Circuswereld Forum

De Manchester Evening News duikt in het verleden van 101 jaar Belle Vue Circus: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... s-22039268

Met een link naar het historische fotoalbum: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... s-22041141

News Nostalgia Belle Vue

From horse-riding tigers to performing pigeons – amazing photos capture 101 years of Belle Vue Circus


Harry Belli's horse riding tiger riders Sam, a cart horse in the Belle Vue Circus.
Timmy, a fully grown tiger from Bengal is the star attraction in the circus. Manchester, 22nd December 1969.

For more than a century Belle Vue Circus was at the heart of entertainment in the North West.

Amazing photos and old images uncovered by the MEN archives team track the long and exciting history of the circus from its small Victorian beginnings to its final and unfortunate end in 1985.

Operating out of the famous Belle Vue Zoological gardens, the circus would become an internationally recognised yearly event, taking place each year.

The zoo itself was the brainchild of the famous Jennison family, which opened in 1836 and, as a typical Victorian attraction, first hosted other zoos and performances troupes during the 19th century before establishing its own circus.


Miss Wendy performs her balancing act with a pigeon perched on the end of a sword during rehearsals for the Belle Vue Manchester circus. December 1969

The inaugural Belle Vue Circus event was hosted in 1922 out of the Kings Hall venue, an arena that would serve as the circus' home for nearly 60 years.

Sadly the first event was considered something of a failure and the Belle Vue Circus would not return until 1929.

It was then that the zoological gardens struck a deal with Blackpool Tower Company to provide acts and equipment for what subsequently became a regular Christmas event held in the Kings Hall.

As part of their deal with Blackpool Tower, Belle Vue were able to appoint ringmaster George Lockhart a man whose exploits became synonymous with the circus.

Known as "the prince of ringmasters," Lockhart fast became the face of the Belle Vue Circus' advertising campaign, with his face, often accompanied by a fat cigar, appeared on many of their posters.

Lockhart served as ringmaster for 41 years, retiring in 1970 at the tender age of 90.

In that time Lockhart oversaw the circus' golden years when the circus became one of the most popular Christmas events in the country.

Lockhart's replacement, Danish-born Nelly Jane, held the job for two years before being replaced by Norman Barrett, the last ringmaster.

The last circus to take place in the Kings Hall came in 1981 before the building was sold and then demolished in 1982.


Gilbert Honch and a pride of tigers perform at Belle Vue Circus in January, 1947

Although the circus would limp on at various alternative venues it would come to a permanent stop in 1985.



En van de foto-pagina:

101 years of Belle Vue Circus performers from 1880 to 1981

These incredible archive pictures chart the amazing 101-year history of the Belle Vue Circus.
From grainy images of circus performers and elephants in 1880, to incredible shots of acrobats, lions, clowns, and tigers in the 1970s and 1980s, this gallery charts the full history.
Many of the acts featured in the photos were part of travelling troupes of animals, including Eugene Weidmann's tigers and bears, Thorson Kohrmann's Farmyard Friends, Willi Mullen's Caucasian Cavalry and, rather bizarrely, Miss Wendy's Performing Pigeons.
Perhaps the most peculiar was Harry Belli's Horse Riding Tiger, yes you read that correctly, a tiger riding a horse.
The circus would attract performers from around the world with the likes of Toby the performing chimp coming from Amsterdam to feature at the circus.
But the most famous animal at Belle Vue was undoubtedly the male elephant Maharajah, a male Asian Elephant, who was bought by the zoo in 1872.
Maharajah was an eight-year-old elephant who had 50cm tusks and stood at more than two metres in height.
Maharajah was supposed to travel to Manchester on a train but this upset him so Maharajah’s keeper, Lorenzo Lawrence, decided to walk the 200 miles from Edinburgh to Manchester, the journey took ten days.
Maharajah lived in Belle Vue Zoo for ten years and was a very popular performer there.
He died at the age of 18, probably from pneumonia, his skeleton was later sold to the Manchester Museum.
Maureen another famous elephant in the circus' later years, becoming a mainstay of the circus during the 1970s and 1980s.
As well as pictures of our furry performers, this gallery features the people who made Belle Vue famous.
This includes the celebrity ringmaster George Lockhart (who kept the role for more than 40 years) to the famous Jacko the Clown as well as a collection of assorted acrobats, horsemen, strongmen and clowns.
Operating out of the Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in central Manchester, the circus would range from odd performances at the zoo during the late 1800s through to the enactment of the official Belle Vue Circus from 1922 until 1981.
Held intermittently at the Kings Hall in Belle Vue, this circus would become internationally renowned.


