Rosaire's Circus & Zoo (Established 1904)
Dates
- Existence: Established 1904
Biography
The Rosaires are a ninth generation circus family. Rosaire’s Circus and Zoo was first established by Fred Ross (1877 - 1949) when he bought a fairground booth at Ripponden, West Yorkshire and took it on the road with his wife, a widow, Florence Berrisford, (nee Arnold) (1877 - 1972). Calling themselves ‘The Count’ (or ‘Count Rosaire’) and ‘The Countess’ (or ‘Countess Rosaire’) and buying a top for a circus a year later, their circus grew from a one-man circus to a family business. They had eight children together all of which were talented circus and variety performers: Aubrey (1904 - 1941), Dennis (1908 - 1990), Zena (1909 - 1974), Ivor (1911 - 2005), Cecilia (Born 1912), Vivian (1914 - 2003), Derrick (1916 - 2005) and Ida (1918 - 2011). Their horses were commandeered, and the circus was forced to close during the First World War. Fred Rosaire worked as a coal-miner for a time, but after the war the couple, joined by their children, began again and became one of the biggest tenting circuses in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Rosaire family were particularly renowned for their skilful animal training. Ivor became known for his elephants, Derrick for his equestrian skills and Ida for her dog acts. Meanwhile, Aubrey performed as a clown, known as Jimmy Green. Dennis was a wire walker, who performed as ‘Valento on the High Rope’. Vivian was an aerial artist, and horseback rider, known as ‘La Petit Vivienne’. Over generations, the Rosaire family grew and extended to other countries including Spain, Ireland and the United States of America and the Ross Bros Crown Circus still travels the United Kingdom.
Over generations, the Rosaire family grew and extended to other countries including Spain, Ireland and the USA and the Ross Bros Crown Circus still travels the UK.
Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:
Charles Taylor Collection
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.
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
Decar and Tomato Collection
This collection contains black and white photographs and postcards of several generations of the Decar family with a strong focus on John Decar and his act as Decar and Tomato. It also includes other circus performers as well as autograph books and a scrapbook.
Digger Pugh Collection
Archive of the Digger Pugh family including newspaper cuttings, photographs, negatives, business records, programmes, research material, posters and films.