Circopedia - Recent changes [en]

Circus Sarrasani

2026-08-26T06:02:06Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Sarrasani Poster - Interior.png

2026-08-26T06:01:23Z

File:Sarrasani Poster - Interior.png

2026-08-26T05:59:44Z

Djando uploaded File:Sarrasani Poster - Interior.png Adolph Friedländer poster advertising the interior of Sarrasani's big top (c.1907) — ''Private Collection''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-26T03:52:57Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Blumenfeld Elephants.jpg

2026-08-26T03:51:57Z

File:Blumenfeld Elephants.jpg

2026-08-26T03:50:45Z

Djando uploaded File:Blumenfeld Elephants.jpg Adolph Friedländer poster advertising Circus Blumenfeld's newly acquired elephants (c.1912) — ''Private Collection''

Main Page

2026-08-26T03:39:40Z

Evelyn and André

2026-08-26T03:35:53Z

‎See Also

Evelyn and André Interview (2025)

2026-08-26T03:33:07Z

Evelyn and André Interview (2025)

2026-08-26T03:32:17Z

Created page with "Interview of Evelyn and André, with documentary elements, recorded on the occasion of the exhibition celebrating their career at Budapest's Fővárosi Nagycirkusz (2025)..."

New page

Interview of Evelyn and André, with documentary elements, recorded on the occasion of the exhibition celebrating their career at Budapest's [[Fővárosi Nagycirkusz]] (2025) — ''Document: Fővárosi Nagycirkusz''

{{#ev:vimeo|1221282196|740}}

==See Also==

* Biography: [[Evelyn and André]]

[[Category:Video Archive|Evelyn & André]][[Category:Oral History|Evelyn & André]]

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-25T02:54:05Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Emanuel Blumenfeld.jpg

2026-08-25T02:50:29Z

File:Emanuel Blumenfeld.jpg

2026-08-25T02:49:21Z

Djando uploaded File:Emanuel Blumenfeld.jpg Portrait of Emanuel Blumenfeld from a photograph (c.1885) — ''Circopedia Archive''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-25T02:45:44Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Circus E. Blumenfeld Poster.jpg

2026-08-25T02:44:17Z

File:Circus E. Blumenfeld Poster.jpg

2026-08-25T02:40:59Z

Djando uploaded File:Circus E. Blumenfeld Poster.jpg Circus E. Blumenfeld poster by Adolph Friedländer (1906) — ''Private Collection''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-25T02:37:23Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Blumenfeld postcard 1890.png

2026-08-25T02:35:47Z

File:Blumenfeld postcard 1890.png

2026-08-25T02:32:28Z

Djando uploaded File:Blumenfeld postcard 1890.png Advertising postcard for Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve (c.1890) — ''Private Collection''

Circus Sarrasani

2026-08-24T20:09:59Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Sarrasani layout.png

2026-08-24T20:09:25Z

File:Sarrasani layout.png

2026-08-24T20:07:32Z

Djando uploaded File:Sarrasani layout.png Friedländer Circus Sarrasani poster showing its layout adapted from a 1907 photograph (c.1910) — ''Private Collection''

File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg

2026-08-24T20:01:16Z

Djando deleted page File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg

File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg

2026-08-24T20:00:12Z

Djando deleted page File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg Deleted old revision 20260824195953!Sarrasani_Poster_-_Layout.jpg

File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg

2026-08-24T19:59:53Z

Djando uploaded a new version of File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg

Circus Sarrasani

2026-08-24T19:46:15Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg

2026-08-24T19:43:39Z

Djando uploaded File:Sarrasani Poster - Layout.jpg Adolph Friedländer poster for Circus Sarrasani (1907) — ''Private Collection''

Circus Sarrasani

2026-08-24T19:35:44Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Clown Sarrasani Poster.jpg

2026-08-24T19:34:56Z

File:Clown Sarrasani Poster.jpg

2026-08-24T19:33:23Z

Djando uploaded File:Clown Sarrasani Poster.jpg Adolph Friedländer poster for the "Clown Sarrasani" (Hans Stosch) and his animal act (c.1900) — ''Private Collection''

Charly Baumann

2026-08-23T19:10:11Z

‎Cat Trainer

File:Charly Baumann 1967.png

2026-08-23T18:50:20Z

File:Charly Baumann 1967.png

2026-08-23T18:49:10Z

Djando uploaded File:Charly Baumann 1967.png Charly Baumann and his tigers (1967) — ''Photo X''

Charly Baumann

2026-08-23T18:43:43Z

‎Charly Baumann in America

Main Page

2026-08-23T01:00:05Z

The Merkys

2026-08-23T00:58:36Z

The Merkys

2026-08-23T00:58:16Z

Created page with "==Contortionists, Horizontal Bars== * Video: The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars, on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964) Category:Artists and Acts|Merky..."

New page

==Contortionists, Horizontal Bars==

* Video: [[Merkys_Video_(1964)|The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars]], on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)

[[Category:Artists and Acts|Merkys, The]][[Category:Acrobats|Merkys, The]][[Category:Contortion|Merkys, The]][[Category:Horizontal Bars|Merkys, The]][[Category:Comedy Acts|Merkys, The]]

Merkys Video (1964)

2026-08-23T00:55:23Z

Created page with "The Three Merkys, comedy horizontal bars and contortion, on ABC Television's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964) {{#ev:vimeo|1220508162|740}} ==See Also== * Biography: The Merkys..."

