the name William Britain. William Britain, Britains, W. Britain and Petite are just four of the names the oldest and most well-known UK toy company has been known as over the years. The exact moment when William Britain Senior turned his hand from 'Brass Cock Maker', his original trade, to toy maker is unknown. However what is catalogued is the start of toy soldier production, the business which made W. Britain a household name during the 20th Century.
It all began in 1893, prior to this W. Britain had produced a number of mechanical toys with varied success, but in 1893 William Britain Senior cracked the hollowcast toy soldier process and the rest, as they say, is history. Until 1893 the German toy makers had dominated the toy soldier world and then as if from nowhere W. Britain launched its first few hollowcast figures. Hollowcasting was the process where molten lead was poured into a figure mould and before the entire figure could set some of the molten metal was poured back out again. What this process achieved was the lead would form a skin on the inside of the mould, but by pouring the molten lead back out again it would leave the figure hollow in the centre. There have been German figures discovered, predating 1893, which appear to be hollow, however it's W. Britain who really pushed this process into the mainstream and used it to their full advantage. With each figure containing less metal, the most expensive component in the figures at the time, W. Britain were able to achieve a lower retail price and thus compete with the more expensive German made figures from this period.
From 1893 onwards, W. Britain continued to grow and evolve as the hollowcast toy soldier gained in popularity with production only slowing/stopping during the First and Second World Wars. Little changed with the style of the figures (apart from the introduction of the farm series in 1921) until the late 1950s when the introduction of plastic figures from companies such as Herald made Britains sit up and take notice (Britains eventually bought out Herald in 1959). Plastic figures now became the mainstay of Britains business with the metal hollowcast figures finally ceasing production in 1966.
Above is a small part of my Britain's " zoo" collection, a 1950 post war London Zoo elephant ride. The company, as well as a few others produced an incredible array of toy figures for children in the 1800-1900's complete with lead exhibit fencing, buildings and zoo keepers. Below is another piece from Jim Stockley's great collection. He tell's of moving it all to South Africa, and taking the Britain circus set in his carry on luggage so as to keep it safe. That's a man with his priority's straight. It has always fascinated me, that people from different parts of the world, with a similar background, who may have never personally met each other have so many of the same interests. I mentioned to Jim that a number of years ago, when ebay first came on the scene it was a great place to find and buy(it still is actually) old zoo guide books and other paper empheria. I bought a number of items initially, and then I noticed item's that I had lost because I didn't think it was worth what the highest bid was, were won by the same person. I did some checking and found that the person who was bidding on the same zoo material that I was, was Jim Clubb!!!!!! Two years ago, I made myself promise if I was interested in an item, and Clubb came in with the high bid, I was dropping out, so he didn't bankrupt both of us. LOL I also know deep in my heart that Richard Reynolds now has some items in his possession that I would have loved to have had. .JPG)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Big Boy's "Things"
(2).JPG)
.JPG)
Just Wondering out Loud
The photo above is off the Ringling web site. Click it and it takes you somewhere. I don't recognize the girl on the elephant and don't know if it is a "doctored" picture or not, but I do know the blankets are from the 1984-1985 tour. The photo below is from 1984 and the beautiful lady on the elephant is Cindy Dodge who was killed in a fall. Cindy joined the Greatest Show on Earth as a Dancer/Showgirl. She like many of us, had a dream to be a performer with Ringling Bros. She trained very devotedly for two years with Flying Act greats, Armando and Anna Farfan and developed a beautiful trapeze act, which she auditioned for Irvin Feld, and was awarded a two year contract. Irvin, was known for encouraging development from within his organization, which is something that the Great British Circus may look into. Along with the pride of performing on the Greatest Show on Earth, came the constant training to become better and better. At the conclusion of the 1984 tour the show closed in Naussa, New York that year, and when an act was given a new contract, Irvin always, and was justified in asking, for something new, aerial, ground, and animal acts. The last week end we had what is known as a "six-pack" or 3 show's a day for two day's. Cindy was practicing between the 5th and 6th show of the second 3 show day when she slipped and fell to the floor, and was declared dead, late that night when her parents had the life support machines shut off. It is kind of a shame Ringling could not have used her picture on their website, as a way of remembering the dedication of an American girl who became a circus performer with America's Greatest Circus.
