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Gerry Cottle's Circus (1974 - 2003)

 Organisation

Dates

  • Existence: 1974 - 2003

Biography

The beginnings of Gerry Cottle's Circus trace back to 1970 when Gerry Cottle and partner Brian Austen established Embassy Circus, a small outfit, which opened its firts show in Sturminster Newton, Dorset with nine staff including Gerry, Brian and their wives. They soon changed the name of the circus to Cottle & Austen's Circus, name they used until their partnership disolved in 1974 and Gerry established Gerry Cottle's Circus.

By the mid-1970s Gerry Cottle's Circus was enjoying great success and was touring three different shows across Britain. Always lookin to innovate and reinvent itself, Gerry Cottle's Circus brought to England some of the most prestigious international circuses for the first time such as the Moscow State Circus and the Chinese State Circus. Cottle's circus also travelled to parts of the world no other European circus had travelled before such as Iran and Hong Kong in the late 1970s.

In 1995, he co-created The Circus of Horrors with Doktor Haze, inspired by the alternative French circus Archaos. The Circus of Horrors debuted at the Glastonbury Festival and travelled internationally. Today it is the longest running alternative circus in Britain.

Cottle's Circus ceased to trade in 2003, although it travelled briefly in 2012 as Magic Circus to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Cottle's Circus.

Found in 79 Collections and/or Records:

Gerry Cottle's Christmas Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.416
Scope and Contents

Wembley Grand Hall. Programme on the centre in green type over yellowish background and illustration of seal balancing a Christmas pudding on its nose on the front, on reverse history of circus by Sandy Davidson.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Christmas Circus Programme, 1977

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.417
Scope and Contents

Royal Silver Jubilee programme. Blue and white illustration of clown on the left, roaring lion in the centre and ice skater on the right with circus tent and elephants and horses on the background and international flags above on the top section and programme below on the front cover, inside blue and white photographs of the circus and text, on back cover blue and white photographs of performers and text, 2p.p.

Dates: 1977

Gerry Cottle's Circus, Cottle and Austen and Burnt Stub's Circus Programmes, c1900 - 2001

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178K43.385-442
Scope and Contents

Gerry Cottle Circus programmes including Circus of Horrors, Cottle and Austen, Cottle-Chipperfield Circus, Continental Berlin Circus, Moscow State Circus and Gerry Cottle's Circus abroad.

Dates: c1900 - 2001

Gerry Cottle's Circus, Jumbo Colouring Book and Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.392
Scope and Contents

Blue illustration of an elephant wearing a coat with details of event on a blue background on the front cover, inside programme and different circus scenes for colouring, 6p.p.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Pamphlet, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178I22.1
Scope and Contents

Three fold pamphlet containing black and white photographs and various essays about Gerry Cottle's circus, the site of the circus, safety and comfort, animals and noise and nuisance.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Parade Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.440
Scope and Contents

Colour photograph of performers posing in the circus ring and green, yellow and purple type on the front cover, inside introduction to Gerry Cottle's story and his family with colour photographs and various articles on animal welfare, the history of circus and others with colour photographs, programme missing, 6p.p.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Poster, Magazine Programme, 1978 - 1979

 File
Reference code: 178K43.401
Scope and Contents Bradford programme. Six fold poster/programme with colour photograph of circus ring with acts and performers in circles around the edges on the front cover, year of the clown article with colour photographs, article on history of circus with black and white and colour photographs, show business on wheels article with colour photographs and poster inside with the same image as the front cover, two additional inserts, one contains the programme with a black and white photograph of Charlie...
Dates: 1978 - 1979

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, 1976

 Item
Reference code: 178K41.11
Scope and Contents

Las Kansas jugglers, Khalil Oghaby Strongman, The Cimarro Brothers high-wire, Captain Sydney Howes with Lions, Orramic, Scott’s Californian Sea-Lions, The Inaros Sisters trapeze, The Santus Julian Troupe French wizards on Wheels, Billy Wild, Otaki and the James Sisters Wild West Show, Miss Babette’s Lovable Dogs. Colour with photos, 16p.p.

Dates: 1976

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, 1977

 Item
Reference code: 178K41.15
Scope and Contents

Royal Silver Jubilee, Binak Brothers knockabout comedy, Captain Sydney Howes and his lions, The Cimarro brothers high-wire, The Inaros Sisters trapeze, Sonny Fossett and Co. clowns, Otaki and the James Sisters Wild West Show, Batman and Robin aerial act, Captain Universe human cannonball. Colour illustration of human cannonball on cover. Fold out programme with photos.

Dates: 1977

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, 1977

 Item
Reference code: 178K41.19
Scope and Contents

Cardiff. The Kansas Brothers jugglers, The Swinging Cottrellis balance act, Jimmy Scott and Co. clowns, Royal Bengal tigers, Duo Raycol, Jimmy Scott and Co., La Famille Santus French Wizards on wheels, Arab Stallions, Samson and Delilah strongmen, Mary Chipperfield’s elephants, The Loonies comedy act. Contians photos, 4p.p.

Dates: 1977

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, 1979

 Item
Reference code: 178K41.26
Scope and Contents

Poster magazine. Foldout poster with programme containing photos and articles, 4p.p.

Dates: 1979

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.386
Scope and Contents

White, red and blue type on white background with name of circus and programme on the front. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd, Bradford.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.387
Scope and Contents

Black and white photograph of Gerry Cottle with a circus tent and a BBC truck on the background and a blue border with white dots on the front cover, inside black and white portraits of performers in circles with their names and programme towards the bottom right, on the back cover advertising for world tour, 2p.p.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.388
Scope and Contents

Black and white photograph of Gerry Cottle with a circus tent and a BBC truck on the background and a red border with white dots on the front cover, inside black and white portraits of performers in circles with their names and programme towards the bottom right, on the back cover advertising for world tour, 2p.p.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.389
Scope and Contents

Black and white photograph of Gerry Cottle with a circus tent and a BBC truck on the background and a red border with white dots on the front cover, inside black and white portraits of performers in circles with their names and programme towards the bottom right, on the back cover advertising for world tour, 2p.p.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, 1978

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.390
Scope and Contents

Black and white photograph of woman and tiger on a platform in a circus ring and a red border with white stars on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of Mary Chipperfield, Gerry Cottle and an elephant act and text and programme, on the back cover black and white photogrphas of The Loonies and The Cimarro Brothers with text, 2p.p.

Dates: 1978

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.399
Scope and Contents

Red type on cream background with starry border and solid red border.

Dates: c1900 - 1999

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, 1976

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.402
Scope and Contents

Autumn season. Colour illustration of clown's face with yellow gloves on a blue background and five colour balloons on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers within star shapes and programme in the centre, other information on back cover within two flags, 2p.p.

Dates: 1976

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1980s

 File
Reference code: 178K43.403
Scope and Contents

Colour illustration of head of clown on top right holding a circles containing circus acts including a woman in a white outfit holding a tiger, a man with his head inside a lion's mouth, a trapeze act, and elephant and a zebra. Four fold brouchure with information about the Cottle family circus and colour photographs of acts and performers inside and added insert programme, colour photograph of Susan Lacey with tiger on reverse.

Dates: c1980s

Gerry Cottle's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999

 File
Reference code: 178K43.406
Scope and Contents

Four fold brouchure with colour photograph of five white face clowns on a black background and red and yellow type on a blue background inside a blue oblong shape on top left, inside information about Gerry Cottle and colour photographs, colour photographs of acts and performers in the centre, commercial advertising and added insert programme.

Dates: c1900 - 1999