Sunday, August 13, 2006

Althoff's Circus 1937-38 #1


"Franz Althoff with sisters Jeanette and Olly".

Lessees...................................................................Pleasure Fairs, Ltd.
Managing Director................................................W. Wilson
Secretary................................................................Charles Cullen
Circus Manager......................................................John Swallow
Circus Booking Agent............................................Stanley W. Wathon
(For Althoff's Circus).............................................Miss Carola Althoff
Press Manager.......................................................Elisabethe H.C. Coathiel

THIS PROGRAMME IS SUBJECT TO ALTERATION.
THE CIRCUS AND PLEASURE FAIR ARE DISINFECTED BY JEYES FLUID.

(Interesting to note that already Carola Althoff is representing the Althoff Circus and of course later Circus Williams.)

Posted by Buckles at 8/13/2006 07:22:00 AM

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

No head piece? How did they do that?

13 August, 2006 08:50
Buckles said...

The story circulating in the States with the arrival of the Williams' in 1969 was that the revival of the Althoffs after the war came about as the result of Carola's marriage to Harry Williams. That English connection gave them a leg-up among competitors, their show was now called Circus Williams.
This proved to be the training grounds for both Gunther and Charly.
Word also was that Harry Williams died in a chariot race collision during the performance with Charly the driver of the other vehicle.

13 August, 2006 09:31
Anonymous said...

Buckles, that is very interesting, about Charly being the driver of the other vehicle. I had never heard that before. Maybe a chariot race can be arranged between myself and Anonymous. LOL

13 August, 2006 10:11
Anonymous said...

This is an incredibly rare circus program, with a strong show. I never heard about this British engagement.
Now, an attempt of some order in the story of one of the most intricated dinasties ever.
Miss Carola was the elder daughter of Dominik Althoff. In 1936, he transmitted the direction to Carola, ant to the other son Franz.
In 1939 she left the family circus, that became circus Franz Althoff. Carola married Harry Barlay, managing for some time circus Barlay. Later, in the 50s, she married Harry Williams, and with him and son Holdy Barlay they founded Circus Williams that opened in Hamburg on easter day of 1946.
In the same time, Franz still toured with the original family circus, that became a 3 ring show and was used in Spain for the movie Circus World. Circus Franz Althoff closed in 1968. Meanwhile, a 3rd brother, Adolf Althoff, left the family in 1936 creating his own circus with different names, mainly Hagenbecks (!). Circus Adolf Althoff stopped in 1966 (and I think he was then with RBBB with his riding tiger).
To complicate the things, Carola's Circus Williams used also an enormous variety of names: Williams-Togni (1956-57 in Italy),Spanischer National Circus (1961-64), and in 1963 this circus combined with Enis Togni 8then named Heros) and Castilla to originate the Circo Americano in Italy. For this edition, Gunther's elephant group was combined with Willy Togni's (Flavio's uncle and teacher) and was probably the largest elephant act ever in europe (I think 24 of them).

13 August, 2006 12:02
Anonymous said...

From completely different branch of the family came the brothers Carl, Elfi and Rudi.
Rudi was the father of Jacki and Carl was the father of Giovanni and Corty. Carl founded in the 60 a "Californischer National Circus" (yes!) with three rings, later becoming circus Carl Althoff. In 1974, I think, the circus split in Corty and Giovanni Althoff circuses. Also in 1974, Frau Elfi opened her NAtional Circus in Austria, that in 1996 was taken by Louis Knie. Today the ownership of this name in Austria is particularly intricated.Corty and Giovanni are still touring but with very modest shows.

13 August, 2006 17:12
Anonymous said...

I have this programme. John Swallow, shown as the manager, owned Salt and Saucy. These were two of the original George Lockhart elephants, which my son recently wrote a book on. They occasionally appeared at the Agricultural Hall, but obviously not this time. Circus Williams tried to come to the UK after the war, but (allegedly) Cyril Mills of Bertram Mills Circus stopped them, and they never got out of the docks. Mill (allegedly) had enormous political power in those days, to the point where he could stop an entire circus from actually landing.

It is true that Charly Bauman ran over Harry Williams at Haringey Arena. Harry jumped in the chariot to show one of the new drivers how to do the job, fell out and Charly was in the chariot behind. Harry suffered internal injuries and died in the hotel bed that night. Dick Chipperfield (my late father-in-law) was there at the time.

14 August, 2006 12:44
DanKoehl said...

Raffaele, 24 elephants may be a second record in Europe, after krone who at tone time had 27 elephants, however then a second record they shared with Circus Kludsky. And if I remember right, Kludsky MAY have had 29 elephants on their peak, when touring Italy)

Krone:
1923: 14 elephants.
1928: The show 683 animals (100 carnivores, 250 horses and 27 elephants).
1932: 26 elephants.


Kludsky:
1929: 24 elephants were trained to make a pyramid. Biggest at that time was Baby, smallest Vejvrtka (male?) with 70cm.
1929: Bubi killed Johann, an elephant guard. Johann was drunken and made a bet the he would bring Bubi to the pub. He was found dead in the morning in the straw in Bubi stable, and Bubi had blood on his tusks.
1930s: In the early thirties, the circus had 24 elephants, six bulls and 18 cows.

17 December, 2016 11:42

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