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
A beautiful, highly illustrated and authoritative history of the circus around the world, which charts the evolution of travelling entertainment from antiquity to the present day.
Pascal Jacob is a prominent circus arts historian and lecturer at the Sorbonne, France. He has published over thirty popular and scholarly books on the circus, and is the artistic director of both the Cirques Phénix and the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain.
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*
The book is a wonderful romp through to the present day, richly
illustrated with artworks, photographs, prints and posters, showing
how this very particular form of entertainment continues to
evolve.
*Evening Standard*
The Circus: A Visual History is 'one to watch' in August 2018
*The Guardian*
The book is a beautiful object, brimming with archive images from
the Bibliothèque nationale, it paints a world drenched in colours
and filled with flying trapezes, leaping tigers and sumptuous
costumes. Jacob's choice of illustrations proves that circus is
above everything a visual art that constantly draws on tradition to
reinvent itself... the book is a stunning and essential visual
resource for anyone interested in the evolution of Western
circus.
*Times Literary Supplement*
A distinguished circus promoter and cultural historian, Jacob has
donated his vast private collection to the French National Library.
Most of the illustrations in this beautiful book — vibrant posters,
architectural drawings of circus buildings and group photographic
portraits of performers — come from there ... [Jacob] herds his
facts like a ringmaster in a series of fabulous stories loosely
held together by the arresting and colourful images.
*The Spectator*
Spectators seated in circles stare up at trapeze artists who, as
Pascal Jacob puts it in his new book, The Circus: A Visual History,
re-enact the mythical flight of Icarus and hope to demonstrate that
grounded human beings can enjoy the aerodynamic privileges of the
gods.
*The Observer*
Stunning circus sights: Tom King recommend a visual history of one
of the oldest forms of entertainment… a hefty and vibrant
collection of images depicting the age-old spectacle… Immediately
apparent in Jacob’s book is that the circus has been infinitely
adaptable, with space in its cavernous tent for an endless variety
of people.
*The Morning Star*
This book tells the story of both traditions, and it does so in
impressive detail and with an infectious sense of fun. Examples
tumble over each other like acrobats; big ideas are paraded around
like elephants.
*V&A Magazine*
A rich, visual feast of archival wonders. Prepare to be amazed by
this impressive performance history.
*National Fairground and Circus Archive*
The book has a 'mosaic effect', which Jacob also identifies as the
defining trait of a circus performance. He herds his facts like a
ringmaster in a series of fabulous stories loosely held together by
the arresting and colourful images.
*Oldie Magazine*
An important and compelling tale of the international history of
the circus, full of enchanting images and wonderful stories.
*Professor Vanessa Toulmin, University of Sheffield, UK*
With circus arts thriving and evolving internationally, the
English-language publication of Jacob’s magnificent, authoritative
survey is cause for celebration.
*Dr Rolf Hughes, Newcastle University, UK*
This book tells the story of both traditions [permanent and
travelling circuses], and it does so in impressive detail and with
an infectious sense of fun... [Jacob offers] an evocative account
of a popular art form that has an unmatched ability to snag in our
senses.
*Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Professor of English Literature at
Magdalen College, University of Oxford, UK*
Are you looking for a Christmas present for yourself or a loved
one? Look no further... it is without doubt one of the best of the
new publications worldwide to celebrate [the 250th anniversary of
the modern circus]. The author... is a renowned circus expert,
famous for his collaborative work with the Big Apple Circus of New
York, the mighty Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey Circus and the
French circus company Cirque Phenix... the book is printed on fine
paper with exemplary hard overs and its 240 pages are jam-packed
with circus history from around the world, along with a wealth of
over 200 fine illustrations... Visually it is a sheer delight, and
Augusta Dorr's translation into English from the original French is
excellent... This is a formidable volume, well-worthy of your
Christmas stocking wishlist.
*Don Stacey, King Pole magazine (December 2018)*
The magic of the circus is captured in this stunning book, along
with its evolution from the 13th century to present day Cultural
historian Pascal Jacob has plundered the French National Library's
archives to collate more than 200 artworks which chart a story of
travelling entertainers, jugglers, acrobats, nomadic animal tamers
and the iconic clown. The result is a visual feast you'll return to
again and again.
*The Australian Women's Weekly*
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