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:
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1968
Colour illustration of elephants performing with feathers on their heads and other animals on the top section over a blue background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of the Robert family and the acts and performers with text and programme in the centre, article on circus and commercial advertisement on last page, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of lion jumping through a hoop on fire over a red background on the front cover, inside colour photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertisment on back cover, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1971
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head on blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1970
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head on blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1969 - 1970
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head on blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1969
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head on blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 10p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head on orange background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 10 - 15 February 1975
Theatre Royal, Norwich. Robert Brothers Circus. Black and white illustration of clown holding a sign and elephant holding a paint brush on a red background on the front cover, inside introductions, programme and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1973
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head and elephant's head on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, colour and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial adversiting, 10p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programme, 1973
Colour illustration of roaring lion's head and elephant's head on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, colour and black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial adversiting, 10p.p.
Robert Brothers Circus Programmes, c1900 - 2008
Robert Brothers Circus programmes.
Robert Brothers Circus Research Material, 1948 - 1967
Black and white and colour photocopies of Robert Brothers circus posters, programmes and newspaper cuttings.
Robert Brothers Famous Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of large smiling clown's face in the centre and a blond woman in a white bikini hanging from a rope on a starry blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white and colour photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 6p.p.
Robert Brothers Famous Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of two clown faces in the centre and different circus animals below including, horses, tigers, lion, elephants, gorilla, camerls poodles and boxing kangaroo on a blue background on the front cover, inside programme with colour illustrations around the right, left and bottom edges, Thorney wildlife park advert on back cover, 2p.p.
Robert Brothers Famous Circus Programme, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of smiling clown's face, wearing a Union Jack top hat over a white and blue background on the font cover, inside colour photographs of acts and performers with text and programme in the centre, 6p.p.
Robert Brothers Famous Circus Programme, 1978
Colour illustration of two clown faces in the centre and different circus animals below including, horses, tigers, lion, elephants, gorilla, camerls poodles and boxing kangaroo on a blue background on the front cover, inside introduction, colour and black and white photographs of acts and performers,programme in the centre and wildlife park advert on back cover, 6p.p.
Robert Brothers International Circus Programme, Sunday 8 December 1985 - Saturday 26 January 1986
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. Colour illustration of elephant's head with trunk in a knot, a clown balancing a bucket of water on a stick on his nose and a juggler over a white background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Souvenir Brouchure, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustrations of circus acts along the left hand side and colour photograph of circus ring with four elephants performing in the centre on the front cover, inside introduction to the history of Robert Brothers Circus, black and white and colour photographs of family members with short articles and some celebrities, also commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Robert Brothers Super Circus Programme, 1991 - 1992
S.E.C.C. Glasgow. Black and white photograph of three Roberts brothers and black and white type on front cover with introduction at the bottom of the page, inside programme and black and white photographs of performers and acts along the sides, on back cover black and white photographs of acts and performers and acknowledgements, 2p.p.
Robert Brothers Super Circus Programme, c1985 - 1989
Colour photograph of three Robert brothers on bottom section and circus tent within a red, orange and white star above on front cover, inside colour photographs of acts, performers and circus tent and programme in the centre, also a loose page with programme in black and white with black and white illustration of ringmaster holding a whip, 7p.p.