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 9 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
Circus Parade Carriage Photograph, c1850 - 1910
Black and white photograph of a horse drawn carriage and handlers, carrying a horse. the carriage reads 'The Oldest Circus'.
Circus Workers Erecting a Circus Tent Photograph, c1920 - 1939
Photograph of circus workers erecting a circus tent.
Front Entrace to Lord George Sanger Circus Photograph, c1880 - 1899
Photograph of the entrance to Lord George Sangers Circus with three doors and one man standing on each the centre and the right doors. The circus is a booth style contraption on wheels and has three admission categories 1 penny entrance, six pence and three and two shillings. The frontage is decorated with the royal crest and a painted scenes of wild west and equestrian performers.
Groom with Circus Horses Photograph, c1890 - 1899
Photograph of a groom with four piebald horses from Sanger's Circus.
John F. C. Heather Collection
Black and white photographs related to Joseph Charles Heather, the Sanger Circus and the Bostock Jungle.
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.
Reverse of Sanger Circus Performers Photograph, c1850 - 1910
Reverse of 178C114.173 showing performers' names inscrived by hand including; Claude Randall, Sam Hodgini, Georgina Coleman, Harry Hodgini, Dan Feeley, Kate Feeley, William Feeley, L. Feeley, Arthur Reeve, Clara Feeley, August la Place (Feeley, Dankey/O, George Coleman, Topsy Coleman, Little Claude Randall (Freddie Randall), Mr Philpott, Joe Cranston (Hodgini) and George Holloway.