Saturday, December 04, 2010

Samel Mixed Act #1 (From Buckles)


Scan00000010004, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

When I first arrived in October of 1973 this act was already in Venice
Quarters in preparation of the '74 season. I would watch them practice from time to time.
I always thought that Alfred Court type acts were low key but this
one could get pretty exciting.

4 comments:

Jim A. said...

I got to know the Samels when they played St. Louis and came over to the Zoo to buy some food for their pythons. When they did the cover with the lion and tigers Christiane would lay down with a good-sized python and the cats would step over her. Their act had one polar bear on RBBB. It had two but one went to Ursula Bottcher's act (both acts owned by the East German government). Other animals included 2 tigers, 2 lions, 1 puma, 1 spotted leopard, one black leopard, 2 brown bears and two himalayan black bears. Erhardt was the trainer, Christiane had been an optician assistant before they met. Their older son stayed in Germany but their young daughter, Yvonne, toured the States with them.

I regret I didn't keep in touch with them but remember seeing an article about the Samels' circus after Germany reunited. Yvonne and her husband now tour the continent with a lion show. Nice people.

Henry Penndorf said...

Hello Jim A.

The Samel's daughter, Yvonne, and her husband Knut Muderack have their own web site, Muderack Pride Of Lions...
http://www.muderacksloewen.de/index.html

The web site features biographical information, and pictures of their lion act. The website is in German, but usually can easily be translated online.

If you would like to try and get in touch with the Samels, the web site does offer some contact information...

Muderack Pride of Lions
Yvonne and Knut Muderack
Mahlsdorfer Straße 23
15366 Hönow (D)
Tel: 0171 8132423
info@muderacksloewen.de

Henry

Rob said...

The website is rather outdated though.That liongroup doesn't excist anymore.They are now in the proces of building up a new group and have performed in various circusses this year.

Rob.

Frank Ferrante said...

Henry -

Any information on Sylvana Holtzmeir? Wolfgang Holtzmeir's daughter? ~frank