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:
Interview with Kate Smart, 1981 - 1982, 25 February 1982, 21 January 1981
Interview with Mrs Kate Smart, Mr Buller Hatwell and other showmen/women conducted by Rod Spooner at Barnt Green and Cassington on cassette tape format. First four people interviewed on 25 February 1982 at George Smart’s house, Barnt Green, Birmingham. Buller Hatwell interviewed at Cassington, nr. Oxford on 21 January 1981.
Interview with Len 'Spider' Austin and bits of Cirque Medrano Film, November 1953
VHS. Filmed in Paris. Note on tape reads 'Motley Alley UK Ag…etc, Arthur Pedlar interview with Len ‘Spider’ Austin with Cirque Medrano Paris November 1953 taken from 16mm film with John Vrie, Pipo, Dario and Nino and Charly'.
Invitation from Publimer London LTD to Ronald Smart, 1961
Includes a photograph.
Invitation from the Directors of Cameca Paris to a Private Demonstration of their New Scopitone Unit, c1900 - 2000
Demonstration ran 30 May - 2 June inclusive.
Invitation from the Thames Television to the Billy Smart's Christmas Circus, 30 October 1981
Various items of ephemera.
Invitations to Different Events from Mr. and Mrs Billy Smart, c1900 - 2000
Various items of ephemera.
Invite Issued to Mr. and Mrs. Billy Smart for the Premier Performance of Tom Arnold’s Harringay Circus, 1951
Features image of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the King and Queen of Greece at the circus in London, 1876, on the front.
Jack Hylton's Earls Court Circus Fun Fair and Menagerie Programme, 1952
Coach party reservation form and souvenir programme for circus run 22 December 1952 - 24 January 1953. Front cover: drawing of circus animals and the circus ring with a clown and little girl in the top right corner. Inside: programme in the centre, information on Jack Hylton, photos and information about the acts. 8 pages.
Jack Niblett's Circus Sketches, c1929 - 1990
286 loose sketches and 6 sketchbooks of circus acts, animals and performers from various international circuses including Smarts, Bertram Mills and Robert Bros. by Jack Niblett. Pen and ink, felt pen, watercolour, pencil and pastel.
Jean and Peter Barbour Brochure, c1900 - 2000
Contains black and white photographs of their performances; information about the performers; a review of their act. 2 pages.
Kay Smart Circus Talk Audio Recording, c1900 - 2000
1/4 audio reel. Digitised as part of the Unlocking Our Sounds Heritage project by the British Library.
Kindercirkus Dinkeltje Programme, 1970
Front cover: photo of people queuing to enter the circus. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisement, few photos of the acts. Back cover: advertisements. 4 pages.
Knie Circus' 75th Anniversary Promotional Material, 1994
Contains black and white and colour photographs of the circus and performers; information about the performers and Knie circus.
Knie Circus Promotional Material, 1978
History about the Knie circus and its circus performers. Black and white and Colour photographs. 24 pages.
Knie Programme, 1994
Front cover: a show woman and a white horse. Inside: programme in the centre, pictures of the acts with a brief description, commercial advertisement. Back cover: painting of a circus elephant. 34 pages.
Knie Programme, 1994
Front cover: a show woman and a white horse. Inside: programme in the centre, pictures of the acts with a brief description, commercial advertisement. Back cover: painting of a circus elephant. 34 pages.
Knie Programme, 1989
Front cover: a mime with assistant. Inside: programme in the centre, commercial advertisement, photos of the acts, information on the circus. 27 pages.
Knie Programme, 1995
Front cover has colour photograph of clown in a red hat and blue blazer holding a red Knie balloon.
Krone, des Circus, den die Ganze Welt Kennt Programme, 1954
Front page: black and white drawing of a clown and elephant each reading a newspaper. Inside: programme of the show. Back page: advertisement. 2 pages.
Krone, Palacio Municipal de Deportes Barcelona Programme, 1958
Programme for circus run 19 December 1958 - 6 January 1959. Front cover: drawing of the head of an elephant. Inside: programme starts in the centre, history of the Krone circus, information about the acts with photos, commercial advertisements. Back cover: advertisement. 48 pages.