THE HISTORY OF THE CIRCUS

Author(s): ANTONY D. HIPPISLEY COXE

Source: Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 104, No. 4975 (13TH APRIL, 1956), pp. 414417
Published by: Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
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THE

HISTORY

OF

THE

CIRCUS

A Dr. MannJuvenileLecture
by
ANTONY D. HIPPISLEY

COXE

, 4thJanuary
, 7956
Wednesday
The circusis notjust a Christmastreatforthechildren.Everyoneknowsthat
mostofthemlove it; butthen,so do mostsensiblegrown-ups.If thereare more
childrenthanparentsin a circusaudienceit onlygoes to provethatthereare
moresensiblechildrenthanadults.The reasonforthisis thata lot of grown-up
people are alwaystryingto finda hidden meaningin things.A kind action
makes them search for an ulteriormotive,and few things are accepted at
theirfacevalue. Yet the circsmust alwaysbe acceptedin this way,because it
is the spectacleof actuality.Everytrickperformed
in the circus ringis exactly
what it appears to be; and there are eyes all roundto see thatthereis no
deception.
It is no use trying
to tracethishistoryofthecircusbackto Greeceand Rome,
fortheclassiccircusesand amphitheatres
weredesignedfora completely
different
of
know
of
we
back
no more
the
as
entertainment.
The
it,
circus,
type
story
goes
than 187 years,to the timewhen Philip Astleydiscoveredthat,if he galloped
in a circlewhile standinguprighton a horse's back, he could use centrifugal
forceto helphimkeephis balance.In thiswaytheringwas born; and thesecret
ofthecircusis thering.To thiscircleof sawdustcamejugglers,acrobats,strong
- in fact,all thosewhose featsreliedon dexterity,
men,trainersand gymnasts
and
skill.
For
the ringenabled themto performin the midst
practical
agility
of the spectacle. From
of the spectators,thus establishingthe authenticity
's
in
Road
circus
the
Waterloo
Astley Amphitheatre
spread throughout
Bridge
the world.Everywhere
the centralpivotof a circusperformance
remainedthe
for
whom
The
the
the
first
circus
is
was
one really
trick-rider,
ring
designed.
can
be
international
human
skill
because
entertainment,
appreciatedanywhere;
it does not relyon languageto get across.
Variousnationalitiescontributedto its development.An Americaninvented
the mechanicor ridingmachine,now used in trainingall trick-riders;
and
a
artistes
like
in
the
to
rehearse
on
Fredianis
enabling
safety 'three-men-high'
horse back, and Lucio Christianito turna somersaultfromthe back of one
horseoverthesecondto land on a third,as theycanterin Indian fileroundthe
calledLeotard,inventedthetrapeze,whenhe saw thecords
ring.A Frenchman,
ofa ventilator
bath.The Rumanians
hangingdownfromtheroofofa swimming
bar
the
some
of
the greatestanimal
act.
Czechoslovakians
developed
produced
trainers.
There is morenonsensetalkedabout animaltrainingthan any otheraspect
of the circus.I once set out to see formyselfif trainingcould be carriedout
4H

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THE HISTORYOF THE CIRCUS

I3TH APRIL1956
animalsin theworldto train.
entirely
bykindness.I chosecats,themostdifficult
walked
the
counted,workeda see-saw,
Theyjumpedthroughhoops,
tight-rope,
and rangbells.To teachthemto ringbells,I madethemlittlebelfries,
and tucked
a pieceofmeatbetweenthestrandsoftherope.Theysoonlearntto pull therope
to getat themeat.The nextthingwas to get themto dissociatethe meatfrom
theropeitself,whilestillremembering
thattheactionofpullingbroughta reward.

Mr JosMorenodemonstrating
themeeting
during
415

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Journal of the royal society of arts

