Scope and Contents Norman Barrett ringmaster, Family Santus trick cyclists, The Brucksons Balancing act, Jacko Fossett and Little Willy clowns, Les Kansas jugglers, Martin Lacey and his lions, Dunban Nickol trampoline act, The Svensons equestrian act, The Great Darix balancing act, Camel Caravan presented by Beverley Roberts, Gina the Girl in the Moon trapeze, Robert Brothers’ Elephant Entertainment, Joan Rosaire and Goldy the Wonder Horse, Hsiung Family Oriental Acrobats, The Loonies comedians. Contains...

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Manchester. Black, white and red illustration of band girl on a bowing horse on a red background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white illustrations and photographs of acts and performers with text including Billy Merchant, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.

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Belle Vue Circus programmes.

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Newspaper obituaries and photocopies of obituary articles for Jimmy Scott and Alby Austin, circus clowns and Roberto Germains, entertainment agent.

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Correspondence between Cyril Betram Mills and Billy Merchant, including some Christmas cards, one photocopy and one envelope.

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Black and white photographs of Billy Merchant and other performers and some postcards, with hand written annotations, 15p.p.

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Black and white photographs and some postcards of Billy Merchant aka Little Billy and other circus perfomers on and off the circus ring, some autographed.

Scope and Contents Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, Inga Lise Ringmistress. Mary Chipperfield’s Liberty ponies and Zebras and elephants, The Knick Nocs knockabout comedy, Old Regnas The Tramp and his Comedy Dogs and Donkey, The Siberas balancing act, Jacko Fossett and Little Billy clowns, The Trio Anastasini juggling, The Brandt Brothers springboard acrobatics, Bela and her Comedy Camel, The Two Franks acrobatics and contortionism, Spaghetti and Company comics, Max Morris and his Sea Lions, Anna Arata and Lily...

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Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, Jerry, Jimmy and Johnny equestrians, Udo Heltano equilibrist, Mary Chipperfield’s kindergarten animals, chimpanzees and Liberty horses, Senorita Manolita aerial act, Miss Wendy’s Poodle Party, Jacko Fossett and Little Billy clowns, The Belios acrobats, The Halfwits comedy acrobats, The Tonitas Veracruz trapeze, Miss Conti balancing roller act, Jorge Tonito tightwire, The Herculeans moustachioed acrobats. Contains illustrations with photos, 24p.p.

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The Two Bohumils jugglers, The Robert Brothers Camel Caravan, elephants and ponies, Skippy the Boxing Kangaroo, Blanini aerialist, Jacko Fossett and Little Billy clowns, Markus and Rosita strongman, The Valla Bertini Troupe trick cyclist, The Wychwoods magic and dog act, Chyfudey contortion, acrobatic and balancing act, The Bjoerlings equestrian act, Bobby Dixon comedy acrobat, The Tanger troupe tumblers. Contains illustration with photos, 24p.p.

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Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.

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This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses

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Items of correspondence including personal and business letters and Christmas greetings.

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Amateur and commercial films on multiple formats, focusing mainly on Circus but also including transport, fairs, fairground rides and other types of travelling entertainments.

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Circus Friends Association presentation award for lifetime achievement presented to Billy Merchant by the Circus Friends Association's President. Watercolour, felt pen and gouache on card showing Billy Merchant possing in front of different circus names , signed by Sandy Davidson.

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Photocopies of newspaper articles relating to Billy 'Little Billy' Merchant and Jimmy Scott, circus clowns.

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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.

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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.

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Obituaries and funeral cards for George Sanger, Dame Laura Knight, Billy Merchant and Carmen Rosaire among others.

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Original works of art including artists' prints, drawings, watercolours and paintings, and designs for circus posters.