Bertram Mills Circus (1920 - 1967)
Dates
- Existence: 1920 - 1967
Biography
Bertram Wagstaff Mills was born in London on August 11, 1873, the son of Halford Lewis Mills of Smarden, the proprietor of a coach building firm and funerary company.
Bertram became part of the family business as a carriage builder and only became involved in the circus through a wager in 1919 of £100 from Sir Gilbert Greenhall, a fellow coaching enthusiast, who was encouraged by R.G. Heaton, the Managing Director of Olympia to put on a first class circus after watching what was in his eyes a very disappointing show at Olympia.
Mills has originally planned to win the wager by engaging Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey to come to London for the 1920-1921 season but cancellation of the contract resulted in Mills decided to put on his own show. He rose to the challenge and the following year he presented a circus which would become an annual highlight for London audiences and introduced world class performers to the British public.
Between 1930 and 1964, and alongside his annual shows at Olympia, Bertram Mills Circus toured the country under the management of his sons Cyril and Bernard. Following the lines of excellence, production and performance standard set by the Olympia shows, according to Bertram Mills, ‘The Mills Circus will perform like professionals and live like gentlemen."
After approximately nine years of exhibiting in London, he created a tenting show which was said to have cost £40,000 to launch and £2500 to run weekly. With the crème de la crème of circus performers forming part of his touring repertoire, regional audiences thrilled to some of the leading artists of the day appearing in the specially designed German big top which travelled by their town by rail, the first British showmen to do so.
Bertram Mills’ status as an innovator and re-invigorator of the circus was heralded on both sides of the Channel. He only selected the best and most polished performers in the world and one of his major impacts as a producer was his ruthless ability to select the best five minutes of a twenty minute act. Circus historian Don Stacey lists these as part of his five principles the others being the ability to attract and convert influential people to the cause of the circus, using individual acts to promote as the star of the show with his treatment of Koringa being a case in point, and finally his ability in using publicity and marketing for the benefit of the show. As one contemporary commentator observed, 'It is not an exaggeration to say that he brought back the circus to England at a time when it seemed that it was about to quietly expire, killed by the War and mechanical entertainment'.
Mills believed in attracting and encouraging the attentions of the great and the good and following on a tradition laid out in the nineteenth century when circus was patronised greatly by the Royal Family, he aimed to make the Quality Show part of the establishment. From 1926 onwards following a visit of the then Prince of Wales to Olympia, the association between the Bertram Mills Circus and the Royal Family resulted in over sixty visits to the shows during its time in Olympia and other venues.
Bertram Mills became President of the Showmen’s Guild of Great in 1935, only the second circus showmen to hold such a position and the first and only time in its history that the position was occupied by someone not born into the business. He proved to be a successful and capable President, often travelling thousands of miles on Guild business including attending the First International Showmen’s Congress in Paris in 1937. Also this year Bertram Mills was the first circus in the world to be televised.
Mills died at the age of sixty-four of cardiac syncope and bronchial pneumonia on 16 April 1938 at his home, Pollards Wood, Chalfont St Giles, the day the tenting circus opened, at Luton, but the circus opened that evening. His death was greeted by the public and industry alike with shock as tributes to Britain’s No 1 Showman and King of the Circus appearing on the newsstands. However, the legacy he built was second to none, the principals laid down by the Quality Show with its attention to detail, model professionalism and quality of acts would be continued by both his sons and provided a template for the industry to follow.
By 1965 Bertram Mills Circus was in decline due to raising costs and the new way of competition the advent of television brought to the entertainment sector. The last winter season at Olympia was delivered by catering and hotel magnate Maxwell Joseph who leased the business for the 1966-1967 season, which will be the last one. Bertram Mills Circus closed 1967.
Found in 198 Collections and/or Records:
Bertram Mills' Circus Scrapbook, 1938 - 1939
Scrapbook relating to Bertram Mills' Circus, contains posters, advertisments, programmes, black and white photographs and newspaper cuttings, 54p.p.
Bertram Mills Circus Super Show Transparency, c1920 - 1967
Transparency, with type painted on, originally to be layered over a poster design to show possible type for poster, reading 'Bertram Mills Circus Super Show', type yellow, red, green, orange and white.
Bertram Mills Circus Supershow Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card poster design signed by Leon Chossley. Olympia Grand Hall, 18 December to 30 January. Colour painting of many circus acts including a woman riding an elephant, russian dancers, jugglers, equestrian acts, acrobats and performing dogs, as well as a man sitting on top of a lampost, a woman balancing on the moon and two astronauts with a rocket, main background red with yellow and white stars, type multicoloured.
Bertram Mills Circus Supershow Gouache, c1920 - 1967
Gouache on card poster design, signed by 'L C', probably Leon Chossley. Olympia Grand Hall, 18 December to 30 January. Colour illustration of many circus acts including a man in Indian dress, a woman riding an elephant, three horseback riders, three jugglers and three women balancing on spheres, background red with yellow and white stars and white, type multicoloured.
