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Lord George Sanger Circus (Established c1880)

 Organisation

Dates

  • Existence: Established c1880

Biography

Lord George Sanger Circus was founded by George Sanger after disolving his business partnership with his brother John Sanger.

George and John were the founders of the Sanger Allied Circus in 1854, which they operated with a few family members and friends. The business grew from strength to strength and by 1858 Sanger’s circus could boast of presenting the largest stud of horses ever seen in the European continent. By the 1860s the Sanger emporium owned ten permanent circuses between Plymouth and Aberdeen.

The Sanger brother’s acquired two of the most famous and reputable circus venues in London; the Royal Agricultural Hall at Islington in 1870 and Astley’s New Royal Amphitheatre in 1871.

George and John eventually decided to go their separate ways and split their various business ventures amicably.

During his career as a circus proprietor George Sanger presented two Royal performances before Queen Victoria, the first at Sandringham on 8 January 1885 and the second at Balmoral Castle on 17 June 1898.

George Sanger was a respected member of the showland community and although he spent most of his later life in the circus, he maintained a strong link to his fairground roots and was elected the first President of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain in 1890, a post he held until 1909.

George Sanger was murdered on 28 November 1911, at Park Farm by one of his employees for unknown reasons. His circus and effects were auctioned off by showman Tom Norman aka ‘The Silver King’.

Found in 104 Collections and/or Records:

Lord George Sanger’s Circus Programme, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178K27.155
Scope and Contents

Contains handwritten notes, 2p.p.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1935

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.565
Scope and Contents

Black and orange illustrations of ringmaster, roaring lion, female equestrian act and performing dog on blue background on the front cover, inside programme and after performance show on back cover. Printed by Stafford and Co., Ltd., Printers, Netherfield, Nottingham, 2p.p.

Dates: 1935

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1937

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.568
Scope and Contents

Black and orange illustrations of ringmaster, roaring lion, female equestrian act and performing dog on blue background on the front cover, inside programme and Circus Fans' Association information on back cover. Printed by Stafford and Co., Ltd., Printers, Netherfield, Nottingham, 2p.p.

Dates: 1937

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1938

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.569
Scope and Contents

Black and orange illustrations of ringmaster, roaring lion, female equestrian act and performing dog on blue background on the front cover, inside programme and Circus Fans' Association information on back cover. Printed by Stafford and Co., Ltd., Printers, Netherfield, Nottingham, 2p.p.

Dates: 1938

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, c1939 - 1945

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.570
Scope and Contents

Black and orange illustrations of ringmaster, roaring lion, female equestrian act and performing dog on blue background on the front cover, inside programme and Circus Fans' Association information on back cover. Printed by Stafford and Co., Ltd., Printers, Netherfield, Nottingham, 2p.p.

Dates: c1939 - 1945

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1949

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.575
Scope and Contents

Green and white illustration of laughing clown's face and paragraph by George Sanger on front cover, inside programme and Sanger circus facts and information on what happens before the circus comes to town on back cover. Printed by Willsons, Leicester, 2p.p.

Dates: 1949

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1951

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.576
Scope and Contents

Green and white illustration of laughing clown's face and paragraph by George Sanger on front and programme on reverse.

Dates: 1951

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1952

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.578
Scope and Contents

Green and white illustration of laughing clown's face and paragraph by George Sanger on front cover, inside programme and Sanger circus facts and information on what happens before the circus comes to town on back cover. Printed by Willsons, Leicester, 2p.p.

Dates: 1952

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1954 Christmas season

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.580
Scope and Contents

Sophia Ganderns' Pavilion, Cardiff. Colour illustration of laughing clown's face wearing a black top hat and red and black type on yellow background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of family members and text on the history of the Sanger circus, programme in the centre, black and white photographs of acts and the Royal family with text and commercial advertising. Printed by Priory Press Ltd., The Friary, Cardiff, 8p.p.

Dates: 1954 Christmas season

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, 1954

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.581
Scope and Contents

Red and white illustration of laughing clown's face and paragraph by George Sanger on front cover, inside programme and Sanger circus facts. Printed by Willsons, Leicester, 2p.p.

