The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain (Established 1889)
Dates
- Existence: Established 1889
Biography
The United Kingdom Van Dwellers Association was founded in 1889 with the purpose of fighting the Moveable Dwellings Bill of 1888.
Between 1884 and 1891 George Smith attempted to legislate the movements of all travelling people. The basic tenets of this Bill included the registration of all moveable dwellings, the compulsory school attendance of all Gypsy and van dwellers' children and the introduction of a series of regulations concerning the number of people permitted in a given living space. However, the main recommendation was the power to grant the local council the authority for an officer of the law to enter a van with a warrant, in order to inspect the dwelling for sanitation, health and moral irregularities. These proposals caused widespread anger throughout the travelling fraternity.
Aware of how this would affect the fairground business, in 1889 the leading showmen of the day were contacted through the pages of The Era newspaper and asked to attend a meeting to be held at the Black Lion Hotel in Salford. As a result of this and subsequent gatherings, the Van Dwellers' Protection Association was formed. A membership fund was started and in the first year over five hundred showmen contributed to the cost of fighting George Smith's proposed Bill.
Early founders of the Guild gradually introduced a set of guidelines which eventually formed the basis of the rules and conditions found in the Showmen's Year Books. Throughout the past hundred years the Showmen's Guild has effectively been carrying on the mandate set by the founders in 1889: to separate showpeople from traveller-gypsies and to defend the homes, liberties and way of life of the showpeople of Great Britain. The present day Guild not only represents 95% of the community at both national and local levels, but it also operates a code of conduct within the fairground community.
Until 1907 the Guild was highly centralised, with a 28-strong Executive Committee and an almost equal number of vice-presidents and other offices. In that year it was decided to divide the Executive Committee into seven divisional committees, each having responsibility for a particular region. In 1917 the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, as it became known, was recognised as the trade association of the travelling funfair business and acquired the right to stand as representatives for the business at both local and national levels; a position it still occupies to this day.
The principal object of the Showmen's Guild has remained the same for over 100 years; to protect the interest of its members, travelling showmen who gain their livelihoods by attending funfairs. It does this in two ways; by its code of Rules and through the constitutional process of the land.
The Guild is organised into ten Sections and is accepted at both national and local levels as the negotiating body for travelling showmen. Through it's parliamentary agent, the Guild contests any proposed legislation that discriminates against its members, or seeks concessions when legislation threatens their ability to make a living. In matters involving local authorities a delegation of officers will usually be called upon to represent member's interests.
Found in 209 Collections and/or Records:
Account Books, 1948 - 1977
Account ledgers containing information about memberships, subscriptions and funds. Manuscript.
Armley Feast Poster, 2 - 6 September c1975
The Showmen’s Guild, Yorkshire Section. Red and blue type on white background.
Armley Spring Fair Poster, 27 - 30 May c1975
The Showmen’s Guild, Yorkshire Section. Red and blue on white background.
Army and Navy Stores Valuation, March 1954
Bound valuation of the Showmen's Guild's furniture and effects at Abbey House, Victoria Street, London, lising the contents of the building and their value for insurance purposes.
Audio Material, 1993
Copies of interviews with Showmen and women from the Nottingham and Derbyshire Sections of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain recorded by Neil Calladine.
Bill Weeks Collection
This collection contains photographs of fairgrounds and steam engines, journal articles, newspaper cuttings, correspondence and books on railways, engineering, fairgrounds and other related topics.
Business Records, 1931 - 1956
Various business records related to the Dobson family's business in the faiground.
Business Records, 1889 - 2003
Business records containing minutes of meetings, financial records, documents related to legislation and urban planning, Showmen's Guild diaries, year books, records on the campaigns run by the Showmen on the defence of Mitcham, Norwich, Manchester, Nottingham and Cambridge fairs.
Business Records, 1960 - 2007
Business records encompassing Michelle's role as the Education Officer for the Showmen's Guild, the education of children showmen and the Children's Benevolent Fund competition.
Calendars, 2002
The Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain Golden Jubilee calendar.
Charles Taylor Collection
The Charles Taylor collection is a fine example of Taylor’s of Wombwell printers’ posters, which highlight changes in printing techniques, fashion and taste within the popular entertainment industry. Included are examples of posters for pantomimes, fairs and circuses. The collection also contains handbills and other advertising material.
Chris Russell Collection
This collection contains five boxes of original photographic material including negatives and slides, a small amount of fairground journals, newspaper cuttings, correspondence, six audio tapes and a small amount of posters and handbills all related to the fairground and steam rally events.
Correspondence, 1901 - 1976
David Braithwaite's correspondence with various people and organisations including Orton and Spooner, Savages, The British Fairground Society, the Showland Library, The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, Allan Herschell and Kenneth Brown. Some correspondence is under his old name David Bottoms.
Correspondence with the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, 1963 - 1964
Correspondence between David Braithwaite and the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, regarding Braithwaite’s efforts to research and publish. Typescript.
David Braithwaite Collection
This collection contains photographs taken by David Braithwaite from the 1950s and used towards his publications alongside older images collected from other sources as well as business records, monographs, articles, correspondence, newspaper cuttings, advertising material, bibliographies, catalogues, programmes, films and some other miscellaneous items.
Dewsbury Feast Poster, 22 - 26 July c1975
Showmen’s Guild, Yorkshire Section. Red and blue type on yellow background.
Documents About Legislation and Planning Related to Travelling Fairs and People, 1960 - 2007
Contains a copy of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, the response from the government to the ninth report of the committee: travelling fairs, the traveller law reform bill, press notices, correspondence, memorandums and planning documents.
Documents Related to Children Showmen's Education and Other Guild Business Matters, 2001 - 2003
Documents Related to Newcastle Town Moor Fair, 20 - 29 June 2003, 1989
Event manual, zone wardens' handbook and site permit application forms.
Eleanor Rayner Collection
Small collection of souvenir newspapers, newspaper cuttings, articles and printed ephemera, relating to the Rayner family and their involvement in the Goose Fair, compiled by Eleanor Rayner.