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 Super Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of pink baby elephant leading a circus parade on a wagon folowed by other animals and two clowns on an orange background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, also contains tickets stapled to the inside of the front cover, 14p.p.
Billy Smart's the Quality Big Top Show Handbill, 1993
Front side: title, drawing of trapeze artists, date, and location. Back side: circus infromation, seating chart, seat prices, and schedule. 1 page.
Billy Smart's the Quality Big Top Show Handbill, 1993
Front side: title, drawing of a clown face, location, dates, and booking phone number. Back side: circus information, seating chart, seat prices, and schedule. 1 page.
Billy Smart's the Quality Big Top Show Handbill, 1993
Front side: title, draing of a clown face, location, dates, and 'Exclusive offer to NSE Travellers'. Back side: circus information, seating chart, seat prices, special offer information, and schedule. 1 page.
Billy Smart’s The Quality Show Circus Poster, 1993
Fragile. Richmond Old Deer Park, 22 October to 20 November 1993. Colour illustration of circus performers coming out of a large white and red Smart’s Circus tent and a large harlequin clown leaning over the tent on the top right section, on a blue background.
Billy Smart's The Quality Show Handbill, c1900 - 2000
Two handbills for Billy Smarts The Quality Show, one for London Clapham Common and one for Cambridge. The front features a colour illustration of a clown balancing on a ball. The back features performance dates and times, seating plan, ticket prices and how to book.
Billy Smart's The Quality Show Promotional Material, 1998
Contains colour photographs of the performers and their names; timeline of Smart family circus; photographs of setting up the Big Top; old Black and white photographs of the Smart family.
Black and White Paintings of Circus Perrier Name Logo, c1900 - 2000
Painted on board.
Black Blindfold, c1900 - 2000
Various items of ephemera.
Blackpool Tower Circus Programme, 1974
Charlie Cairoli and Company, The Flying Alizes trapeze, Trio Hoganas wire act, Max Morris and His Californian Sea Lions, The Three Siegfrieds thrilling perchists, Jean Claude and Yvette puppeteers, The Wychwoods and their poodles, Billy Smart’s Elephants, The Six Benis swing act, The Kludsky trick cycling, Jerry, Jimmy and Johnny bareback riding, Paul and Barry Harman. Colour illustration of clown on cover, photos. Notes of times handwritten on programme, 12p.p.
Blackpool Tower Circus Programme, 2002
Programme for the 108th season of the Blackpool Tower Circus. Front cover features a clown in a blue outfit juggling. Where the balls should be are cut out circles which show the performers from the circus on the page behind. Programme contains information and photographs of the circus and its performers.
Blackpool Tower The Tops Promotional Material, 1988
Limited edition souvenir brochure for Blackpool Tower. Contains history of the tower; facts and figures of the tower; information on famous performers at the tower; the tower in 1988; current attractions at the tower; colour and black and white photographs. 6 pages.
Board of Trade Licences, 1954 - 1967
Collection of import licences obtained by the Billy Smart’s Circus.
Books of Takings, 1975 - 1977
Business records related to the Smart family and Smart circus.
British Circus and Variety Programmes, 1949 - 1970
British Circuses Programmes, 1921 - 2018
Business Records, 1945 - 2006
Business records related to the Smart family and Smart circus.
Business Records and Correspondence, 1979 - 1981
Correspondence including letters between Roberto Germanis and Ronald Smart and between John Smith and David Smart. Includes financial records.
Business Records Concerning a Winter Circus and Circus School for Ireland, 1991
Includes technical drawings, an architecture diploma thesis project by Brian T O'Brien.
Business Records Concerning Animal Cruelty, 1965 - 1974
Includes leaflets from the Association of Circus Proprietors of Great Britain, and R.S.P.C.A; House of Lords official reports regarding Performing Animals Bill.