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 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.