Poster advertising a performing elephant at Sanger’s Grand National Amphitheatre, London

About

When you think of a circus you probably think of a travelling show with acrobats and clowns in a big tent. Well this circus was a little different, this circus had a permanent location at the Astley Amphitheatre on Westminster Bridge Road in London.

George Sanger, who owned the circus, was one of the most successful circus entrepreneurs of the 19th Century. He began his career with a touring circus and eventually they became so popular, he boasted that every town in England with a population over 100 had been visited by his circus.

In 1871 Sanger purchased the Astley Amphitheatre, he used his permanent location to his advantage and put on huge shows with hundreds of people and lots of large animals, like the elephant advertised here.

Things to think about:

Museum's description

In the 19th century most circuses were travelling shows where the entertainment consisted of acrobats, clowns, illusionists and a small number of performing animals. Sanger’s Circus – advertised here – was unusual in that it had a permanent base at The Amphitheatre on Westminster Bridge Road in London. This allowed the owner George Sanger to stage massive entertainments involving hundreds of people and large animals such as the elephant depicted here.

Teacher notes

Circuses were a huge part of popular entertainment in the 19th Century. The advent of railways allowed them to tour the country easily, bringing entertainment to towns all over the country.

You can learn more about circus entertainment in the Victorian era with the V&A.