MS 9477 Records of Ashton's Circus
Summary
Creator: Ashtons Circus
Title: Records
Date range: 1950-1992
Extent: 5.7 m. (4 boxes + 8 folio boxes + 1 folio)
Reference number: MS 9477
Administrative Information
Access: Available for reference
Provenance
The papers were forwarded to the National Library on behalf of
Ashtons Circus by Judy Cannon, and were received in two instalments in
1998.
Related materials
In addition to the papers contained in MS 9477, four albums of
photographs of Ashtons Circus performers, taken by Gypsy Pennefeather in
1995-96, are housed in the Pictorial Collection at PIC P1473/1-312/R LOC
albums. Two interviews recorded with Douglas, Phyllis and Jan Ashton in 1976
and 1993 form part of the Oral History Collection at ORAL TRC 560/7 and ORAL
TRC 2590/DAT-57.
Scope and Content
The collection is chiefly comprised of paper clippings relating to
Ashtons and other circuses, the bulk of which have been pasted into
scrapbooks. Obtained from a range of Australian regional and daily newspapers,
as well as overseas papers and journals, the cuttings have been grouped in some
of the albums according to chronological period or by subject. Other scrapbooks
contain memorabilia such as sample tickets, publicity materials, flyers and
programs, and a few examples of correspondence.
As a group, the clippings formed the basis of Judy Cannons
historical study of the circus Take a drum and beat it : the story of the
astonishing Ashtons, 1848-1990s. A number of the scrapbooks retain
book marks and short notes made by Cannon in the course of her research. Other
items such as an Ashton family tree and photocopied records and articles also
add to the historical interest of the collection.
As well as documenting the activities of Ashtons Circus, other
performing troupes are represented in the records, and there are sequences of
cuttings relating to the Australian tours of the Great Moscow Circus (1971),
the German National Circus (1972) and Los Muchachos Spanish boys circus (1975).
A number of scrapbooks concern the joint Ashtons Circus and
Degrey-Williams-Kendall production The Clown Who Lost His Circus,
which toured rural New South Wales and interstate centres in 1975. This unusual
circus pantomine, which combined performing acts with a play, featured Sydney
actors Colin Croft, Anna Russell, Keith Little, Anita Roberts, Peter Williams
and Ron May. In addition, further groupings of cuttings record aspects of the
careers of the entertainers Tommy Hanlon, Paul Hogan and Will
Sugarfoot Hutchins.
The clippings also provide interesting insights into animal welfare
issues and the pro- and anti-circus movements, such as the Save the Circus
Association. On matters relating to these topics there are cuttings albums
about the Bacchus Marsh Lion Safari, other lion parks and zoos, and the
treatment of circus animals, within the collection.
Organisation
The records have been placed in manuscript and folio boxes in three
sequences according to size. A chronological arrangement has been imposed by
Library staff within each sequence.
Historical Note
Ashtons Circus has its origin in performances given by equestrian
James Henry Ashton (c. 1819-1889) in the Royal Circus in Launceston, Tasmania
in 1851. In February of the following year Ashton and Signor Cardoza reopened
in Sydney as the Olympic Circus. Ashtons, as it became known, was a large
and popular company, touring widely in the eastern Australian colonies. Ashton
and his 12 children formed the core of the troupe, and a percentage of takings
was often donated back into the local community in the form of building,
charity and flood-relief funds.
When Ashton was in his seventies, management of the company was passed
to his son James, who with brother Fred administered operations, before
pursuing separate circus interests. The first two decades of the twentieth
century saw Ashtons fragment into combinations with other troupes,
including partnerships with Hylands, FitzGerald Brothers, St Leons,
Bartons, Eroni Brothers and Soles Circuses.
From 1918, when most of the original family had left circus work,
Ashtons carried on under the direction of successive fathers and sons,
Fred, Joe and Doug Ashton
(b. 1920). Today Ashtons is the oldest operational circus in
Australia, and is thought to be the longest surviving circus in the western
world.
Judy Cannon arrived in Australia from England in 1970, and was a staff
member of the National Library during the 1980s. Now based in Brisbane, she has
worked in public relations, and widely as a journalist and freelance writer.
Her history of Ashtons Circus Take a drum and beat it, written in
association with Mark St Leon, was published by Tytherleigh Press in 1997.