Dates: 1954

Lord George Sanger's Circus Programme, c1962

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.585
Scope and Contents

Colour photograph of head of roaring lion on a yellow background on front cover, inside black and white photographs of acts, animals and performers with text, programme in the centre andshort article on back cover, also two newspaper cuttings found inside, see 178G21.89. Printed by Hasting Printing Co., Portland Place, Hastings, 4p.p.

Dates: c1962

Lord George Sanger's Circus Revue Programme, Commencing Monday 8 March 1937

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.567
Scope and Contents

The Opera House, Cheltenham. Black type and small illustration of a landscape and scrolls on centre over an off white background on front cover, inside programme. Printed by Frod and Branch Ltd., Gloucester, 2p.p.

Dates: Commencing Monday 8 March 1937

Lord George Sanger's Equestrian and Zoological Exhibition Programme, 17 July 1899

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.24
Scope and Contents

Windsor Castle. Navy blue type on silk with coat of arms on top section, listing acts, some of the performers and animals.

Dates: 17 July 1899

Lord George Sanger's Great Hippodramatic and Spectacular Circus Programme, c1800 - 1899

 Item
Reference code: 178K43.17
Scope and Contents Mdlles. Marie and Yetta on the lofty wire, Brothers Artois on the horizontal bar, James Holloway, Brothers Austin, Mr. Joseph Craston with clairboyant and talking horse, Tipster, Mdlles. Violet, Topsy and Rose, on the slack wire, H. Austin, equestrian act, Dance Linwood, clown, Prof. James in ladder act, Mdlle. Florezell, contorsionist act, Mdlle. Lillian equestrian act, James Holloway clown, Madame Pauline de Vere lion tamer, Harry Whitely's singing donkey, Messrs. Cottrell and Austen,...
Dates: c1800 - 1899

Lord George Sanger's Hall by the Sea Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, 8 September 1914

 Item
Reference code: 178K45.3
Scope and Contents

Margate, Special programme for the Benefit of the Belgian Relief Fund. Colour illustration of a woman seating with a garland of fruit behind her and white doves on a maroon, orange and yellow background on the front cover, inside black type on white paper containing programme and commercial advertising, three fold. Printed by Electric Press, Margate, 3pp.

Dates: 8 September 1914

Lord George Sanger's Hall by the Sea Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, 8 September 1914

 Item
Reference code: 178K45.4
Scope and Contents

Margate, Special programme for the Benefit of the Belgian Relief Fund, Colour illustration of a woman seating with a garland of fruit behind her and white doves on a maroon, orange and yellow background on the front cover, inside black type on white paper containing programme and commercial advertising, three fold. Printed by Electric Press, Margate, 3pp.

Dates: 8 September 1914

Lord George Sanger's Horses and Equipment Catalogue of Sale, 4 January 1912

 Item
Reference code: 178J11.2
Scope and Contents

Park Farm, East Finchley, London, to be sold at auction by Tom Norman. Catalogue of sale of Lord George Sanger's stud of horses and related equipment. Black type on off white paper, 2p.p.

Dates: 4 January 1912

Lord George Sanger's Royal Circus, Hippodrome and Grand Military Spectacle Programme, c1899 - 1910

 Item
Reference code: 178K45.1
Scope and Contents Blue type on off white background with blue decorative border with leaves and flowers. Acts listed; Koho, Albert, clown, Mr Lance Linwood, Mr Harry Austin, M. M. Le Freres Dubois, Mdlle. Lilian, James Holloway, Bros. Austin, Silly Silver, clown, Mdlle. Henrietta Florence and Lydia, The Holloway Trio, Glencoe, Mdlle. Yetta, Mdlle. Ida Stoodley, Bros. Alberto, Ryanor Troupe, Harry & George Austin, Trebla, clown, Little Sandy, clown, Mdlle. Minnie Connelly, Incidents of the Indian Mutiny,...
Dates: c1899 - 1910