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:
Business Records, 1 March 1923
Memorandum of agreement between Mrs A. Reeve-Sanger and Rupert Heath.
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
Cissie and Olive Austin Dancing Kim Act Photograph, c1920 - 1929
Photograph of sisters (top) Cissie and (bottom) Olive Austin, daughters of Ellen 'Topsy' Coleman and Harry Austin. 'Hana London' is printed in the bottom corner.
Cissie and Olive Austin Dancing Kim Act Photograph, c1920 - 1929
Photograph of sisters (top and bottom) Olive Austin and Cissie Austin, daughters of Ellen 'Topsy' Coleman and Harry Austin. 'Hana London' is printed in the bottom corner.
Cissie and Olive Austin Dancing Kim Act Photograph, c1920 - 1929
Photograph of sisters (left to right) Cissie and Olive Austin, daughters of Ellen 'Topsy' Coleman and Harry Austin. 'Hana London' is printed in the bottom corner.
Cissie and Olive Austin Dancing Kim Act Photograph, c1920 - 1929
Photograph of sisters (left to right) Cissie and Olive Austin, daughters of Ellen 'Topsy' Coleman and Harry Austin. 'Hana London' is printed in the bottom corner. Running order and performance details of the comedy act 'Dancing Kim' are listed on the reverse of the photograph.
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Exhibition and Entertainments Handbills, c1790 - 1939
Handbills for travelling shows, fairs, exhibitions and performances at a wide range of venues.
Group of People on Stage Photograph, c1920 - 1929
Photograph of a group of people on a stage with an 'Oriental' style stage scenery. The women standing in the group are (left to right) Olive and Cissie Austin, daughters of Ellen 'Topsy' Austin (nee Coleman) and Harry Austin.
Handbills, c1786 - 1968
Handbills for travelling shows, fairs, exhibitions and performances in London.
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.
John Bramwell Taylor Collection
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.
Lord George Sanger's Hall by the Sea Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, 8 September 1914
Margate, Special programme for the Benefit of the Belgian Relief Fund. Colour illustration of a woman seating with a garland of fruit behind her and white doves on a maroon, orange and yellow background on the front cover, inside black type on white paper containing programme and commercial advertising, three fold. Printed by Electric Press, Margate, 3pp.
Lord George Sanger's Hall by the Sea Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, 8 September 1914
Margate, Special programme for the Benefit of the Belgian Relief Fund, Colour illustration of a woman seating with a garland of fruit behind her and white doves on a maroon, orange and yellow background on the front cover, inside black type on white paper containing programme and commercial advertising, three fold. Printed by Electric Press, Margate, 3pp.
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.
Photographs, c1850 - 1945
Black and white and some colour photographs and postcards of George and Jonh Sanger's circus.
Photographs, c1890 - 1959
Black and white photographs of George Sanger's Circus showing staff, family, performers, animals, living wagons and parades, including Topsy Sanger, Harry Austin, George Holloway, Cissie Holloway, Cissie Austin, George Sanger, James Holloway, Abe Holloway, George Austin, Bellevina Holloway, Kate Holloway, The Three Holloways, Cirque Angelo, The Four Holloways, Ellen Chapman, Harriet Sanger and June Dick. Also some copies of photographs of the Bostock and Wombwell menagerie.
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.
Programmes, c1800 - 2019
A collection of mainly British and international circus programmes and some variety and music hall programmes containing circus acts.