The Circus in Australia by Mark St Leon
The Circus in Australia by Mark St Leon
Spangles & Sawdust The Circus in Australia
by Mark St Leon
Greenhouse Publications, 1983, [First Edition], 8 full-colour plates, b/w photographs and illustrations throughout, pictorial end-papers, hardcover, dustjacket, ISBN 00909104611
Near Fine Condition, minor edge and shelf wear to book, cover very slightly curved, dustjacket has minor edge and shelf wear with sunned spine
'In an age when there was no television, no radio or cinema, when widely dispersed and small rural towns could not support permanent theatres and when fine horsemanship was highly praised, the circus was one of the most popular forms of entertainment. From around 1850 until well into the present century, people flocked to the circus when it came to town.
From exhibitions given in rough wood and iron amphitheaters, the circus soon flourished, in the midst of the gold rushes, into itinerant troupes which criss-crossed the colonies, proudly presenting equestrian, acrobatic, clowning and tightwire performances to appreciative audiences. The circus reached its zenith in the early years of this century, when two big circuses, FitzGerald Brothers' and Wirth's, vied with each other for supremacy.'