Ducrow, Andrew (1793-1842)
Dates
- Existence: 1793 - 1842
Biography
Andrew Ducrow was a British circus performer, who famously owned Astley's Amphitheatre. Andrew was born on 10 October 1793 in Southwark, Surrey. His father Peter Ducrow was a strongman performer from Belgium who moved to England the year andrew was born.
Andrew was trained in a wide range of circus performance arts from the age of three. By the time he was fifteen he had become chief equestrian and ropedancer at Astley’s, where his father worked. In 1813 Peter Ducrow acquired the Royal Circus and Andrew left Astley’s to go with him. However, the Royal Circus was unsuccessful, and Andrew returned to Astley’s to perform trick-riding. In 1814, Andrew became the head of the family upon his father’s death and started to tour around France with various circuses including Cirque Olympique and Franconi’s Circus. When he returned to England, he became the co-proprietor of Astley’s and achieved great success until his death on 27 January 1842. Astley’s was taken over by William Batt and the business by Joseph Hillier.
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Circus Friends Association Collection
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
Posters, c1800 - 2011
A wide range of British and international circus and menagerie posters ranging from the 19th to the 21st century including Astley's Amphitheatre, Pablo Fanque, Polito, Bostock and Wombwell, Ducrow, Cooke, Hengler, Sanger, Smart, Gerry Cottle, Bertram Mills, Chipperfield's, Robert Brothers, Fossett, Blackpool Tower, Billy Russell, Belle Vue, Great Yarmouth Hippodrome, Austen Brothers and many more.
Programmes, c1800 - 2019
A collection of mainly British and international circus programmes and some variety and music hall programmes containing circus acts.
Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian Circus Posters, c1800 - 1930
Early circus and menagerie posters including Polito's menagerie, Astley's Amphitheatre and Pablo Fanque's, Sanger's, Powell's, Ducrow's, Cooke's and Hengler's circuses among others.
Filtered By
- Subject: Motion pictures X
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