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 14 Collections and/or Records:
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 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'.
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.
John F. C. Heather Collection
Black and white photographs related to Joseph Charles Heather, the Sanger Circus and the Bostock Jungle.
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.
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, c1850 - 1945
Black and white and some colour photographs and postcards of George and Jonh Sanger's circus.
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.
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.
Sanger's Circus Photographs, c1800 - 1939
Black and white photographs and postcards of the Sanger circus and family, including family portraits, show fronts, performers, musicians, parades and carriages, some of the people on the photographs have been identified.
Photographs 178C108.502-515 show Lord George Sanger's Circus on a European tour.
Sketches of the Circus Photographic Album, c1985 - 1989
Lord John Sanger and Sons' Circus, featuring animals, carriages, workers and performers as well as Lord George Sanger on transit, parading and on circus site, contains some pen and ink drawins, photograph of Augustus Denton on front cover painting the circus, 12p.p.