Circus Friends Association of Great Britain (Established 1934)
Biography
The CFA, formerly known as the Circus Fans Association was stablished on Saturday 20th January 1934 in the ring of Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia, London by a group of enthusiasts. The CFA’s purpose remains the same as in its conception; to stimulate, foster and promote enthusiasm for circus and related performances as part of British culture.
During 1934, the pattern for CFA activities was established, with the formation of the library, the publication of The Sawdust Ring magazine and the first rallies, including ones to the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth and Blackpool Tower. The annual subscription at the time was one guinea for residents in a radius of 60 miles from London 'as defined by Automobile Association handbook', and half a guinea for those residing outside that area, in the provinces. 'For residents in the Colonies and foreign counties' the subscription was 7/6.
The first President of the CFA was Lady Eleanor Smith (1902-1945), the eldest child of the politician F. E. Smith. Lady Eleanor Smith was an author, a society reporter and cinema reviewer and worked as a publicist for circus companies.
Other notable presidents were; Dame Laura Knight (1877-1970), the most celebrated British impressionist female artist of all time and the first woman to ever be elected to the Royal Academy. The actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke (1893-1964), wine merchant and philanthropist Sir Walter Gilbey (1831-1914), theatrical manager and empresario Sir Charles B. Cochran (1872-1951), Sir William Savory (1882-1961), author Antony Hippisley Coxe and Commander W. J. Gerard.
The first five years of the CFA saw the firm establishment of the Association its activity, although it was active by Alfred 'Dickey' Bird. The post-war years were difficult but the CFA continued operating with the same aims and ambitions.
The library was started in 1937, as a gift of 30 books from A.C. McLachlan. Others titles were acquired by purchase or donation. It contains books on virtually every aspect of circus life from individual acts, to acts of Parliament, from erecting a Big Top, to the logistics of transporting circuses, works of fiction, photography and juvenile literature all of which help to create a greater understanding of the many contrasts in circus life; of the romance, tragedy, spectacle and hardships.
Notable authors who have contributed to the myth and legend of circus include Lady Eleanor Smith, who in 1945, donated all her circus books to the CFA, Ruth Manning-Sanders and Courtney Ryley Cooper, an American writer who, after having first joined a circus aged 16, went on to write crime books and ghost-wrote articles under J. Edgar Hoover’s name in the 1930s.
After the war lists of holdings were printed and distributed to members, who could borrow a book at a time by post. By the mid 1970s, the ‘Library Catalogue’ listed 525 books and a ‘Circusiana’ section was created for valuable books, for reference only.
The CFA continues maintaining the collection, ensuring its growth and establishing it as the primary, national collection of books on circus.
The CFA has also amassed one of the most fascinating and important collection of circus related material in the United Kingdom expanding over 200 years. This material has supported research and literature produced by its members over the years and has ensured that an important part of British circus history will be available for future generations of researchers and enthusiasts.
The association has always welcomed enthusiasts and circus artistes to it’s membership and has always produced a regular publication giving news, reviews and articles on circus artistes and personalities and reviews of British and foreign circuses. The current quarterly magazine King Pole, named after the masts, which support a circus tent, is regarded as one of the leading circus periodicals in the world.
The CFA continues to organise visits, formerly called rallies, for the members, to UK circuses and recognises the achievements of those involved in circus with special awards.
After almost 85 years in existence the CFA continues to flourish with membership being maintained in the region of 500 comprising both British and subscribers from abroad.
Found in 1288 Collections and/or Records:
Boswell Wilkie Circus Programmes, 1950 - 1990
Boswell Wilkie Circus programmes, containing colour illustrations and photographs on the front covers, inside black and white and colour photographs of perfomers and acts with text, programme and commercial advertising.
Boswell's Circus Programme, 1954
Colour illustration of clown face on bottom left and small circus ring with polar bear jumping through a hoop and animal trainer, trapeze act and woman seating on edge of ring on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Boswell's Circus Programme, 1956
Colour illustration of top section of clown holding a circus ring with his left hand, with clowns playing music and car, three white horses, three elephants and acrobatic acts on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text and commercial advertising, 7p.p.
Boswell's National Circus Programme, 1959
Colour illustration of music band lead by a woman on the left and lions and elephants on the right hand side, over a yellow background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Boswells' National Circus Programme, 1961
White and brown photographs of acts and performers around the left and bottom edges and red, yellow and brown type on stripey white and yellow background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, also newspaper cutting for an act and press pass for the Frontier Post and Times dated 8 September 1961, 10p.p.
Boswell's National Circus Programme, 1960
Colour illustration of laughing clown's face on top right and lion's head on bottom right over a red background with yellow, blue and black type , also a white, blue and yellow rosette reading golden jubilee on bottom left, on front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Boswell's Sirkus Combined with Wilkie Programme, c1960 - 1969
Colour illustration of white face clown covering the page on a yellow background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Boswell's South African National Circus Programme, 1958
Includes an introduction and a programme in the central pages as well as information on different acts with black and white photographs including, Koringa, The Flying Marilees, The Cycling Bales, Trio Chromatique, Les Morellys, Trevor Bale, Stanley Boswell, The Volants, The Congars. Colour illustration of woman wrestling a crocodile, surrounded by other crocodiles and snakes on the front cover and clown on back cover, 9p.p.
Boswell's South Africa's National Circus Programme, 1957
Colour illustration of Davy Crockett and a wild west scene in a circus ring on front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of performers and acts with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Brian Boswell's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colouring book programme. Colour illustration of roaring lion's head and leaping tiger on a blue background and yellow and red type on the front cover, inside out line of circus performers and scenes for colouring and a loose programme page, 11p.p.
Brian Boswell's Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Purple and red type on yellow background with red stars and images of past programmes on the front cover, inside introduction, colour photographs of acts and performes, a page on animal care and programme, 8p.p.
British Circuses Programmes, 1921 - 2018
British Isles Circuses Research Material, 1900 - 1988
Notebooks containing listings of British circuses, their programmes, descriptions of the acts and newspaper cuttings. Created by D. H. Thomas (David Harold Thomas aka Hal Thomas). Manuscript.
Broncho Bill's Wild West Show and Circus Programmes, 1917-1920
Black type on off white background with geometrical border and programme, some glued to others back to back, also contain a black and white postcard of Broncho Bill's elephant and ponies. Printed by Paulton Bros., Printers, Berry Street Wolverhampton.
Burnt Stub Zoo, Circus and Amusement Programme, 1934
Chessington, Surrey. Green type on off white card with opening hours, animal feeding times and circus programme inside and information on amusements on back cover, 2p.p.
Burnt Stub Zoo, Circus and Amusement Programme, c1900 - 1999
Back cover of programme containing part of the circus programme, green type on off white card with opening hourse on reverse.
Business Advertising Card, c1900 - 1999
Nicky B juggler advertising card, red type and illustration of a male juggler with rings on white background.
Business Records, c1900 - 1999
Business records comprissing minutes of meetings, books of accounts, receipts, annual statements and other documents related to the Circus Friends Association of Great Britain, Bertram Mills Circus, Hans Brick and Bostock and Wombwell.
C & B M. Silver Jubilee Programme, 1951 - 1952
Blue faux velvet with silver embossed letters decorative cover, inside colour photograph of white face clown breaking through paper on top left and showgirl on bottom right on a white background on front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs and illustrations of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre and commercial advertising, 24p.p.
Calendars, 1974 - 2012
Circus themed calendars.