Billy Smart's Circus (c1946 - 2006)
Biography
Billly Smart's Circus was established by William 'Billy' Smart (1894-1966). Billy came from a fairground family from London with an interest in horses and circuses. In 1946 Billy came across Cody's Circus and bought the big top.
Billy Smart's New World Circus made its debut at Southall Park, Middlesex, on 5 April 1946, for the first full season after the end of the war. Initially, Billy run his circus in conjunction with his fun fair, which was being run by his children, but by 1952 the fun fair, which was overshadowed by the circus, disappeared. The success of the circus side of the business however continued to increase and in 1955, Billy Smart's Circus grew from its two-pole tentto a 6,000 seat, four-pole round big top with a hippodrome track around the ring, and a vast entrance tent, thus enabling the staging of spectacular parades, which became a Billy Smart's Circus trademark.
Billy's greatest innovation, however, was his relationship with the newly established television networks when he agreed to broadcast his circus live on the BBC in 1947. Over the years, Billy Smart's Christmas Spectacular became a BBC holiday tradition, which ITV took over in 1979 and carried on until 1982. The BBC's first-ever colour broadcast was a 'Tribute to Billy Smart', while Royal Performances took place in London, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
A large part of the success of the circus was the showmanship that Billy brought to the operation of the circus, the large family he could draw upon to run the shows and his ability as a showman to market and capture opportunities to advertise. Whilst other circus proprietors were threatened by the rise in popularity of television and shunned the cameras, Billy Smart embraced them. Smart's Circus grew to be one of the largest in the world, touring every part of the British Isles, and with permanent quarters and an associated zoo at Winkfield, Berkshire, not far from where Smart began his fairground career. His success took the circus through twenty-six tenting tours, winter seasons, frequent TV appearances and the provision of animal acts to other circuses.
Billy died in his caravan on 25 September 1966 and the circus passed onto his sons Ronnie, David and Billy Jr. who continued travelling Billy Smart's New World Circus until around 1971.
In the 1990s Ronnie and his sons Gary and Lord revived the Smart Circus and started to tour a smaller scale version of the original circus. However, the Smart Circus was never the same after the dead of Billy and soon after, the Smart name was rented out to other circus operators until it stopped operating in the early 2000s.
Found in 1051 Collections and/or Records:
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946-1999
Worcester, The Pitchcroft, 10-12 September. A great new super spectacle, The Fairyland Fantasy. Colour illustration of woman in sparkling light blue gown holding a long stick with a star on the top end a castle on top left and two green witches over a cauldron on bottom left. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Leeds, Queen's Hall, 26 December to 23 January. Colour illustration of baby elephant on blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk with the location and time of the circus. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Nesfield Printing Works Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Clapham Common, South Side, open until 20 November. Colour illustration of baby elephant on blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk reading Wold's Largest Circus.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 23 October - 18 November 1967
Clapham Common. Yellow and white type on blue background with smiling clown face wearing a small, brown and white checked top hat on centre left and white outline of circus tent and fireworks, also blue and red type on white background on bottom section.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Bridlington, Sewerby Heads site, 12-17 August. Colour illustration of elephant wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood on a circus platform and a mouse dressed as an elephant trainer holding a whip on blue background.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 23 October - 18 November 1967
Clapham Common. Yellow and white type on blue background with smiling clown face wearing a small, brown and white checked top hat on centre left and white outline of circus tent and fireworks, also blue and red type on white background on bottom section.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 25 October - 11 November 1961
Wood Lane, Scrub Recreation Ground. Colour illustration of female aerial acrobatic act in red suit on centre right and clown's face on centre left with elephants, camels, lions and other circus acts underneath. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 23 October - 18 November 1967
Clapham Common. Colour illustration of baby elephant on starry blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk reading 'New 1967 Production', also yellow, blue and red type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Nesfield Printing Works Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 15 - 20 April 1957
York, The Knavesmire. Presenting the new circorama, Rock'n'Roll elephants. Colour illustration of three elephants in Scottish, Hawaiian and Mexican costume dancing on a blue, red, orange and yellow backgound. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 28 March - 2 April 1960
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 27 July - 8 August 1964
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 10 - 12 September 1962
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 24 October - 12 November 1960
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 25 October - 11 November 1961
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 24 - 29 June 1963
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 18 March - 3 April 1964
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 31 October 1962
Clampham Common. Royal Gala performance in the gracious presence of H. R. H. Princess Margaret. Colour illustration of white face clown in yellow outfit balancing a red ball on his nose over a light blue background.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Britain's largest circus. Produced by master showmen. The complete show is coming. White, yellow and red type on dark blue and white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 1971
Colour illustration of tigers leaping on the bottom section, animal tamer behind them, clown face on centre right, horse trainer with horses on centre and two elephants on top right on a red and yellow background, bottom section left blank for printing location and date. Signed by Thomas.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 27 July - 8 August 1964
Porstmouth, Southsea Common. Yellow type on blue background and blue type on white background with half of a clown face on the right hand side and a pink speech bubble on bottom section. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.