Recently a show, due to heavy demand had to schedule a 4th show. The cast was called together and informed that an extra show had been added. The next week when they went to get their salary, there was an extra $20.00 in each envelope!!!!! I have mentioned salaries a number of times(nobody else has, as it is taboo like 95% of real circus history) and it kind of makes you wonder what a life is worth, or a career ending injury. A mention of the $20.00 was made on the "history channel" and a useless anonymous had this to say: "We should all be happy to not be paying 4.00 bucks a gallon for diesel and have some hope of working this year!!!" There is a dark underbelly of the industry that has been glossed over with spangles and bright lights through it's history. In an earlier thread, there was mention of the difficulty of getting act's into England to work. Traditionally as hard with the American Circus was getting a job, with most taken up by foreign performers, as "they were cheaper." I fear the circus performer has relegated themselves to "migrant labor," in a "with it and for it effort."
Ringling Bros. Circus Train
The flat above is the last car on the train. Each year when the show came into Venice, the train would go into around Tampa and head North, as Venice is South of Tampa, so that they could "back" over 50 miles into Venice. One year something happened,( there are varying stories about "what" happened) and the train came straight into Venice from Tampa. Nothing could be unloaded as the train was headed the wrong direction. The train had to go all the way back to Tampa, turn around and back into Venice the right direction. The train unloading and animal walk was delayed by over 18 hours. The train is a form of transportation that defies description when used to transport a circus. As Marco wrote, there were a number of show's in Europe that used rails for many years. Given the small size of the countries, and the ease of using a tent, it is like comparing apples and oranges to what Ringling Bros. faces today. You can't just pull off a siding and set up your tent on an empty lot. Most of the big buildings, which used to be in the heart of the down town, are now moved and constructed many miles from the major rail network. All the equipment has to be transported to the building once the train is finally spotted, many times in 3 or 4 different locations/sidings. The animal walks are a number of miles, and in Lake George New York, it used to be over 25 miles. Folks who park their semi with the elephants or horses beside the building, or pull onto a grass lot where the tent is and unload, have no comprehension of what is is like trekking the animals through the city streets from the train to the building. It takes skilled individuals, and a coordinated effort.
Ringling Bros. Circus Train
As Adaline mentioned Ringling uses various train companies and their engines, depending on what part of the country they are in. 
Stock Cars
Generator Cars
Concession Cars
Flats
Circus Trains--The Day the Circus came to Postville, 1915
This mural is painted on the side of what used to be the Postville locker building.
In September, 1915, the show played to almost 18,000 people at a matinee. The Ringling brothers had purchased the Barnum and Bailey circus from the James A. Bailey estate for $410,000 in 1907 and decided to operate the original Ringling and the Barnum and Bailey circuses as two separate shows for the time. The Ringlings voted to put John, the youngest brother, as head of the Barnum and Bailey show.
There were valid reasons for the Ringling brothers to take a chance and move their massive extravaganza into such a small town as Postville. First, it had a great reputation as a circus town, based on the fine crowds the Gollmar Bros. show pulled here. Secondly, Postville is strategically located in the center of Clayton, Allamakee, Winneshiek and Fayette counties. And, Postville was at the junction of the Rock Island and Milwaukee railroads. As the circus would usually play Oelwein the day before Postville and Anamosa, the Rock Island to the Milwaukee line to go to Anamosa. The brothers decided to take a chance.
The first section train pulled into the siding from Oelwein at 2 o'clock in the morning. It was a short haul from Oelwein and the show was early for a change. Section one had 15 flats, two horse cars, two sleepers and 45 wagons, of which 24 were cage wagons.
Section two came in at 6 a.m. and had ten flat cars, six horse cars, five sleepers and 28 cars brightly painted in red, green and silver.
Section three arrived at 6:30 and had 13 flat cars, five horse cars, 36 wagons, two chariots and a police patrol wagon.
The final section arrived at 7 with five stock cars, five horse cars and ten sleepers.
By this time the tracks and side tracks were bulging at the seams in the little town. As soon as a section was unloaded, it was switched to the Ridley siding seven miles east of Postville. The circus trappings were unloaded by 9 o'clock. Then the circus excursion trains started to arrive from as far north as the Twin Cities, as far west as Mason City, as far east as Madison, Wis., and as far south as Dubuque.
