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Showing Collections: 1 - 17 of 17

Bill Barnes Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0172
Scope and Contents

Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.

Dates: 1881 - 2017

Charles Taylor Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0069
Scope and Contents

The Charles Taylor collection is a fine example of Taylor’s of Wombwell printers’ posters, which highlight changes in printing techniques, fashion and taste within the popular entertainment industry. Included are examples of posters for pantomimes, fairs and circuses. The collection also contains handbills and other advertising material.

Dates: c1937 - 1989

Circus Friends Association Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0122
Scope and Contents

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

Dates: 1795 - 2020

Enquirer Printing Company Collection

 Collection
Reference code: NFA0125
Scope and Contents

This collection of printed material produced by the Enquirer Job Printing Company contains American sideshow and freak show posters mainly from the Ripley’s ‘Believe it or Not’ franchise and a poster sampler that was taken around by salesmen from the company.

Dates: 1869; c1930 - 1949

George Dawson Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0018
Scope and Contents

The collection contains numerous photographs, newspaper cuttings relating to traction engines and 40 rally programmes.

Dates: 1902 - 1983

George Williams Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0118
Scope and Contents

Collection of early films related to the first year of film-making in America and the United Kingdom and nineteenth century magic lantern slides, letter, film catalogues and photographic plates.

Dates: 1890 - 1896

Lionel Bathe Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0044
Scope and Contents

Colour and black and white negatives containing fairground and circus images and accompanying index notebooks.

Dates: 1930 - 1965

National Fairground and Circus Archive Collection

 Collection
Reference code: NFA0092
Scope and Contents

Contains thousands of posters, programmes, photographs, handbills, original documents, specialist journals, newspapers and a library containing publications on all the areas of collecting

Dates: c1700 - 2020

Noel Drewe Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0058
Scope and Contents

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. FIlms are in a variety of formats including 8mm, Super8, 9.5mm and 16mm. Also includes a small collection of sound reels mainly containing fairground music, and correspondence and notes relating to the films.

Dates: c1907 - 2001

Ronald Allen Taylor Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0015
Scope and Contents

The collection contains photographs in twenty two albums taken by Taylor and other photographers, correspondence and a number of catalogues including his Dodgem research material.

Dates: c1900 - 1991

Rowland Scott Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0037
Scope and Contents

Photographs related to all aspects of British travelling fairgrounds including; rides, transport, living wagons, showpeople, fairground shows, circuses and organs by Rowland Scott and other authors, a selection of manuscripts by Rowland Scott and a small amount of correspondence.

Dates: c1899 - 1989

Shufflebottom Family Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0014
Scope and Contents The main part of the collection consists of material relating to the Shufflebottom family and receipts and posters advertising their latest attractions. The second half of the collection relates to the Waddington family and Margaret Shufflebottom's later marriage to Arthur Bird.The Shufflebottom collection consists of photographs, diaries, albums, account books and assorted ephemera associated with the family's history on the fair. The photographic material dates from 1890 to the...
Dates: c1890 - 1989

Smart Family Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0079
Scope and Contents

This collection contains posters, programmes, letters, film, business records and a large number of family and circus photographs. This unique family collection charts the history of the Smart family from their beginnings as fairground showmen to presenting one of the greatest British circuses.

Dates: c1890 - 2014

Testo Family Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0032
Scope and Contents

This collection comprises photographs, business records, articles, correspondence, newspaper cuttings, advertising material, family research and items of personal archive related to the Testo family history in the fairground and circus

Dates: 1898 - 1999

The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0054
Scope and Contents

The main extent of the collection contains yearbooks, meetings and minutes, correspondence and a record of day to day activities within The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.

Dates: 1904 - 2023

Violet Bartram Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0195
Scope and Contents

Black and white photographs, negatives and postcards of fairgrounds, amusement parks, circus and performers, a newspaper cutting and a handbill.

Dates: c1902 - 1953

World's Fair Newspaper Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0085
Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the complete run of The World's Fair Newspaper from 1904 to the present day. Including microfilmed copies from 1904 to 1950.

Dates: 1904 - 2020

Filtered By

  • Subject: Fairs X
  • Subject: Animals X

Filter Results

Additional filters:

