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Charlie Keith’s Portable Circus BuildingCharlie Keith’s Portable Circus Building
Circus ParadesCircus Parades
‘Lord’ George Sanger‘Lord’ George Sanger
Wire Walker at Sadler's Wells
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Wire Walker at Sadler's Wells

By the mid-19th century there were hundreds of circuses operating in Britain. Trick riding continued to be the main attraction, but a variety of other acts developed. There was even an aquatic circus where the circus ring was flooded with water.

Mr Sands the 'Air Walker'
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Mr Sands the 'Air Walker'

Hengler's Water Pantomime
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Hengler's Water Pantomime

Such was the popularity of circuses that many 19th century theatres also presented circus acts and you were as likely to see jugglers and aerial acts on a trip to the music hall as at a circus. Trapeze wires were strung from the roof of the Alhambra and other theatres, and trapeze and high-wire artists performed above the crowds sitting in the stalls.

The Flying Zedoras
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The Flying Zedoras

Even Drury Lane theatre had a circus ring so it could present equestrian acts.

Trick Riding at Drury Lane
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Trick Riding at Drury Lane

Famous circus proprietors included Banister and West, Price and Powell, Abraham Saunders, the Cooke family, Pablo Fanque, Edwin Hughes, Frederick Charles Hengler, Frederick Ginnett, and ‘Lord’ George Sanger. Circus was a hard business, and Saunders and Pablo Fanque died destitute, but such was its popularity with the general public that circus earned Hengler and Ginnett thousands of pounds, and made George Sanger a millionaire.

One of the factors that made circus so popular was that fairground entertainers travelled to their audiences. From the late 18th century circuses toured to even the smallest towns and in the 19th century the development of the railways enabled circuses to travel further. By the 1870s huge circuses were touring across Europe and America with two or three trainloads of equipment.

Barnum and Bailey's Circus
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Barnum and Bailey's Circus

     

Aquatic circuses

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The idea of flooding an arena with water was first invented by the Romans. In those days, the spectacle involved a fight to the death between boat crews of condemned criminals or prisoners of war. In the 19th century, aquatic performances were often comedies. Huge tanks in the roof emptied water into the ring through pipes in a matter of seconds. Islands and bridges were installed; boats and performers, both human and animal, took to the water.