Better late than never!

 A year or so back I was made aware that journalist Sylvia Kent was writing a piece on Joan Rosaire. Joan is an extraordinary circus horse trainer from an amazing circus family. The Rosaires, and in particular Joan's Uncle Ivor, were a key part of my book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce". Their own story of hardship and success in the circus world enchanted such contemporary writers as Ruth Manning-Saunders and Rupert Croft Cooke.

I don't know how seeing the actual online article has slipped me by, but by chance I stumbled across it today. Sylvia has several very entertaining and informative pieces on the Rosaires that I would highly recommend you read.

The Famous Rosaires
Billericay Welcomes Circus Rosaire (article featuring "The Legend of Salt and Sauce")

Jamie Clubb's other blogs: www.beelzebubsbroker.blogspot.com www.clubbchimera.com

World Circus Culture

circus (Photo credit: fsse8info)

 

World Circus Culture, a feature documentary film, needs help finishing! 

See how you can be a part of the film and watch videos at http://www.indiegogo.com/World-Circus-Culture-Documentary

After filming all over Europe, the US, Canada, and Peru, editing has begun on the film. Director / Producer Angela Snow, and Emmy Award winner editor, Emma Morris, are putting 200 hours of circus footage together to reveal the behind the scenes life, history, and culture of circus on an international scale as never seen before. 

The Final Destination of Boney, Molly and Waddy

The above archive photographs were sourced via Wade Burk's "Circus No Spin Zone" blog. My gratitude to Wade for finding them. They illustrate the final destination of George Lockhart Jnr's original trio of elephants, Boney, Molly and Waddy - or at least it shows Molly and Waddy. This is the accompanying text to the pictures: 

The Mysterious David Taylor (aka Tayleur)

David Taylor, who occasionally went under the title David Tayleur, has recently come to my attention. Although he didn't play a direct role in the lives of the elephants Salt and Sauce he does appear in my book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce". Taylor arrives on the scene in 1920, two years prior to John "Broncho Bill" Swallow's acquisition of Salt and Sauce. He was already in partnership with Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake. They had run a small circus in 1919. They then partnered John Swallow in an ill-fated much larger enterprise called "Ringland's Great Circus and Menagerie". The title was obviously capitalizing on the American Ringling Brother's Circus (which became the "Ringling Brother's, Barnum and Bailey Circus") and should not be confused with "Long" Tom Fossett's "Ringland's Circus" of the 1950s (which would also show Salt and Sauce). When the large show failed, Tyrwhitt-Drake pulled out of the partnership. John Swallow continued with his own circus under the old Broncho Bill moniker. Taylor stayed with John Swallow in the same capacity he had been before, as the circus manager. I have recently been contacted by Roy Kneath, who is a descendent of Taylor's, and is trying to get verification on the photographs displayed here. If anyone can say whether or not these images are of David Taylor please let us know.

Jamie Clubb's other blogs: www.beelzebubsbroker.blogspot.com www.clubbchimera.com

Lockhart and the Performing Animals Act 1925

Image via Wikipedia

I was recently shown a link to an interesting academic paper about racism and animal abuse in an historic context. The paper, "Racial Prejudice and the Performing AnimalsControversy in Early Twentieth-Century Britain" by David A. H. Wilson of the University of Cumbria,  makes an interesting argument for the way racist ideas were common among both critics and defenders of animal trainers. Amid the all-too-familiar arguments on both sides we note that there are also the usual racist arguments heard today. Fear of losing work to immigrants is just below the surface of certain protestations. This, however, is combined with the bigotry common at the time. For example, species of animals are compared to different races of people and being post-World War I Germaphobia is a hot tactic. Interestingly animal rightists, who these days tend to cite the odd notion of speciesism as an extension of racism, also make a distinction between foreign trainers, who they consider to be cruel, from British trainers.

Damoo Dhotre's 109th Birthday

Readers of this blog might be aware that my father is currently researching a book on Alfred Court, his trainers and his animals. Here and there we have made contacts with the many people that are part of this legacy. As with "The Legend of Salt and Sauce" the experience is most rewarding when we put the pieces together and discover how much a cultural impact the story we are investigating had on people. Damoo Dhotre was an Alfred Court animal presenter that has been mentioned on this blog before. In India his position as an historical and cultural icon is on the ascent and there have been several celebrations done in his name. Today I am delighted to report that a descendent of his, Anand Dhotre, is holding a celebration of the great trainer's 109th birthday with the launch of new website.

Anand told us -  "In present condition of Indian Circus Industry, due to ban on animal performances, we can not expect that any brave artist will rise up like Damoo Dhotre.

Really, Damoo Dhotre was the only Indian who put India's name on world map by showing fearlessness and great determination.

Let's salute this noble son of India today and every day and hope Golden Days will be back to Indian Circus again." 

Circus Industry in India Blog (Damoo Dhotre page)

Birthday Celebration on Buckles Blog

Damoo Dhotre.Com

Jamie Clubb's other blogs: www.beelzebubsbroker.blogspot.com www.clubbchimera.com

The Pride of Larry Lamb

Image via WikipediaIt's not even a year on from the Welsh TV show, "Coming Home" revealing the wild animal training ancestry of actor Michael Sheen and the nationwide equivalent, "Who Do You Think You Are?" has established another celebrity circus connection. Larry Lamb, who used to play "Eastenders" soap opera villain "evil" Archie Mitchell and as Mick Shipman in the hit comedy series "Gavin and Stacey", told The Mirror and Daily Mail newspapers that he didn't know much about his heritage due to his mother being adopted. Press reports of the show reveal that Lamb's great-great uncle was Thomas Day known as "Martini Bartlett the Lion King". What they don't expand - and hopefully the show will - is that Day was married to Pauline "Kit" Chipperfield. Chipperfield, a relation of mine on my maternal side, and therefore part of another circus family famed for wild animal training and presenting. Day was also the brother of James "Wild Beast" Day of the once famous Day's Menagerie.