Subject
Circus 15
Performers 15
Showman 13
Amusement rides 11
Showwoman 11
∨ more  
Language
German 5
French 4
Chinese 2
Dutch; Flemish 2
Italian 2
∨ more  
Names
Bertram Mills Circus (1920 - 1967) 3
Billy Smart's Circus (c1946 - 2006) 3
The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain (Established 1889) 3
Anderton and Rowland (Established c1854 - 1879) 2
Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Established 1896) 2
∨ more
Buffalo Bill, 1846 - 1917 2
Cairoli, Charlie, 1910 - 1980 2
Chipperfield's Circus (Established c1800) 2
Chipperfield, Mary, 1938 - 2014 2
Circus Friends Association of Great Britain (Established 1934) 2
Circus Pinder (Established 1854) 2
Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus (Established c1957) 2
Collins, Pat (Patrick), 1859 - 1943 2
David Smart's Super Circus (c1980 - 1983) 2
Dodd, Ken, 1927 - 2018 2
Drury Lane Theatre (Established c1660) 2
Fossett's Circus (Established c1870 - 1879) 2
Friendship Circle of Showland Fans. (FCSF) (c1940 - 1969) 2
Gandey's Circus (Established c1918) 2
Hengler Grand Cirque (1844 - 1924) 2
Holland Amusements (Initiated c1870) 2
J.W. Shaw Amusements (Initiated c1860 - 1889) 2
Jolson, Al, c1886 - 1950 2
Ling's Family Amusements (Initiated c1850 - 1859) 2
Lord John Sanger Circus (Established c1880) 2
Polyakov, Nikolai Petrovich, 1900 - 1974 (Coco the Clown) 2
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1919 - 2017) 2
Rosaire's Circus & Zoo (Established 1904) 2
Sanger, John, 1819 - 1889 2
Shufflebottom Family, c1870 - 1998 2
Smart, Billy (William), 1894 - 1966 2
The Agricultural Hall (1862 - 1943) 2
Toulmin, Vanessa, Professor, Born 1967 2
Waddington's Funfairs (Initiated c1860 - 1899) 2
Whimsical Walker, 1851 - 1934 2
World's Fair Publications Limited (Established 1904) 2
Acres, Birt, 1854 - 1918 1
Althoff Circus (c1675 - 1999) 1
Arnold, Tom, 1897 - 1969 1
Askey, Arthur Bowden, 1900 - 1982 1
Assembly Rooms (1810 - 1819) 1
Astley's Amphitheatre (1773 - 1891) 1
Astley, Philip, 1742 - 1814 1
Austen Brothers Circus (Established 1974) 1
Barbette, 1899 - 1973 1
Barltrop, Chris, Born c1958 1
Barnes, Bill (William), 1920 - 2019 1
Barnum & Bailey Circus (1881 - 1919) 1
Barnum, P. T., 1810 - 1891 1
Barrett's Canadian Circus (1925 - 1956) 1
Bathe, Lionel, 1919 - 1995 (Fairground and Circus Enthusiast) 1
Battersea Park Amusement Park (1858 - 1972) 1
Batty, William, 1801 - 1868 1
Beatty, Clyde, 1903 - 1965 1
Belle Vue (1836 - 1982) 1
Beverly Sisters (c1943 - 2009) 1
Bingley Hall (1850 - 1984) 1
Bird, Margaret, c1900 - 1999 1
Blackpool Tower Circus (Established 1894) 1
Blondin, Charles, 1824 - 1897 1
Bostock and Wombwell Menagerie (c1846 - 1931) 1
Bostock, Frank C., 1866 - 1912 1
Boswell's Circus (1882 - 2015) 1
Brick, Hans, 1889 - 1972 1
British Fairground Society (BFS) (Established c1950) 1
Bruce, Thomas, 7th Earl of Elgin, 1766 - 1841 1
Buller, Redvers Henry, General, Sir, 1839 - 1908 1
Burnaby, Frederick Gustavus, Colonel, 1842 - 1885 1
Butlins (Established c1920) 1
C. Doubtfire (Amusements) Limited (Active c1950 - 1999) 1
Carl Hagenbeck Circus (c1893 - 1907) 1
Carmencita, c1868 - 1910 1
Chapman Circus (1928 - 1940) 1
Chapman, Ellen, 1831 - 1899 1
Chessington World of Adventures (Established 1987) 1
Chipperfield, Jimmy (James), 1912 - 1990 1
Circus Archaos (Established 1986) 1
Circus Barum (1878 - 2008) 1
Circus Busch (1903 - 1999) 1
Circus Busch-Roland (c1884 - 2018) 1
Circus Ginnett (Established c1800) 1
Circus Knie (Established 1803) 1
Circus Krone (Established 1905) 1
Circus Medrano (Established 1875) 1
Circus Roncalli (Established 1976) 1
Circus Sarrasani (c1902 - 1977) 1
Circus of Horrors (Established 1995) 1
Cirque Jean Richard (c1957 - 1990) 1
Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione (Established 1852) 1
Cirque du Soleil (Established 1984) 1
Codona (Established c1790) 1
Cole Bros. Circus (c1884 - 1957) 1
Corrigan's Amusement Arcades (Established c1960 - 1969) 1
Corrigan, Albert, c1920 - 2008 1
Cottle, Gerry, 1945 - 2021 1
Court, Alfred, 1883 - 1977 1
Craston, Joe (Joseph), 1868 - 1948 1
Crow Amusements (Established 1865) 1
Cruikshank, George, 1792 - 1878 1
Crystal Palace (1851 - 1936) 1
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