Wednesday, September 28, 2011

From Vincent Manero #1

Hello Mr Woodcock,I was in Scandinavia earlier this month and I took these pictures on Norway's two largest Circuses : the Cirkus Merano in Oslo and the Cirkus Arnardo in Tananger. Adriana Folco seen here presenting Baby on Merano.

Best Wishes Vincent Manero
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Posted by Buckles at 9/28/2011 05:50:00 AM

8 comments:

John said...

Adriana is a daughter of Amadeo Folco, and mother of Amadeo Jr. All 3 will be appearing in the Circus Festival at Namur in Belgium as October becomes November, and also in the Winter Circus at Apeldoorn in Holland.

28 September, 2011 06:58
tanglefoot said...

I note that this family has elephants spit up in act of one or two on the predominent Scandnavian circuses for a number of years. Maybe the animal rights people make it less hassle rather than on the continent. Elephants appear to be nice female asians in good shape and nice routines. Would like to hear more babout them. Headquarters, background, etc. johnny tanglefoot

28 September, 2011 09:02
Henry Schroer said...

Adriana is the granddaughter of my uncle Franz Althoff, well known for his Elephant acts and the only one who had 60 stallions in the ring at the same time. The movie Circus World from Samuel Bronson was filmed in the Franz Althoff show starring John Wayne and Claudia Cardinale. Franz trained the first Elephant act for his daughter in the early seventies and then Amadeo and Franziska, Franz's daughter, went on the road with them and over the years added new animals. The Elephant in the picture is most likely one of the original 4 the started with. Adriana's mother died in a tragic accident when the brakes in the truck she was driving failed.

29 September, 2011 01:30
john herriott said...

Thanks Henry for the info. Your uncle was quite a guy. I met your uncle Adolf and was pleased to know your aunt Carola. Did Franz die young. I do not believe he came here to America. What say, and where does the fOLCO NAME FIT IN. hOPE TO HEAR MORE. tHANKS, YOUR FRIEND, Johnny

29 September, 2011 07:46
Anonymous said...

Franz and Evy were on the Ringling show in the earky 70's

29 September, 2011 17:20
Henry Schroer said...

Hi Johnny, I think my uncle was about 70 when he died, Alzheimer's. When I worked in Circus Barum with the 10 Elephants he came to the stable after the act and told me that I did good. And then he ask me if he knows me because I look so familiar. I told him that I was his nephew and knew him for a long time and he said: what do you mean you my nephew, I don't know you, turned around and walked away. A few days after that we went to his house for dinner, my aunt invited us and told me about his sickness. At the dinner table he ask me what I was doing now because he has not seen me or heart from me in a long time. That was in 1979 and I think he died in 1985 or 1986 when I was with Tihany in Mexico.
I worked on his show in 1966/67, just before I went to work with Gunther and we had this big Italian Family, The Folcos on the show that did 4 or 5 act's. There was 4 Brothers, one was married and the other's where looking. Amadeo started secretly to see my cousin Franziska. If my uncle would have found out when the started in the beginning he would have killed him and fire the hole Family. You know how it was in the old days. But this was going on for two season's, I had left and went to work for my aunt Carola, and my uncle found out towards the end of the season and from what I had heard it was a big scandal. But after the left and my cousin with them I think he had a change of heart and gave them his blessing. I only saw Franziska and her Family ones when I went to see Circus Bouglione in Paris in 1980 and all the girls where still very little then. So I never really got to know them.

29 September, 2011 23:51
Anonymous said...

I believe it was Evy that had a bear act on some Migley dates in the '80's or 90's in the North East.

Paul Gutheil

30 September, 2011 01:27
Anonymous said...

Amedeo Folco still owns 4 Elephants. 3 Asians: Julina, Sharon and Baby + 1 African: Lubne (she stays in a Zoo near Bordeaux, France). At one time the Folcos had 8 Elephants. 2 of them Baby and Sharon even worked at the famous Lido in Paris. Today beside the Elephants they own bactrians camels, horses and ponies. They are one of the last family that still have Lipizzaners.
They have two Winterquarters: one in Germany and a new one in the Netherlands.
There is also activists in Norway. As usual they target the big names like Merano. The organisation is called Noah. I was surprised to see on their flyer a picture of Sacha Houke with Asia on the Red Show!

Vincent Manero

30 September, 2011 15:22

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