| I came across these two pictures of an animal trainer named Harder Jonsson. He looks worth investigating. One of the pictures is signed and dated "Ireland 1949". Would you have any knowledge or background on him? |
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Harder Jonsson #1
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3 comments:
from Jim Stockley:
Harder Jonsson was on Chipperfields for 5 years..this from the National Fairground Archive ...www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/
holdings/circushold/jonsson.html
Harder Jonsson
The photographs are taken from the Harder Jonsson album which was donated to the National Fairground Archive by Hal Fisher. The collection comprises photographs relating to this life as an animal trainer and his time with circuses such as the Riskett Circus, Chipperfields and Jeserich Circus. Harder Jonsson was born in Sweden on 19 May, 1912 and brought up with his sister Inga in Berlin. After the death of his father, a horse trainer, his mother married again and Harder and Inga were educated in ballet. music and the circus arts in the old Busch building in Berlin by their grandmother. According to his former beast man, assistant and long time friend, Hal Fisher, Harder was a versatile man of all trades but circus was his first love. Perhaps his most famous performance was when he trained seven lions in an act for Jeserich Circus in 1949 where the reviewer stated:
I have seem many lion tamers in action but never before have I witnessed such a polished, perfectly timed performance as that presented by the great Harder.
The photographs are taken from the Great Harder's own personal photograph album which were presented to the Archive in memory of Harder Jonnson. They demonstrate the life and career of this truly versatile circus man including the fourteen lion act he performed with Chipperfields with whom he stayed for five years as a ringmaster and animal trainer. The Pertinent Penman writing in the World's Fair in the 1950s wrote the following tribute:
There is something remarkable about the career of generously proportioned, yet very active, Harder Jonsson. He is the true son of the circus by virtue of his ancestry and early boyhood ... If the Pertinent Penman looks upon Jonsson as a bit of a genius, don't run away with the idea that he's indulging in a spot of journalistic fancy. Not a bit of it; Harder comes with the orbit of genius.
Harder left the ring in the 1960s because he wanted to be remembered at the peak of his career, and apart from working weekends at Windsor Safari Park, he never returned to the circus. He died in 1979 and according to Hal Fisher with his passing the circus world was considerably poorer.
Harder Jonsson was the half brother to Trevor Bale.
Harder Jonsson is my Grandfather. My Mother "Elsie" is 83 years young and currently living in Phoenix Az. Meeting him for the first time at my age of 9 years old was such a treat. He was a wonderful man that has had such a huge impact on my life just from the 2 short weeks I was able to spend with him in 1969 and from his legacy. He had a wonderful presence and personality that will never be forgotten.
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