13THapril 1956
So themeatin theropewas decreasedin size, whilebiggerbitsweregivenfrom
my hand. Soon theywere pullingthe rope whiletheylooked at me. The fact
thata bell rangdid not worrythemat all.
whetherlionsor tigers,bearsor
Such is the basis of all good animaltraining,
of humandexterity
a
blend
the
But
the
circus
is
as well as
are
pupils.
elephants
animalskill,so let us studythe juggler.In the old daysjugglingused to be
uses thequickness
linkedwithconjuring.But whiletheillusionistor manipulator
of the hand to deceivethe eye, the juggleruses the quicknessof the hand to
enchantthe eye. Again thereshould be no deception.Let us studythe basic
of the 'shower'and the 'cascade'. Eitherthe balls followeach other
movements
roundin one direction,or theycrosseach other,rightto leftand leftto right
simultaneously.
Dexterityand agilitysuch as this comes into acrobaticworktoo, and again
can be appreciatedif a spectatortakes the troubleto workit
the difficulties
on thewire.Whichis themoredifficult,
out forhimself.Let us takea somersault
? Most people would say a back somersault
a forwardor a back somersault
; but
if the movementsare traced throughin the mind's eye, it will be realized
thatin a back somersault,as the feetapproachthe wireto land, the eyes will
be in a positionto help guide the feet.In a forwardsomersaulttheywill not.
to performon wire than a back
So a forwardsomersaultis more difficult
somersault.
is one of the oldestturnswhichgo to makeup a moderncircus
Wirewalking
It
programme. reallydoes go back to ancientGreece. In fact,our wordacrobat
on the rope. The
was originallya Greekwordfora certainkind of performer
a
word
which
as
,
funambuleis stillused
Romans^too, appreciatedfunambulari
in Franceto-day.And forthemthe EmperorDiocletianmade safetynetscomdemandsa senseofbalance,so thebaract,
pulsory.Justas wire-or rope-walking
at which Rumaniansseem to excel, requiresgreatstrength.If one swingsat
armslengthrounda barthepull on thewristsas one comesdownto thevertical,
withthebar directlyoverhead,is fourand a halftimesone's own weight.
acts. They use a sortof see-saw,
From Hungarycome the best spring-board
and one person,jumpingfroma pedestalonto one end, catapultshis partner,
standingon the otherend up in the air to land on the shouldersof another
memberof the troupe,called the bearer.Sometimesa column,four-men-high,
is builtup in thisway.Againthereis no faking
; thingsareexactlyas theyappear.
There is, however,one act in the circuswhich,becauseit is not serious,may
thisis clowning.Clownsintroducea note
includea certainamountof trickery:
of fact.They,whenour nerveshave been screwed
of fantasyintoa programme
of thrillsand danger,enable us to releaseour emotion
up withthe excitement
in laughter.Justas somethingwhitelooks even whiterif we place a spot of
in thecircusenhancedbythepretence
blackalongside,so is thesenseofactuality
of the clowns.There are two maintypesof clowns: the clownproper,who is
alwayselegantlydressedin satinand sequins,whose face is alwayswhiteand
whonevergetsintotrouble(thoughhe oftenleads othersintoit) and hispartner,
the Auguste,who wears baggy trousersin loud checks,whose make-up is
416

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THE HISTORYOF THE CIRCUS

I3TH APRIL1956
grotesqueand who gets into any amountof scrapes. Their history,too, goes
back far beyondthe circus; back throughthe Comediadell'Arte
, to Ancient
and
that
classical
Greece.
before
to
Rome,
But there
So muchforthe historyand techniqueof some of the performers.
Here you will
would be no circusif therewere no directorsand proprietors.
finddynasties:familieswho oftenspecialize in one branch of the business,
as well as beingdirectors.The greatesthave been horsemen.Astley,Franconi,
Cooke, Carr, Rancy, Ciniselli,Renz- and the Schumannsand Kniets who
are still withus- were greatcircusfamilieswho presentedhorses.These are
the aristocracy.
Hagenbeckand Krone were animalmen. Barnum,Sangerand
and the
Sarassaniwereessentially
showmen,mastersof the craftof organization
art of publicity.Behind the scenes thereis alwaysworkto do. Even a small
circuswithfourlions,twelvehorses,six ponies,six dogs, threemonkeys,two
in arranging
forfoodsupplies
bearsand one elephanttakesa lot of organization,
A
of
a
show
like
thiswould have
alone. And it costsa lot of money. proprietor
to spend 60 in keep alone.
courageto fightfate,
Proprietorsmusthave courageas well as performers:
whichcan oftenbe cruel.Last yeara Germancircuswentto Turkey.They were
not allowedto takethe moneytheyhad made out of the country.They landed
at Malta in a dock strike,whichmeanttheyhad to pay fivetimesthe normal
rates to get the ships unloaded. Three days later a gale destroyedthe tent,
themacrossto Sicily.At Christmas,
in Ragusa,
and theRoyalNavyhad to ferry
and waterfailed.Next stormsfloodedthe tent. Between
the town'selectricity
Messina and Palermoa railwaytunnelcollapsedon theirtrain.At Palermothe
elephantsstampeded.In Rome it was so cold thatno one daredgo out, and the
circuslost 450 a day, bringingits debts in Italy to 600,000. The manager
said, 'It looks as thoughfatewas againstus. But if we go down,then we go
Such is the spiritof the circus.
dcwn fighting'.
GENERAL

NOTES

LONDON
EXHIBITIONS
OUTSTANDING
It is impossibleto dissociatethe laterpaintingof Sir AlfredMunningsfrom
his exuberantand whollyuninhibited
Indeed, the catalogueof his
personality.
of over300 works,at presentfillingthe Diploma Galleryof the Royal
exhibition
on his work,
refersone to the artist'singenuouscomments
Academy,continually
and a lifetime's
alike
culledfromhis racymemoirs.
paintingtestify
Autobiography
of thisuntiring
man: of steeplechases
and the drowsy
to themanifold
experiences
Stour,of halfthepeeragesittingin whitebreechesastridehis studiosaddle-horse,
withprinces,
of dayson Exmoorand nightsat theChelseaArtsBall,ofencounters
jockeys,grooms,and vagabonds.It wouldbe a churlishvisitorwho could remain
to so muchbuoyancyand zest.
quiteindifferent
one mightthink,whofailedto recognize
the
It wouldalsobe an uncritical
visitor,
character
and evenflashy,
ofhis workthatprevailed
moreobviously
demonstrative,
established
aftertheFirstWorldWar,whentheartisthadbecomea securely
sporting
inthepast35 years,thatSirAlfredhasbeenableto recoverthe
artist.It is notoften,
417

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