Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Roll Up, roll up!














The circus came to Manly on a regular basis in the 1920s and 1930s. There were several recognised locations where they could pitche their tents. This photo shows the Big Top of Ivan Brothers' "Top of the World" International Circus, which visited Manly in February 1936. The location is in the vicinity of present day Cove Avenue, which at that time was still undeveloped land. The photo appeared in the Manly Daily Pictorial, a weekly put out by the Manly Daily newspaper, price one penny.

The Ivan Brothers' Circus featured bareback riders, acrobats, "daring aerialists" and clowns, and ran twice a day, matinee and evening. The acts included The Peerless Duttons, a family act; Charlie Mitchell the clown; Maida and Ernesto Perez, equilibrists; and The Seven Damnati Arabs, an acrobatic troupe.

There appears to be an old gypsy caravan parked in front of the tent, to add to the general glamour.


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