Box Description
Box 1
Folder/Volume
1 Clippings album, c. 1950s-1989 (mostly undated)
2 Clippings album, c. 1959-69, including tickets, flyers, 1967-68 tour
of New Zealand
3 Clippings album, 1967-68
4-7 Clippings, articles and other papers, 1968, 1984, 1989-91
Box 2
Folder
8 Clippings, 1971
9 Clippings, 1972-73, 1978
10 Clippings relating to 1975-76 tour of New Zealand
11 Clippings album, 1978
12 General articles and clippings, c. 1980s
13 Clippings, 1986
14 Clippings, 1987
15 Clippings regarding animal welfare, c. 1987-89
16 Clippings, 1988
Box 3
Folder
17-18 Clippings, 1988
19-22 Clippings, 1989
23 Clippings, 1990
Box 4
Folder
24-26 Clippings, 1990
27 Clippings album, 1990-92
28 Clippings, 1991, 1993
29 Issues of Bandwagon : the journal of the Circus Historical
Society, 1988, 1991, together with photocopied historical articles about
circuses
Folio Box Description
Folio box 1
Volume
30 Clippings album, 1950, 1975-87
31 Clippings album, 1950-80, including Monte Carlo International Circus
32 Scrapbook containing invitations, tickets, programs, publicity
brochures, posters and flyers, 1950-90
33 Miscellaneous undated clippings and memorabilia, c. 1950s-1989,
including Save the Circus Association of Victoria petition
34 Clippings album, February 1951-November 1980
35 Clippings album, 1951-87
36 Clippings album, 1971-72, together with official program for 1956
season of Shrine Polack Bros. Circus
Folio box 2
Volume
37 Clippings album, 1959-69
38 Miscellaneous clippings, 1959-85
39 Clippings album, 1966, 1974-78
40 Clippings album, 1967-82
41 Clippings album, 1967-83, including articles about Tommy Hanlon
42 Clippings album, 1968-86
Folio box 3
Volume
43 Clippings album, 1971-72
44 Clippings album, 1971-74, including The Clown Who Lost His
Circus, the German National Circus, Ashtons Circus and other circus
acts
45 Bacchus Marsh Lion Park, 1971-74; visit by the Great Moscow Circus,
1971
46 Miscellaneous clippings, 1971-74
47 The Clown Who Lost His Circus, 1974-75; miscellaneous
clippings, including Will Sugarfoot Hutchins, 1971-79
48 Clippings album, 1971-85
49 Clippings concerning lion parks, fauna and game reserves, marine
sanctuaries, safaris, zoos and animals, 1971-87
Folio box 4
Volume
50 Clippings album concerning 1972 tour by German National Circus
51 Clippings album, 1972-86
52 Animals, 1973-84
53 Miscellaneous clippings, 1974, including television commercial
featuring Paul Hogan
54 The Clown Who Lost His Circus, 1974-75, Wentworth Park,
Sydney, clippings and programs
55 Clippings, 1974-76, including lion parks, zoos
56 Clippings album relating to tour by Los Muchachos, 1975, including
autographed program
57 Miscellaneous clippings, 1976-77, including animal welfare and
tickets for Los Muchachos tour, 1975
58 New Zealand tour, 1975-76
Folio box 5
Volume
59 Clippings album, 1975-78
60 Clippings, 1976-80, together with photocopied article Saga of
the Circus, People, 22 April 1953, pp. 15-17
61 Clippings album, Perth season of Ashtons Circus, 29 July-14
August 1977, including marketing and publicity
62 Clippings album relating to Ashtons and other circuses,
1977-87; Los Muchachos tour, 1975; animal articles, c. 1950s
63 Clippings album, 1977-90
64 Other circuses, 1977-92
65 Clippings album, 1978-84
Folio box 6
Volume
66 Clippings album, 1980-81
67 Other circuses, 1980-90
68 Clippings album, 1 January-15 December 1982
69 Clippings album, January-July 1983
70 Clippings album, 1984-86
71 Advertisements, 1984-87
72 Clippings album, 1985, including photocopied extracts from the
Wagga Wagga advertiser (1879) and other newspapers, 1857-58
73 Clippings album, 1985-87
Folio box 7
Volume/Piece
74 Clippings album, 1986-89
75 Clippings album of paid newspaper advertisements, 30 July 1986- 31
March 1990
76 Clippings album, October 1987-June 1988
77 Clippings album, June-December 1988
78 Clippings album, November 1988-March 1990
79 Clippings album of paid newspaper advertisements, 2 April 1990- 13
May 1992
80 Clippings album regarding animal welfare, 1990-92
Folio box 8
Volume
81 Clippings album, 1979-82
Folio box 9
Item
82 Ashton family tree
83 Photocopied photograph of Marie Louise Melville and Madame Schreiber,
c. 1923, together with clipping about Ashtons Circus, 1983
84 Circus drawings by Grade 1, Christ the King Primary School,
Graceville [Qld]
85 Ashtons Circus poster, c. 1980s
October 2000.
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