Richley, Steven B., Born 1969
Dates
- Existence: Born 1969
Biography
Steven Richley was born in Swansea in 1969 and started collecting circus posters at a young age after being given a poster from Weight’s Famous Circus which had just visited his home town of Caldicot in South Wales.
Over the following 30 years he avidly collected circus posters amassing a collection of over 2,500 circus items from around the world. The collection includes particularly comprehensive collections from the circuses of Bertram Mills, Billy Smart’s, Chipperfield’s, Robert Brothers and Gerry Cottle’s in addition to rare circus posters dating back to the early 1800s including examples from Astley’s, Cooke’s and Hengler’s productions.
After graduating at Cardiff University in 1990, Steve moved to London to work for Madame Tussauds, setting up his own Company in 1993 that he continues to run developing visitor attractions around the world.
Following his acquisition of several comprehensive circus poster collections, Steve formed Double Crown Books to publish books and material relating to ephemeral circus art. Steve wrote, compiled and published ‘The Posters of Bertram Mills Circus’ in September 2014 with ‘The Posters of Billy Smarts Circus’ soon to follow.
Steve is a member of the Circus Friends Association of Great Britain.
Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:
Koringa Poster, c1930 - 1959
Colour illustration of Koringa’s face in green with crocodiles and snakes below on a navey blue background. Printed by Plakatdruck Klibor, Berlin SW68.
Posters, c1900 - 1959
Various circus and variety performers posters including Koringa.
Richley Collection
Circus and sideshow posters including small amount of material on Koringa and copy of Bertram Mill’s Circus limited edition book written by the donor.
Signed Photograph of Koringa, c1930 - 1959
Autographed Koringa album page, consisting of black and white photograph of Koringa in performance outfit in the centre inside a pencil drawn decagon with some red pencil colouring on a grey piece of paper reading ‘Koringa the only female fakir in the world’ and signed on bottom right. On reverse autographs by George Crangnell and Edward Lauri BBC singer and comedienne.
Willko Poster, c1900 - 1939
On the Tight Wire in Mid-Air, Thrilling Sensation. Colour illustration of male acrobatic act, three scenes on the top section of the poster showing the performer doing tricks on chairs on a tight wire, on the bottom section a large house set in a landscape and a tight wire on the front, the portrait of the performer and the performer doing a hand stand on a tight wire. Printed by Edward Harrison Litho Studio, 18 Regent Terrace, Sheffield.