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 26 Collections and/or Records:
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
Correspondence, c1900 - 1999
Items of correspondence including personal and business letters and Christmas greetings.
Correspondence, 1912
Letter regarding a summons by an inspector on the handling of wild beasts addressed to Mr Heather/
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Early Circus Programmes, c1800 - 1999
Early British circus and variety programmes including Astley's, Batty's and Lord George Sanger's circus.
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.
Frank Taylor in the Lion Cage Wagon Photograph, c1890 - 1909
Photograph of a lion cage circus wagon with lion tamer Captain Frank Taylor seated inside with several lions wearing a suite and top hat.
George, Ellen and Handlers with Elephants and Camels Photograph, c1880 - 1899
Photograph of George Sanger and his wife Ellen with elephants and camels and animal handlers. George is marked on the photograph in pen as 'Dada' and Ellen as 'Mama'. The man standing furthest right is William Sanger, George's brother. The photograph was taken at the 'Hall by the Sea' in Margate.
John F. C. Heather Collection
Black and white photographs related to Joseph Charles Heather, the Sanger Circus and the Bostock Jungle.
Letter addressed to Mr Heather, 29 April 1912
Letter regarding a summons by an inspector on the handling of wild beasts, addressed to Mr Heather. Includes letterhead advertising Miss Ella’s imported forest-bred lions including text and a black and white promotional photograph of lions, with with animal trainer, Ellen Sanger, 1p.
Lord George and Pops Sanger's Circus and Menagerie Programme, 1957
Cartoon illustration of a flying source with clowns, a lion and a bear and an animal trainer and ringmaster hanging from it on a step ladder over a circus tent in pink and black on a yellow background on front cover, inside programme and brief history of the Sanger circus on back cover. Printed by Hasting Printing Co., Portland Place, Hastings, 2p.p.
Lord George Sanger Circus at Balmoral Photograph, 1898
Photograph of Lord George Sanger Circus with tent, equestrian performers and circus workers, trainers and grooms on the Royal Estate in Scotland in Balmoral, Scotland.
Lord George Sanger's Great Hippodramatic and Spectacular Circus Programme, c1800 - 1899
Man and Orangutan Photograph , c1950 - 1969
Photograph of a man with an orangutan. The man is wearing a uniform and peaked cap. The orangutan is wearing a gold jacket and purple neckerchief. The man could be James Holloway (aka Jimmy Nervo).
Newspaper Cuttings and Scapbooks, 1838 - 2007
A collection of newspaper cuttings on circus, circus proprietors and performers and scrapbooks containing newspaper cuttings, posters, programmes and other items of ephemera, covering mainly British circuses and venues such as Belle Vue and also some international circuses.
Noel Drewe Collection
A large collection of films entitled Circusama containing amateur and professional films on the themes of circus, performing animals and zoos, and edited clips from commercial Western and comedy films. The films are in a variety of formats including 8mm, Super8, 9.5mm and 16mm and contain related correspondence and notes. This collection also contains some sound reels mainly of fairground music.
Photographs, c1897 - 1898
Photographs and Postcards, c1800 - 1999
Black and white and colour photographs, negatives and photographic albums mainly containing images of British circus, circus performers, animals and circus personalities but also some menageries such as Bostock and Wombwell and other associated entertainments and non-British circuses taken by David Jamieson, Lindsay Temple, Den Curtis, Capt. Middleton, Jack Niblett and other photographers.
Portrait of Ellen Sanger (nee Chapman) Photograph, 1893
Photograph of Ellen Sanger nee Chapman standing by a lion cub that is lying down at the door of a living wagon.'Mrs G Sanger 1893' is written on the reverse of the photograph.
Posters, c1800 - 2011
A wide range of British and international circus and menagerie posters ranging from the 19th to the 21st century including Astley's Amphitheatre, Pablo Fanque, Polito, Bostock and Wombwell, Ducrow, Cooke, Hengler, Sanger, Smart, Gerry Cottle, Bertram Mills, Chipperfield's, Robert Brothers, Fossett, Blackpool Tower, Billy Russell, Belle Vue, Great Yarmouth Hippodrome, Austen Brothers and many more.