Richley, Steve (Steven Blair), 1969 - 2025
Dates
- Existence: July 1969 - 3 June 2025
Biography
Steve was a circus historian, collector and author of many books including ‘The Posters of Bertram Mills Circus’, ‘The Posters of Billy Smart’s Circus’ and ‘Sir Robert Fossett’s Circus - The Definitive Visual History’ and co-author of ‘Reco’s Circus’ with Mark Twitchett.
Steven Blair Richley was born in Swansea in 1969 and grew up in Caldicot, South Wales. His interest in circus started at a young age when he was given a poster from ‘Weight’s Famous Circus’ after a visit to his hometown, which started his collecting passion. During his lifetime, he amassed an important collection of thousands of posters from around the world, with significant representations from Bertram Mills, Billy Smart, Chipperfield, Robert Brothers and Gerry Cottle’s circuses and rare examples from Astley, Cooke and Hengler’s circus.
After graduating at Cardiff University in 1990, Steve moved to London to work for Madame Tussauds. Three years later he set up his own company developing visitor attractions around the world.
Following his acquisition of several comprehensive circus poster collections, Steve formed Double Crown Books in 2013 to publish books and material relating to circus art.
Steve was a long-term member of the Circus Friends Association of Great Britain. He died on 3 June 2025 of a heart attack aged 55 years old.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
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.