Lord George Sanger Circus (Established c1880)
Dates
- Existence: Established c1880
Biography
Lord George Sanger Circus was founded by George Sanger after disolving his business partnership with his brother John Sanger.
George and John were the founders of the Sanger Allied Circus in 1854, which they operated with a few family members and friends. The business grew from strength to strength and by 1858 Sanger’s circus could boast of presenting the largest stud of horses ever seen in the European continent. By the 1860s the Sanger emporium owned ten permanent circuses between Plymouth and Aberdeen.
The Sanger brother’s acquired two of the most famous and reputable circus venues in London; the Royal Agricultural Hall at Islington in 1870 and Astley’s New Royal Amphitheatre in 1871.
George and John eventually decided to go their separate ways and split their various business ventures amicably.
During his career as a circus proprietor George Sanger presented two Royal performances before Queen Victoria, the first at Sandringham on 8 January 1885 and the second at Balmoral Castle on 17 June 1898.
George Sanger was a respected member of the showland community and although he spent most of his later life in the circus, he maintained a strong link to his fairground roots and was elected the first President of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain in 1890, a post he held until 1909.
George Sanger was murdered on 28 November 1911, at Park Farm by one of his employees for unknown reasons. His circus and effects were auctioned off by showman Tom Norman aka ‘The Silver King’.
Found in 112 Collections and/or Records:
America’s Wonderland Film, 1992 - 1993
Circusama, Yesterdays Circus Today. 8mm. Silent, in colour. Various scenes filmed by by Noel Drewe. Includes Sangers Bullfight posters, Old Town Hall, Zig Zag the Juggler, Ben Lester the Clown, a High Tension High Wire Act, Gapebridge Park 1993, Sealed Knot at Gapebridge Park, Horse Show at Brirns Camp Gaddesden, Robert Brothers poster, Rialto poster, circus variety poster, Leo the Lion's Circus Adventure, Jarmins Fields 1992, and possibly Princess Adsha on the trapeze.
Articles and Monographs, c1880 - 1899
Script for Cinderella and Life of George Sanger booklets.
Business Records, 1 March 1923
Memorandum of agreement between Mrs A. Reeve-Sanger and Rupert Heath.
Catalogues of Sale, 1905 - 1912
Catalogues for the sale of George Sanger's equiptment and animals.
Circus Friends Association Collection
This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses
Circus Photographs Scrapbook, 1934 - 1975
Scrapbook of photographs, relating to multiple circus and acts including Chapman's Bertram Mills, Lord George Sanger's, Chipperfield's and Bostock and Wombwell's, 37p.p.
Correspondence, c1900 - 1999
Items of correspondence including personal and business letters and Christmas greetings.
Correspondence, 1873 - 1888
Business and personal correspondence related to George Sanger.
Correspondence, c1900 - 2008
Items of personal correspondence and correspondence related to the Sanger and Ohmy families.
Correspondence, 1912
Letter regarding a summons by an inspector on the handling of wild beasts addressed to Mr Heather/
Correspondence Between John Everet Sanger and the Ohmy Family, c1936 - 1989
Correspondence between John Everton Sanger and the Ohmy family, mainly his mother and grandmother while John was serving in the Royal Navy during World War II and from Vicky during the 1970s-1980s, also some from other acquaintances, other correspondence and empty envelopes.
Correspondence Related to the Ohmy and the Sanger Families, c1900 -1999
Various pieces of correspondence related to Ohmy and Sanger family members.
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Den Curtis' Photographic Albums, 1936 - 1969
Photographic albums put together by Den Curtis, containing black and white photographs of circuses, performers and animals with annotations, including Sanger, Chipprefields, Bertram Mills, Smarts, Hoxie Bros., Blackpool Tower, Belle Vue, Robert Bros., Fossett and Luckens Continental Circus and others, also some loose photographs removed from the albums.
Early Circus Programmes, c1800 - 1999
Early British circus and variety programmes including Astley's, Batty's and Lord George Sanger's circus.
Early Circus Scrapbook, 1876 - 1893
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings and black and white illustrations, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Sanger's, Ginnett's and Barnum's, 80p.p.
Early Circus Scrapbook, 1879 - 1898
Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, programmes and black and white illustrations, relating to multiple circuses and acts including Barnum's, Chiarini's Royal Italian Circus, Ginnett's and Sanger's, 128p.p.
Empire Programme, Week of Monday 26 February 1934
Shepherds Bush. Lord George Sanger's Circus Sensation. Blue and white type on white and blue background on front cover, inside commercial advertising and programme. Printed by Advertising Agents, Geo. J. Smith and Co., Ltd, 20 Easy Row, Birmingham, 4p.p.
Exhibition and Entertainments Handbills, c1790 - 1939
Handbills for travelling shows, fairs, exhibitions and performances at a wide range of venues.
Films, c1930 - 1990
Amateur and commercial films on multiple formats, focusing mainly on Circus but also including transport, fairs, fairground rides and other types of travelling entertainments.