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Welcome to Circopedia, the free encyclopedia of the international circus. A project of the Big Apple Circus, inspired and funded by the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.

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In The Spotlight

THE SAMWELL FAMILY

The Samwell family (whose name was probably Samuel originally, and would sometimes be spelled Samwells later) is one of England’s oldest circus dynasties. Although they may never have attained the prominence of Philip Astley, Charles Hughes, Andrew Ducrow, George Sanger, and other luminaries of the British circus, they still hold an important place in circus history.

Their origins are blurred in time, and they have apparently been touring and performing long before the creation of the circus by Philip Astley in 1770. As became the case for many itinerant performers of that era, circus soon proved an ideal setting for their line of work, and the Samwells turned into circus performers and entrepreneurs, thus establishing one of the very first circus dynasties. The Samwells’ story is sketchy, as it often happens with traveling circus families who didn’t establish a major, long-running enterprise—generally with a base in a specific city where their achievements would have been regularly chronicled in local newspapers. The following research is centered on members of the family whose activities have been noted or chronicled in various publications over the years.... (more...)

New Biographies

• Dmitry Chernov, Juggler
• Jakob Busch, Circus Owner
• Oliver Groszer, Juggler
• Julius Gleich, Circus Owner
• The Codonas, Aerialists

New Videos

• The Brockways, Bicycle Act (1971)
• Janeck & Dolyna, Juggling Act (1966)
• Bobby Roberts, Elephant Act (1966)
• The Flying Artons, Flying Trapeze (1966)
• The Rodriguez, Horizontal Bars (1966)

Featured Oral Histories

• Alberto Zoppé, Equestrian - Interview (McCutcheon & Distasio, 2003)
• Olivier Taquin, Mime - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Barry Lubin, Clown (Grandma) - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Fumagalli, Clown - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Kris Kremo, Juggler - Interview (Jando, 2007)

A Message from the Editor

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding encyclopedia of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. So keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.

Dominique Jando

Editor/Curator