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 277 Collections and/or Records:
Man and Woman Beside a Horse with a Jockey Photograph, c1880 - 1899
Photograph of a man and a woman beside a horse with a jockey. Possibly Henry Chapman (brother in law of George Sanger) and his wife Mrs Chapman.
Man Next to a Lorry, c1920 - 1939
Photograph of a man stood in front of a lorry. Possibly a member of the Moxon family of acrobats and jugglers.
Marie Reeve, c1900 - 1919
Cabinet card photograph of Marie Reeve. Marie was the daughter of Sarah Harriet Sanger and Arthur Reeve. She performed in her grandfather's 'Lord' George Sanger's Circus as an equestrian and acrobat. Marie married Fred Philipi, an acrobat, and went on to perform in music hall. The card is printed at the bottom with 'Hama Ltd, Studios, 22 Bedford Street, London'.
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.
Monographs and Research Material , c1900 - 2018
Photocopies of photographs and articles related to George Sanger, Sanger Circus and other related history and a biography of George Sanger.
Moxon Circus Performers, c1920 - 1939
Photograph of a group of circus performers with a dog standing next to a motorbike. The motorcycle has a flag marked Bros Barr (Brothers Barr). The Barr Brothers were Thomas and Charles Barr, originally miners, of Lochgelly, Fifeshire. Later billed as the Aberdonians. This is the same group who are in front of a lorry marked Moxon's Circus in a different photograph. Moxon's Circus is recorded as travelling in 1928 and 1929 in the World's Fair.
Mrs Emma Coleman, c1897
Black and white photograph of Mrs Emma Coleman, bareback rider in Sanger circus. Note on the back says 'Do Not Deframe. Return TO:- Mrs M.S. Bridser'.
Mrs Emma Coleman, c1897
Black and white photograph portrait of Mrs Emma Coleman
Newspaper Article on Lord George Sanger and His Circus, c1832 - 1956
The greatest show on earth: Lord George Sanger and his Circus, Croft-Cooke, R. Cutting of chapter from Chambers Journal, 3p.p.
Newspaper Cuttings, 1903 - 1911
Photocopies of newspaper cuttings about George Sanger's Circus and George Sanger's murder.
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.
Newspaper Cuttings and Scrapbooks, c1865 - 1945
Newspaper cuttings related to George Sanger's circus and business.
Newspaper Cuttings and Scrapbooks, c1832 - 1999
Various newspaper cuttings and scrapbooks about variety and circus performers including the Ohmy and Sanger families.
Newspaper Cuttings on Lord George Sanger's Circus, c1962
Newspaper cuttings about Baby Jumbo the elephant and Sanger Circus winding-up petition, attached to a programme see 178K43.585.
No Kidding Film, c1960 - 1970
Circusama and Yesterdays Circus Today. 16mm, G.B. Equipment Ltd. 8 minutes long. Black and white with sound. Includes Chessington Zoo and Lord George Sanger's football dogs. Copied to DVD 2 and DIGI-BETA.
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.
Olive Austin, c1920 - 1939
Photograph of Olive Austin, with juggling clubs. The photograph maybe related to Moxon's Circus.
Olive Austin with Man, c1920 - 1939
Photograph of a couple seated on a bench. The woman is Olive Austin
Performer on a Pony, c1920 - 1939
Photograph of a woman seated on a circus pony. The woman is believed to be Olive Austin. The photograph maybe related to Moxon's Circus.
Performers And Animals, c1850-1899
Black and white photograph of circus performers alongside their animals, includes elephants, camels, horse and bull. Stood in front of a large big top.