The Circus

Foreword by Marius Kwint ORIGINS: ANTIQUITY - 1770 THE GRAND HIGHWAY A Day at the Circus The Foundations of the 'Grande Banque d'Occident' Jugglers, Entertainers and Acrobats Priests, Gypsies, Merchants: Travellers' Tales Fairs, Construction Sites and Rostrums: The First Performance Venues Preparing the Ground and Codes for Western Acrobatics IMPACT AND DOMINATION: 1770-1880 THE WEST CONQUERS THE WORLD It All Began with a Circle Families and Troupes: The Great Dynastic Ventures The Franconi Dynasty A Huge Building Site: The Circus Joins the City Equestrians Triumph Throughout Europe Pauline Cuzent Pantomimes and the Emergence of Narrative in the Circus Circus Bodies: The Advent of Spectacular Gymnastics Jules Léotard Whiteface and Auguste Clowns Foottit and Chocolat CHANGES:1880-1930 OF MEN AND BEASTS Exoticism, Wild Beasts and Splendour, German-Style Hans Stosch-Sarrasini Men and Beasts Claire Héliot Setting a System for Mobility: The Big Top America, America The Towering Figure of America and its Influence in Europe Phineas Taylor Barnum "Monsieur Loyal": The Spoken Word Enters the Circus Roger Lanzac INFLUENCES: 1930-2015 THE BIG PLUNGE The Soviet Circus: State Circus and Vehicle for Propaganda Margarita Nazarova Karandash The Chinese Acrobatic Theatre: a Renaissance Xia Ju Hua The End of a World: The American Circus in Turmoil John Ringling North The Circo Fellini: A Fresh Perspective on the Ring, In Italy and Elsewhere The Revival of the Circus Arts in France, Quebec and Belgium Annie Fratellini FINALE: A Circus for Today and Tomorrow Glossary Bibliography Index of Names

Pascal Jacob

Like the circus, this magnificent volume offers a cavalcade of color and dynamism, dizzying the eye with photographs, posters, and reproductions of ephemera from the "living spectacle." Drawing heavily on the holdings at the French National Library, Jacob-a circus scholar, historian, and director-contextualizes the stunning kaleidoscope of images, many of which have never been previously published, with an accessible overview of circus development ... Ideal for both scholars and aficionados of the circus, as well as those looking for a vibrant, engaging introduction to the form, this text moves from the circus's origins through its integrations with equestrian forms, to its triumph as a major mode of entertainment in the 1800s. Twentieth-century excursions include the Soviet circus, Chinese performers, Fellini's fascination with circus through cinema, and circus arts schools of today ... [This] brilliant volume (rendered at times poetic by Augusta Dörr's translation from French) will be appreciated by all, regardless of their background. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. CHOICE