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 15 Collections and/or Records:
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.
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.
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Hazel Mangean Girls Advertising Card, 8 December 1932
Autographed three-fold publicity card with three black and white photographs of the Hazel Mangean Girls, dedicated to Harold, Empire, Paris.
Leona and Gina Advertising Card, c1920 - 1929
Three-fold publicity card with six black and white photographs of Leona and Gina's act inside, including their portraits and various poses.
Letter to Barnum and Sanger Circus, 18 March 1888
Letter to Sanger and Barnum Circus from Pauline Vermersch. Ink on ruled paper. Manuscript, 2pp.
Lord George Sanger's Horses and Equipment Catalogue of Sale, 4 January 1912
Park Farm, East Finchley, London, to be sold at auction by Tom Norman. Catalogue of sale of Lord George Sanger's stud of horses and related equipment. Black type on off white paper, 2p.p.
Lord George Sanger's Two Day Great Sale Catalogue, 31 October - 1 November 1905
Park Farm, East Finchley, London, to be sold at auction by Tom Norman. Catalogue of sale of Lord George Sanger's business possessions including animals and equipment. Black type on off white paper with hand written prices against items. Printed by E.S. Wheatley, Steam Printer, Barnet, 12pp.
Memorandum of Agreement, 1 March 1923
Memorandum of agreement between Mrs A. Reeve-Sanger and Rupert Heath for the appearance of Diana Dobsons, comedy act, for six nights, starting Monday 11 June 1923 at the Palace Theatre, Ramsgate. Black type on pink paper. Type and manuscript, 2pp.
Newspaper Cuttings and Scrapbooks, c1865 - 1945
Newspaper cuttings related to George Sanger's circus and business.
Sanger Circus Collection
Black and white and some colour photographs, negatives, handbills, programmes and other items of ephemera relating to George Sanger's circus and the Hall by the Sea.
Trade and Advertising Material, c1920 - 1932
Two publicity cards with photographs of the acts.
Various, c1800 - 1999
Various items of ephemera.