years in existence the CFA continues to flourish with membership being maintained in the region of 500 comprising both British and subscribers from abroad.
Found in 1288 Collections and/or Records:
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Gouache, 1950
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card, poster design. Circus at Olympia, 18th December to 1st February. Colour illustration of two clowns, one in green holding the truck of an elephant, the other in red answering a telephone, background blue and pink, type multicoloured.
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card, poster design signed by 'L C', probably Leon Chossley. Circus at Olympia Grand Hall, 17th December to 1st February. Colour illustration of many circus acts including elephants, two chimpanzees, on on stilts, one on a top horse, horses, six performing poodles led by a woman in a pink dress, acrobats and a clown, background image of circus ring with night sky above, type yellow and white.
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Gouache, 1962 - 1963
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Gouache, 1966
Gouache on card, paper covering on top poster design. Colour illustration of a leaping acrobat and a single white star, type white, yellow and orange, background blue, 17 December to 29 January.
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card, with type and illustrations glued on seperately, poster design. Olympia Grand Hall, 18 December to 30 January. Colour illustrations of a poodle, a clown and an elephant, background red and blue, type yellow, black and white.
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card poster design. Colour illustration of a man carrying a cheetah on his shoulders and three orange tigers, background blue and red, type yellow and white, 19 December to 31 January.
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card, paper cover on top, poster design. 17 December to 29 January, featuring Kossmayers unrideable Mule. Colour illustration of a man being kicked by a donkey, background red and turquoise, type multicoloured.
Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Transparency, c1920 - 1967
Transparency, with paper type glued on, originally to be layered over a poster design to show possible type for poster, reading 'Bertram Mills Circus and Fun Fair Olympia Grand Hall', type yellow and white. Signed by 'L C', probably Leon Chossley.
Bertram Mills' Circus and Menagerie from Olympia Programme, 1934
Colour artist illustration of laughing Pierrot on a blue and white background with artist signature by Gilbert Holiday on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus and Menagerie Programme, 1932
Olympia, London. Colour illustration of tiger leaping over a man in traditional Inidan outfit on the foreground and other tigers on the background over blue on the front cover, inside introduction to who is who in Bertram Mills circus, black and white photographs of performers and acts, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus and Menagerie Programme, 10 - 14 April 1936
Chelmsford. Black and yellow illustration of cartoon clown's head on top right and black type on yellow background.
Bertram Mills' Circus and Menagerie Programme, 1931
Olympia, London. Colour illustration of tiger riding a white horse on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction to who is who in Bertram Mills circus, black and white photographs of performers and acts, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on panel painting of four elephants seating on platforms and a handler with his arms raised on brown background.
Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia Programme, 22 December 1932 - 25 January 1933
Black and white illustration of Queen Victoria at Olympia watching the circus on decorative cover, inside artist illustration of clown's torso on a blue and red grainy background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs and illustrations of performers and acts, insert programme in the centre with road map, various articles and commercial advertising. Printed by Fleetway Press Ltd, 30p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia Programme, 21 December 1933 - 25 January 1934
Black and white photograph of lion's head on decorative cover, inside artist illustration of female equestrian act standing on a white horse with a white face clown behind in a circus ring on the front cover, inside introduction, black white photographs of performers and acts, cartoons of circus acts with articles and commercial advertising. Printed by Fleetway Press Ltd, 32p.p
Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia Programme, 21 December 1933 - 25 January 1934
Artist colour illustration of female equestrian act standing on a white horse with a white face clown behind in a circus ring on the front cover, inside introduction, black white photographs of performers and acts, cartoons of circus acts with articles and commercial advertising. Printed by Fleetway Press Ltd, 28p.p
Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia Programme, 1934 - 1935
Black and white illustration of horses performing on front cover and equestrian and equilibrist acts back cover, on decorative cover, inside black and white portraits of Bertram Mills, The Earl of Lonsdale and The Lord Daresbury on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs and illustrations of performers and acts, section covering who is who of Bertram Mills circus and commercial advertising,. Printed by Fleetwood Press Ltd, 30p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus at Olympia Programme, Monday 21 December 1925 - Saturday 23 January 1926
Decorative cover containing a colour illustration of Mr Ducrow as the Courier of St. Petersburgh on card on the front cover and programme inside clown in a white outfit with red border ruffles holding a tray full of miniature lions and two black and white horses galloping underneath on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white illustrations and photographs of scenes, performers and acts with text and articles and commercial advertising, 24p.p.