The town ran out of water, so the circus water wagons went eight miles to Clermont to replenish the supply.
The tents were up by 11 o'clock, including the Big Top, which was 520 feet long by 220 feet wide and seated 15,000 people comfortably. Also up were tents for the menagerie, side show, horses, ring stock, band, dining, ladies dressing, ballet, two candy stands, and three small tents. By the time the parade was to start at 11 o'clock and the show was ready, even walking or standing room was at a premium.
The parade was mammoth and beautiful - 27 elephants, 20 camels, 500 horses, five bands, 24 gaily-colored cage wagons.
It was a sight out of this world. When the steaming and belching calliope finally brought upthe end of the parade and the crowds, followed the parade back to the circus lot, Postville was a "disaster area."
All reserved tickets had been sold by noon. The brothers announced they would sell a few thousand more standing or sitting tickets around the hippodrome track so anyone who had come many miles by wagons and buggies and who would have to start home before dark would not be disappointed.
"Not for nothing, but I think if we had to go as far back as 1915 to reference "record" crowds, the industry was in trouble long before anyone realized, or wanted to admit it."
For Richard Reynolds
Possibly the show was struggling and having a hard time coming up with heads of lettuce to keep Zusha happy in the ring?
For Mary Ann--The Tragic downside of train travel
This occurred less then two months after I left the show in 1994. My car(which was Charly Baumanns old car) is the second one up from the bottom on it's side. Adam and Eric used to ride the train, from city to city while I drove my car. Every day I think how lucky we were that we were not on the show that year. In the 7 years I was with the show, we had 4 very minor derailments(wheels off the track, etc.), but this was the worst. 1992-1993 was a shit tour anyway, with Axel Gautier getting killed by an elephant, NMotion, the singing group, who was the feature of the show was let go, after the first year, as they hadn't worked out, and then this happened at the start of 1994.
A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus train derailed yesterday on a foggy stretch of track a mile east of Lakeland, Fla., killing a nationally known elephant trainer and a clown and injuring 15 people.
The Polk County Sheriff's Department said the cause of the derailment was unknown and is under investigation. The 53-car train, which derailed at 9:15 A.M., carried 200 performers and circus workers as well as 60 animals in the circus's Blue Unit, one of two Ringling shows that travel across the country in circus trains.
"It's Ringling's most serious train accident in more than 100 years," said a circus spokeswoman, Laura FitzGerald. The train was traveling 35 miles an hour, she said, adding that she did not know if fog had contributed to the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.Ms. FitzGerald identified the dead trainer as Theodore Svertesky, 39, of Bridgeport, Conn. A leading elephant trainer who headed the Ringling Elephant Farm, a research and breeding facility in Williston, Fla., Mr. Svertesky also performed in the center ring. He presented the Blue Show's headline attractions, Romeo and Juliet, 1-year-old Asian elephants who were making their debut with the show.
Officials said Ceslee Conkling, 28, of Fort Worth, Tex., a clown who performed in the show, was also killed. Animals Are Unharmed
Among the performers injured were a clown, a member of the band, two dancers and four members of a Chinese acrobatic troupe. All were treated for minor injuries at Lakeland Regional Medical Center and released.
No animals were in the 17 cars that derailed, and none was injured. After the accident, two members of a television news crew from Orlando were injured when their helicopter crashed behind a nearby high school.
The derailment occurred at a crossing at the intersection of State Route 92 and Fish Hatchery Road as the train traveled from St. Petersburg to an engagement in Orlando on Friday.
Ms. FitzGerald said it had not yet been decided whether the Friday performance in Orlando would be held. The show is scheduled to work its way north, traveling from city to city until its official world premiere in Madison Square Garden on March 24.
Hippodrome--New York City 1905-1935
The Hippodrome Theatre stood in New York City from 1905 to 1939, on the site of a what is now a large modern office building known as "The Hippodrome Center", at 1120 Avenue of the Americas, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. It was called the world's largest theater by its builders.
With J. H. Morgan as architect, the Hippodrome first opened in 1905 with a seating capacity of 5,200, and is still considered as one of the true wonders of theatre architecture. Its stage was 12 times larger than any Broadway "legit" house and capable of holding as many as 1,000 performers at a time, or a full-sized circus with elephants and horses. It also had an 8,000-gallon clear glass water tank that could be raised from below the stage by hydraulic pistons for swimming-and-diving shows.
