Bertram Mills Circus (1920 - 1967)
Dates
- Existence: 1920 - 1967
Biography
Bertram Wagstaff Mills was born in London on August 11, 1873, the son of Halford Lewis Mills of Smarden, the proprietor of a coach building firm and funerary company.
Bertram became part of the family business as a carriage builder and only became involved in the circus through a wager in 1919 of £100 from Sir Gilbert Greenhall, a fellow coaching enthusiast, who was encouraged by R.G. Heaton, the Managing Director of Olympia to put on a first class circus after watching what was in his eyes a very disappointing show at Olympia.
Mills has originally planned to win the wager by engaging Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey to come to London for the 1920-1921 season but cancellation of the contract resulted in Mills decided to put on his own show. He rose to the challenge and the following year he presented a circus which would become an annual highlight for London audiences and introduced world class performers to the British public.
Between 1930 and 1964, and alongside his annual shows at Olympia, Bertram Mills Circus toured the country under the management of his sons Cyril and Bernard. Following the lines of excellence, production and performance standard set by the Olympia shows, according to Bertram Mills, ‘The Mills Circus will perform like professionals and live like gentlemen."
After approximately nine years of exhibiting in London, he created a tenting show which was said to have cost £40,000 to launch and £2500 to run weekly. With the crème de la crème of circus performers forming part of his touring repertoire, regional audiences thrilled to some of the leading artists of the day appearing in the specially designed German big top which travelled by their town by rail, the first British showmen to do so.
Bertram Mills’ status as an innovator and re-invigorator of the circus was heralded on both sides of the Channel. He only selected the best and most polished performers in the world and one of his major impacts as a producer was his ruthless ability to select the best five minutes of a twenty minute act. Circus historian Don Stacey lists these as part of his five principles the others being the ability to attract and convert influential people to the cause of the circus, using individual acts to promote as the star of the show with his treatment of Koringa being a case in point, and finally his ability in using publicity and marketing for the benefit of the show. As one contemporary commentator observed, 'It is not an exaggeration to say that he brought back the circus to England at a time when it seemed that it was about to quietly expire, killed by the War and mechanical entertainment'.
Mills believed in attracting and encouraging the attentions of the great and the good and following on a tradition laid out in the nineteenth century when circus was patronised greatly by the Royal Family, he aimed to make the Quality Show part of the establishment. From 1926 onwards following a visit of the then Prince of Wales to Olympia, the association between the Bertram Mills Circus and the Royal Family resulted in over sixty visits to the shows during its time in Olympia and other venues.
Bertram Mills became President of the Showmen’s Guild of Great in 1935, only the second circus showmen to hold such a position and the first and only time in its history that the position was occupied by someone not born into the business. He proved to be a successful and capable President, often travelling thousands of miles on Guild business including attending the First International Showmen’s Congress in Paris in 1937. Also this year Bertram Mills was the first circus in the world to be televised.
Mills died at the age of sixty-four of cardiac syncope and bronchial pneumonia on 16 April 1938 at his home, Pollards Wood, Chalfont St Giles, the day the tenting circus opened, at Luton, but the circus opened that evening. His death was greeted by the public and industry alike with shock as tributes to Britain’s No 1 Showman and King of the Circus appearing on the newsstands. However, the legacy he built was second to none, the principals laid down by the Quality Show with its attention to detail, model professionalism and quality of acts would be continued by both his sons and provided a template for the industry to follow.
By 1965 Bertram Mills Circus was in decline due to raising costs and the new way of competition the advent of television brought to the entertainment sector. The last winter season at Olympia was delivered by catering and hotel magnate Maxwell Joseph who leased the business for the 1966-1967 season, which will be the last one. Bertram Mills Circus closed 1967.
Found in 219 Collections and/or Records:
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 22 December 1938 - 26 January 1939
Olympia, London. Colour illustration of three clowns on colourful background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of performers and acts with text, programme with illustrations in the centre and commercial advertising. Printed by Fleetwood Press Ltd, 30p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1940
Colour illustration of Koringa on top section in green and black with crocodiles and snakes below on a purple background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of Bertram Mills, his sons, The Earl of Lonsdale and the Lord Burghley, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 4p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 20 December 1946 - 1 February 1947
Olympia, Londo. Colour illustration of Joe Craston on a blue background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre and commercial advertising, 22p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1947
Colour illustration of Joe Craston on a red background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1948
Colour illustration of Joe Craston on a red background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1949
Colour photograph of white face clown in colourful sequence outfit holding a white circle advertising the circus on a black background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 20 December 1949 - 2 February 1950
Olympia, London. Outline illustration of horses head in profile within a star with red dots on a green background with golden stripes on decorative cover, inside colour photograph of two clowns holding a white poster with circus information on front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre and commercial advertising, 24p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1950 - 1951
Black and white illustration of elephant standing on a circus platform its back legs on a red background within white leafy circle on decorative cover, inside colour photograph of tight rope walker on a brown background and black and white photographs and illustrations of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre and commercial advertising, 24p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1951
Colour photograph of white face clown in colourful sequence outfit holding a white circle advertising the circus on a green background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1952
Colour photograph of lion on a green and red background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1952 - 1953
Golden type on red background on decorative cover, inside colour illustration of seal holding a yellow ball on its nose and penguins on a yellow and green background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photograhs of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre and commercial advertising, 24p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1953 - 1954
Black illustration of horse's head in a circle on red background on decorative cover, inside colour photograph of man directing a band of chimpanzees on a blue, green and yellow background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photograhs of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre, article on the story of Bertram Mills circus and commercial advertising, 24p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1954 - 1955
Black type on yellow with cut out circle in the centre showing a tiger's face on decorative cover, inside colour illustration of tiger leaping though a hoop on a green background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photograhs of acts and performers with text, programme with illustrations in the centre, article entitled sketch book and commercial advertising, 20p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1954
Colour illustration of chimpanzee riding a bicicle with another chimpanzee on its shoulders, both wearing red dungarees and yellow jumpers on green and yellow background on front cover, inside introduction, black and white photograhs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1955
Colour illustration of chimpanzee riding a bicicle with another chimpanzee on its shoulders, both wearing red dungarees and yellow jumpers on green and yellow background on front cover, inside black and white photograhs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 6p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 19 December 1956 - 2 February 1957
Olympia, London. Green type and embossed figure of a clown on red faux velvet on decorative cover, inside colour illustration of three clowns' heads on a red background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre with illustrations and commercial advertising, 16p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1956
Black and white illustrations of elephants in clothing within white circles on the top right and bottom left corners on a read background on decorative cover, inside colour illustration of tiger leaping through hoop on a blue, yellow and red background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1957
Colour illustration of tiger leaping through hoop on a blue, yellow and red background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising, 6p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1958
Colour illustration of tiger leaping through hoop on a blue, yellow and red background on the front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre and commercial advertising. Printed by Welbecson Press Ltd, London, 8p.p.
Bertram Mills' Circus Programme, 1959
Colour illustration of three clowns on a green and yellow background on the front cover, inside introduction, black and white photographs of acts and performers with text, programme in the centre, articles and commercial advertising. Printed by Welbecson Press Ltd, London, 12p.p.