Bertram Mills' Circus To-Day's Programme, c1900 - 1999
Black type on light brown background containing list of acts on front and reverse.
Bertram Mills Gala Performance in Aid of World Refugee Year Programme, c1900 - 1999
Black and pink illustration of clown, ringmaster and female performer on a black background on the front cover, inside introduction, articles, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 16p.p.
Bertram Mills Great International Circus and Christmas Fair Programme, 17 December 1920 - 24 January 1921
Olympia. Colour illustration of clown in yellow outfit with black duck and star and green moon on it, holding a fishing rod, standing on a white and red chair with a white circle behind him on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, floor plan of circus and fair, black and white illustrations and photographs of scenes, performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 12p.p.
Bertram Mills International Circus and Christmas Fair Programme, 22 December 1922 - 20 January 1923
Olympia. Front cover missing, inside introduction, floor plan of circus and fair, black and white illustrations and photographs of scenes, performers and acts with text, short articles on rides and games and commercial advertising, 9p.p.
Bertram Mills International Circus and Fun Fair Programme, 20 December 1923 - 23 January 1924
Olympia. Colour illustration of woman in an orange dress standing on a black horse with a whip on her hand, over a white background on the front cover, inside introduction, floor plan of circus and fair, black and white illustrations and photographs of scenes, performers and acts with text, short articles on rides and clowns and commercial advertising, also an insert for a programme painting competition, 13p.p.
Bertram Mills International Circus and Fun Fair Programme, 18 December 1924 - 21 January 1925
Olympia. Colour illustration of boy in white, green and yellow jockey outfit standing on a white horse holding a red cap on his hand next to a clown in a circus ring with expectators on the forefront on the front cover, inside introduction, floor plan of circus and fair and road and rail maps to Olympia, black and white illustrations and photographs of scenes, performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 18p.p.
Bertram Mills Royal Circus Performance Programme, 17 December 1959
Olympia, London. White type on blue background and a circle cut out in the centre throught which a male equestrian riding a horse stainding up can be seen on the front cover, inside colour photographs of the Princess Margaret, introduction, commercial advertising, articles and programme, also insert page on Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, 28p.p.
Bertram Mills Royal Circus Performance Souvenir Programme, 18 December 1952
Olympia, London. Red, yellow and white type on blue background with Royal sheal on top section and a circle cut out in the centre throught which a clown can be seen walking the high wire on the front cover, inside colour photographs of the Queen and Prince Philip, introduction, commercial advertising, articles and programme, 54p.p.
Bertram Mills Royal Circus Performance Souvenir Programme, 1955-1956
Olympia, London, 21 December. Yellow type on marron background with Royal sheal on top section and a circle cut out in the centre throught which a female equestrian riding a horse stainding up can be seen on the front cover, inside colour photographs of the Queen and Prince Philip, introduction, commercial advertising, articles and programme, 36p.p.
Bertram Mills, The Circus that Travelled by Train. A Pictorial Celebration of ‘The Quality Show’ Film, 2007
Images from Bertram Mill’s circus from the c1920s to 1967 narrated by David Jamison published by AARDVARK.
Bertram W. Mills' Circus 10th Olympia Season Programme, 20 December 1929 - 23 January 1930
Colour illustration of three elephants and woman wearing a safari hat seating on the one in the middle on a yellow background on the front cover, bound in black leather cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs and illustrations of performers and acts with text, various articles and commercial advertising, 27p.p.
Bertram W. Mills' Circus and Menagerie Programme, Summer season 1930
Olympia, London. Colour illustration of roaring tiger riding a white horse on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction to who is who in the Bertram Mills circus, black and white photographs and illustrations of performers and act and programme in the centre, 6p.p.
Bertram W. Mills' Circus and Menagerie Programme, 1930
Photocopy of programme with note reading 'apparently the 2nd edition'.
Bertram W. Mills Circus at Olympia Poster, c1900 - 1930
London, December 21st to January 23rd. Fun fair open from noon, May Wirth, London has never seen such a show. Colour illustration in a circle in the centre, of head of white horse and woman's torso, she has a black bob and wears a red ribbon on her hair and traditional custome and white type on dark brown background.
Bertram W. Mills' Olympia Circus at the City Hall, Manchester Programme, 21 December 1929 - 18 January 1930
Colour illustration of clown in a white outfit with red trim 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 article about Astley, black and white illustrations and photographs of performers and acts with text, articles, insert photocopy of programme and commercial advertising, 14p.p.
Blackpool Tower Circus Posters, c1930 - 1990
Posters for Blackpool Tower Circus including shows by Knie's Circus, Circus Krone, Circus Schumann, Bertram Mills Circus, Robert Brothers Circus and performances by Charlie Cairoli, Doddles, Coco the Clown, The Rosaires, Lilly Yokoi, Alfred Court, Vojtek Trubka, The Great Wallendas and Mary Chipperfield among others.