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 6 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.
The Insect Circus Poster, c2000 - 2015
Printed poster advertising The Insect Circus and The Insect Circus Museum. Brown background, blue white and black text, and colour illustration of a insect circus tent and crowds, 1p.
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.