Thursday, February 12, 2009

Hagenbeck's Circus #1


Scan11313, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

WILLIAM WILSON presents:

HAGENBECK'S WONDER CIRCUS
(Proprietors: Heinrich and Lorenz Hagenbeck)

Lessees.....................................Pleasure Fairs,LTD.
Managing Director.........................W. Wilson
Manager (For Pleasure Fairs)..........John Swallow
Manager (For Hagenbeck)................J. Wegner
Press Manager...............................Elisabeth Corathiel


"I gather this was a month long winter engagement promoted by Mr. Wilson, with the animals supplied by the Hagenbecks."
Buckles

Posted by Buckles at 2/12/2009 01:03:00 PM

2 comments:

joey ratliff said...

a couple of names I recognize because of thier association to famous British circus elephants. Willie Wilson from the "Big Charlie" escapade and John "Bronco Bill" Swallow of "Salt" and "Sauce" fame. I'm guessing that is Walter Kaden, Hagenbeck's elephant man.

12 February, 2009 19:57
Anonymous said...

The Agricultural Hall Islington was a regular Christmas circus venue until WWII. Willy Wilson was an impresario who put on the show throughout the '30s. He was not the same Wilson who had Big Charlie. That was Andy Wilson who had a menagerie in Glasgow and then started a zoo at Craigend on the borders of Glasgow. This is where Big Charlie ended up and was eventually destroyed.

John "Broncho Bill" Swallow was always employed as the ringmaster and performance director during Wilson's time. He owned Salt and Sauce since 1922 and up until his death in 1945. In the years prior to this Salt and Sauce appeared in some of the shows. All of this is described in full in my son's book "The Legend of Salt and Sauce".

Wilson employed Hagenbeck's complete programme for the year before as well, which featured Hugo Schmidt with the elephants. Salt and Sauce appeared on the same bill as well and worked in the first half. According to Ivor Rosaire, who worked Salt and Sauce at the time, Schmidt was so impressed with these two elephants that he tried to buy them for Hagenbeck or exchange them for the two African elephants that were in his act. Rosaire also says that their inspired the "Tableux" act that Salt Sauce did during their time with Rosaire's circus and later on Paulo's circus.

This picture with the elephant and trainer is Walter Kaden the brother of the wild animal trainer, Alfred Kaden, who had appeared in the previous year's show. I am told Walter was a good elephant man, but nowhere near as good as Schmidt. It was common knowledge that Walter Kaden was a nazi supporter and was hidden, believe it or not, in England during the war. I must admit that this sounds very far-fetched, but have yet to find someone who refutes the story.

The following year Wilson's employed Krone's complete show and then the war came and that was the end of the Agricultural Hall Islington.

Jim Clubb

13 February, 2009 11:39

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