One of the first circus performers to feature at Belle Vue Zoo circa 1880


Another circus performer from the 1880s, this man is dressed as an Native American


Maharajah the elephant performs at Belle Vue, circa 1880


Gilbert Honch performs with his pride of tigers at Belle Vue Circus in 1947


Belle Vue Circus rehearsal. The Three Torellis Continental Acrobatic Artists. December 1949


Performer Charly Bohm, balancing chairs on his face during a performance, circa 1952


Toby the Chimp from Amsterdam, at Belle Vue Circus, does war dances on a big drum, circa 1960


Byla the horse riding tiger provides a thrill at the Belle Vue, with trainer Harry Belli circa 1969


Grace and Poise demonstrated in the antics of the Sehlingloff Troupe during rehearsals for the Belle Vue, Manchester circus. December 1969


Grace and Poise demonstrated in the antics of the Sehlingloff Troupe for Belle Vue Circus, 1969


Clown Carlos McManus from Plymouth performs with one of his young daughters Grace, 1969


Jacko the clown walks around the edge of the circus ring at Belle Vue Circus Manchester, circa 1978


One of the performing Elephants of the Bell Vue Circus seen here during rehearsal kneeing over one of the trainers, circa 1980


The circus ring at Kings Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester, is prepared for the last performance before the complex is demolished


Jacko Fossett is facing up to heartbreak as he see the closures of Belle Vue Circus where he has worked for thirty years, 1982


Jacko Fossett the clown sits alone with his thoughts in the circus ring following the last performance at Belle Vue , Manchester, January 30, 1982


Acts from Belle Vue's famous circus outside the partially demolished Kings Hall, Santa Stuart Bamforth rides Maureen the elephant, May 1982


Jack Fossett and Maureen the elephant at Belle Vue to promote the 1983 Belle Vue Circus, the first to be held outside the Kings Hall


Programme from the 21st International Belle Vue Circus, 1949-1950


Programme from the 27th International Belle Vue Circus


An old Belle Vue Circus programme costing just 12p


A souvenir programme for the 31st Belle Vue Circus

En die laatste uiteraard met Groeten uit Amsterdam!

Toby or not to be! Dat is en blijft de vraag!

Op dat laatste kom ik nog even terug. Want wellicht is hier iemand die iets meer afweet van 'onze' Toby -uit Amsterdam-.
Kwam die echt uit onze hoofdstad, had hij een Nederlandse trainer/begeleider en/of was hij ook in ons land wel te zien in het circus?
Ben benieuwd.....

Het laatste programmaboekje, waarvan hij de voorpagina siert, stamt uit de Kerstperiode 1959 - 1960.




Een aardig verhaal dat me opviel was dat van die giga-olifant Maharajah die in 1872 naar Manchester kwam.
Vanuit Edinburgh, geen idee hoe hij daar terecht was gekomen. Per schip, neem ik aan.
Maar niet de meest logische route naar Manchester, al was voor zijn aankomst de bestemmingsplaats mogelijk nog niet bekend....
Hij zou per trein worden vervoerd, maar dat wilde hij niet. De angst voor stoomtreinen kan ik me van dieren heel goed voostellen.
Een beetje paard schrikt zich al te pletter van iets dat een beetje sist (ingeboren angst voor slangen?) dus laat staan een lawaaierige en sissende stoomlocomotief!
Bovendien kennen dieren soms iets dat we bij paarden 'trailerangst' noemen, en mogelijk ook voor olifanten geldt.
Paarden zijn er met een juiste behandeling wel van af te helpen, maar daar ontbrak waarschijnlijk bij de olifant de tijd voor.
En verder waren de treinwagons in die tijd ook al niet van al te stevige kwaliteit, dus ook daar wilde men wellicht geen risico mee lopen.
Dus besloot zijn begeleider Lorenzo Lawrence (hij zij geprezen!) om de 322 km maar te voet af te gaan leggen!
Ze deden daar (maar) 10 dagen over, nog steeds een flinke tippel per dag!
Maar dan heb je ook wat! Want indrukwekkend was deze Aziatische stier zeker!
Men heeft spijtig genoeg niet heel lang plezier van hem gehad, hij overleed al na 10 jaar.
Op 18-jarige leeftijd aan longontsteking.

Hij is nog altijd te zien: zijn skelet staat in het Manchester Museum.



Als hij niet op reis is tenminste, want soms gaat hij op tournee en staat hij elders, zoals in de hal van het plaatselijke Piccadilly-station!



Nog weer wat geleerd: in Edinburgh ging hij zo te keer dat hij het dak van de wagon af sloeg!
En zijn aanschafprijs was 680 Pond, wat naar vandaag de dag omgerekend ongeveer € 90.000,- zou betekenen.
Ja, daar wil je dus wel een stukje voor (om-)lopen!

En dit was zijn baasje die de lange wandeling maakte:



en zo ging dat vroeger in de dierentuin: