Circus Life and Circus CelebritiesCircus Life and Circus Celebrities

The heritage of the modern circus can be traced to the innovations of one man: Philip Astley.In the late 18th century, the English equestrian founded a hugely successful London circus, Astley's Amphiteatre, that brought together equestrians, clowns, acrobats, trained animals and other modern circus acts for the first time. Following in Astley's wake, legendary circus performers and entrepreneurs like Andrew Ducrow, Victor Pépin and Pablo Fanque further popularized the circus on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 19th century. In this 1881 volume, Thomas Frost explores the fascinating history of the circus in England and the United States, chronicling the lives of notable personalities like Astley and Ducrow, documenting famous circus troupes and circus buildings, and tracing the development of circus menageries. Frost even provides a glimpse into circus life with a chapter on circus slang and the dress and manners of circus performers.