For a time the Hippodrome was the largest and most successful theater in New York. The Hippodrome featured lavish spectacles complete with circus animals, diving horses, opulent sets, and 500-member choruses. Until the end of World War I, the Hippodrome housed all sorts of spectacles then switched to musical extravaganzas produced by Charles Dillingham, including "Better Times," which ran for more than 400 performances.
When Dillingham left in 1923 to pursue other interests, the Hippodrome was leased to Keith-Albee, which hired Thomas Lamb to turn it into a vaudeville theatre by building a much smaller stage and discarding all of its unique features. The most popular vaudeville artists of the day, including illusionist Harry Houdini, performed at the Hippodrome during its heyday. Others might vanish rabbits, but in 1918, on the brightly-lit stage of the Hippodrome, Houdini made a 10,000-pound elephant disappear. He created a sensation. When Houdini fired a pistol, Jennie vanished from view.
The Hippodrome's huge running costs made it a perennial financial failure, and a series of producers tried and failed to make money from the theatre. It became a location for vaudeville productions in 1923 before being leased for budget opera performances, finally becoming a sports arena.
The building was torn down in 1939, though an office building and parking garage that today stands on the same site claims the name "The Hippodrome Center." Through the 1960s the modern building was the corporate headquarters of the old Charter Communications Inc. media publishing company.
In the 1970s the famous old theater also gave its name to the nearby "Little Hippodrome", a drag and comedy club which was located at 227 East 56th Street, between Second and Third Avenues. The club is famous for hosting the final live New York performances of the legendary Glam rock group, The New York Dolls in March 1975, a month before the group disbanded. The show recorded at that venue appeared later as the group's Red Patent Leather album. Soon after in 1975 that location of the defunct Little Hippodrome club re-opened as The East Side Club, a gay men's social club.
The largest theater in New York City is now Radio City Music Hall.
Hippodrome--New York City 1905-1935
For a time the Hippodrome was the largest and most successful theater in New York. The Hippodrome featured lavish spectacles complete with circus animals, diving horses, opulent sets, and 500-member choruses. Until the end of World War I, the Hippodrome housed all sorts of spectacles then switched to musical extravaganzas produced by Charles Dillingham, including "Better Times," which ran for more than 400 performances.
When Dillingham left in 1923 to pursue other interests, the Hippodrome was leased to Keith-Albee, which hired Thomas Lamb to turn it into a vaudeville theatre by building a much smaller stage and discarding all of its unique features. The most popular vaudeville artists of the day, including illusionist Harry Houdini, performed at the Hippodrome during its heyday. Others might vanish rabbits, but in 1918, on the brightly-lit stage of the Hippodrome, Houdini made a 10,000-pound elephant disappear. He created a sensation. When Houdini fired a pistol, Jennie vanished from view.
In 1922, the elephants that graced the stage of the Hippodrome since its opening moved uptown to the Bronx's Royal Theater.
For Richard Reynolds
A member of a circus group feeds a hippopotamus during a show in Bangalore, India, Friday, Dec. 28, 2007. The traditional Indian circus today is struggling to remain afloat, amidst stricter animal regulations and financing issues.
Circus Building--Venice, Florida
The uniqueness of this building was not only did the performance take place here, it was put together and staged here. The big building was the main performance floor, and the building with the "arched roof" behind it was the wardrobe/costume area to the left, clown alley to the right, and the staging area for the various specs in the middle. The elephant and hoof stock building is on the far left. Which ever show came in first, used the buildings, while the other show set up tent's when they arrived for their animals. When the first show left, the animals were moved in to the empty stables, and the following year it was reversed. The "octagon" building in the middle was the ring barn, where the elephants and hoof stock were trained. Where the trapeze rigging is set up is where the permanent chain link cat cage was set up. It was used by Ursula, Charly, GGW, and others before being moved to the Pelican Mans bird Sanctuary and being used as a bird cage.
Cirkusbygningen, Copenhagen--2009
Cirkusbygningen looks like it should translate as "circus building". (my Danish does not extend much beyond the equivalent of "Do you speak English, please?", and the names of various brands of beer.) Certainly it is the name given to the building on the street map in my guidebook for the Danish capital, there being no mention whatever within the text.
Courtesy of John Cooper.
Posts
