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Thurston, Charles, c1882 - 1928

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: c1882 - 1928

Biography

Charles Thurston was the eldest son of Henry Thurston, a brickmaker, who found success on the fairground. His first venture, independent of his father, was his Royal Show, a two-waggon fronted bioscope which he travelled with his wife Charlotte. Between 1902 to 1907 the show was extensively adapted and refitted to keep ahead with the latest fashions. Finally a long-case 89-key Marenghi organ was added, and with this larger instrument the show was extended, with a larger central arch, and a canopy over the organ and engine. Around 1911, this organ was then built into a new parading fronted show, possibly using the original booth.

However, despite the alterations made by Charles Thurston to his show, the appearance of his arch rival William Taylor at Cambridge Midsummer Fair with the latest Orton and Spooner show, resulted in the ordering of new equipment. With the purchase of the cinematograph which became known as the 'Great Show from Orton and Spooners' in 1908, Thurston had two Bioscopes on the road. However, the description of the Great Show at St Giles's Fair in 1907 refers to the No 1 show which by then had been extensively refitted. Thurston's first show is described as having shuttered walls, draped black cloth ceiling and walls adorned in gold braiding.

However, this first show never achieved the extravagance of Charles's second show. The design of the Great Show was similar to Pat Collins Wonderland exhibition as they were both built around a 120 key Marenghi organ. The exhibition was new in 1908 and its distinctive heavily gilded carved work, and countless coloured incandescent lights on the showfront, caused a sensation when it appeared at the 1908 Kettering Feast. Unlike William Taylor who was often seen on the front of his show, Charles Thurston's role was more distant and he employed a manager by the name of Jim Norman to oversee the performance and manage the variety acts. A World's Fair reporter writing in 1932 recalls Thurston's show with its latest novelty in the form of Colormatography appearing at the 1910 Kettering Feast. The films on display included the Pearl Fishers, and were reputedly all in colour.

In the years leading up to World War I, the show expanded and incorporated more variety acts which included Paulos and Mystic, an illusion act with Egyptian magicians. Like William Taylor and George Green, Charles Thurston had anticipated the decline in popularity of the fairground bioscope shows and had previously invested in static cinemas in 1911, when he opened the Electric Palace in Harwich. His cinema concerns were further consolidated in 1913, when he built the Empire Cinema in Biggleswade, a purpose built affair which seated six hundred people, and the Palace Cinema in Norwich.

By the 1920s Charles sold his cinemas and concentrated solely on his travelling concerns. After this death in 1928, the firm was continued by his sons. However the cinemas he built in 1913 still continued to be used for the presentation of movies until the 1960s when finally they Empire Cinema in Biggleswade was converted into an electronics factory.

Found in 10 Collections and/or Records:

Business Records, 1889 - 2003

 Series
Reference code: 178H40
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1889 - 2003

Drawings for the Design of Various Decorative Components for Fairground Rides, c1890 - 1939

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178V10.33
Scope and Contents

Designs for showfronts, decorative columns and other decorative features, including the swag entrance for a scenic for Charles Thurston, a Hippodrome swag entrance, the front of switchback and scenic rides, Simnett’s shop front, Parry’s show front and the design for a fireplace. Pencil on paper.

Dates: c1890 - 1939

Minutes of Meetings of the Showmen's Guild, 1918 - 1957

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178H40.1-14
Scope and Contents

Minutes of meetings of the Showmen's Guild comprising Central Council meetings, Special General meetings, Management Committee meetings, Mutual Agreement meetings, Annual and Extraordinary meettins, meetings of the Appeals Committee and War Emergency Committee meetings.

Dates: 1918 - 1957

Minutes of the Annual Meetings and Extraordinary Meetings of Members, 1930 - 1951

 Item — Box Showmen's Guild Box 1: Series 178H40
Reference code: 178H40.7
Scope and Contents

Bound minutes of meetings in red notebook containing annual accounts, elections of officials, general secretary's reports, admitance of member's wives in the meetings, accounts, rules, update on deceased members, benevolent funds, war updates among other matters. Signed by the Presidents W. Wilson and B. Hobson and Chairmen J. E. Browne, Charles Thurston, William Pullen and William Lennards. Manuscript.

Dates: 1930 - 1951

Original Artwork, c1900 - 1929

 Series
Reference code: 178V10
Scope and Contents

Drawings and designs used for the decoration of fairground rides.

Dates: c1900 - 1929

Orton and Spooner Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0070
Scope and Contents

This collection contains a large selection of archives from the Orton and Spooner Company. The collection comprises photographs and cabinet card images showing carved work, structural work and classic painted work, 4 boxes of notes, invoices and clippings, 8 drawers of plans and blueprints, 2 folders of ride specifications and order forms, accounts books and a library of source books showing turn of the century art used by the artists in the company.

Dates: c1870 - 1969

Plans and Sketches for Fairground Rides and Shows, c1875 - 1939

 File
Reference code: 178V10.43
Scope and Contents

Plans and sketches for rides and shows including swings, trusses for roofs, sleepers and railings for G. Green scenic, specifications for sleepers for M & E Hill, design for abreast gallopers crack, entrance plan for Thurston, platform galloping action, boxing boards for C. Heal, chimney centre and joy wheel.

Dates: c1875 - 1939

Records Related to Cambridge Summer Fair, 1930 - 1931

 Sub-Series — Box Showmen's Guild Box 22: Series 178H40
Reference code: 178H40.113
Scope and Contents

Contains brief history of the fair, correspondence between various Showmen and the Showmen and the Borough of Cambridge including Charles Thurston, William Rabbit and C.H. Kemp. Manuscript and typescript.

Dates: 1930 - 1931

Sketch for Charles Thurston's Ride Design, c1930 - 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178V10.25
Scope and Contents

Sketch for show front with space for name on the top section, cherub, caryatid, foliage and musical instrument decorations for Charles Thurston. Pencil on paper.

Dates: c1930 - 1939

The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0054
Scope and Contents

The main extent of the collection contains yearbooks, meetings and minutes, correspondence and a record of day to day activities within The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.

Dates: 1904 - 2023

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 8
Collection 2
 
Subject
Amusement rides 5
Animals 2
Architecture 2
Ark 1
Art 3