New page

The Three Merkys, comedy horizontal bars and contortion, on ABC Television's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)

{{#ev:vimeo|1220508162|740}}

==See Also==

* Biography: [[The Merkys]]

[[Category:Video Archive|Merkys, The]]

File:Circus Jansly Postcard.png

2026-08-23T00:03:07Z

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-23T00:01:48Z

‎Image Gallery

@@ Line 261: / Line 261: @@
 File:Zirkus_Sarrasani.jpg|Circus Sarrasani (c.1905)
 File:Stosch-Sarrasani_Poster.jpg|Sarrasani Poster (c.1905)
 File:Sarrasani_1907.jpg|Circus Sarrasani (1907)
 File:Sarrasani_Program_1907.jpg|Sarrasani Program (1907)

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:01, 26 August 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Adolph Friedländer poster advertising the interior of Sarrasani's big top (c.1907) — ''Private Collection''		Adolph Friedländer poster advertising the interior of Sarrasani's big top (c.1907) — ''Private Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[Circus Sarrasani]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Sarrasani Circus]]

@@ Line 178: / Line 178: @@
 File:Circus_E._Blumenfeld_Poster.jpg|Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve. Poster (1906)
 File:Magdeburg_Circus.jpg|The Magdeburg Circus (c.1910)
 </Gallery>
 [[Category:History|The Blumenfeld Family]][[Category:Circus Owner and Directors|The Blumenfeld Family]][[Category:Equestrians|The Blumenfeld Family]][[Category:Artists and Acts|The Blumenfeld Family]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:51, 26 August 2026
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	Adolph Friedländer poster advertising Circus Blumenfeld's newly acquired elephants (c.1912) — ''Private Collection''		Adolph Friedländer poster advertising Circus Blumenfeld's newly acquired elephants (c.1912) — ''Private Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Blumenfeld Circus]]

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 ==New Videos==
 * [[Merkys_Video_(1964)|The 3 Merkys]], horizontal bars (1964)
 * [[Davis_Vassallo_Video_(2024)|Davis Vassallo]], clown entrée (2024)
 * [[Pogorelov_Video_(2026)|Andrei Pogorelov]], wheel of death (2026)
 * [[Kremo_Troupe_Video_(1896)|The Kremo Troupe]], Risley act (1896)
 ==New Oral Histories==
 * [[Bouglione_Video_(2013)|The Bouglione Family]] France 3 TV documentary (2013)
 * [[Gneushev_Video_(c.1990)|Valentin Gneushev interview]] on Russian Television (c.1990)
 * [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
 * [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
 ==Circopedia Books==

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 * Video: [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(1973)|Evelyn & André, aerial perch]], at the Fővárosi Nagycirkusz (1973)
 * Video: [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André's interview]] on Blikk TV (''In Hungarian'') (2015)
 ==Image Gallery==

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:33, 26 August 2026
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−	Interview of Evelyn and André, with documentary elements, recorded on the occasion of the exhibition celebrating their career at Budapest's [[Fővárosi Nagycirkusz]] (2025) — ''Document: Fővárosi Nagycirkusz''	+	Interview of Evelyn and André, with documentary elements, recorded on the occasion of the exhibition celebrating their career at Budapest's [[Fővárosi Nagycirkusz]] (''In Hungarian with English subtitles'') (2025) — ''Document: Fővárosi Nagycirkusz''

	{{#ev:vimeo\|1221282196\|740}}		{{#ev:vimeo\|1221282196\|740}}

@@ Line 171: / Line 171: @@
 <Gallery>
 File:Leopold_Blumenfeld.jpg|Leopold Blumenfeld (1858)
-File:Blumenfeld_postcard_1890.png|Advertising postcard for Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve, (c.1890)
+File:Emanuel_Blumenfeld.jpg|Emanuel Blumenfeld (c.1885)
 File:Circus_E._Blumenfeld_Wwe_poster.jpg|Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve. Poster (1891)
 File:Circus_Jansly_Postcard.png|Advertising Postcard for Circus Jansly (c.1895)

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:50, 25 August 2026
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	Portrait of Emanuel Blumenfeld from a photograph (c.1885) — ''Circopedia Archive''		Portrait of Emanuel Blumenfeld from a photograph (c.1885) — ''Circopedia Archive''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History:[[The Blumenfeld Family]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Blumenfeld, Emanuel]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:44, 25 August 2026
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−	Circus E. Blumenfeld poster by Adolph Friedländer (1906) — ''Private Collection''	+	Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve. poster by Adolph Friedländer. The circus, which still traveled in horse-drawn wagons, boosted 120 horses and 30 ponies (1906) — ''Private Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Blumenfeld Circus]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:35, 25 August 2026
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−	Advertising postcard for Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve (c.1890) — ''Private Collection''	+	Advertising postcard for Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve. featuring (in medallion) Simon, Alexander, Adolf, and Hermann Blumenfeld, the sons of Jeanette Blumenfeld (c.1890) — ''Private Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Blumenfeld Family]]

@@ Line 264: / Line 264: @@
 File:Sarrasani_Program_1907.jpg|Sarrasani Program (1907)
 File:Sarrasani_Program.jpeg|Sarrasani Program (c.1910)
-File:Sarrasani_Poster_-_Layout.jpg|Sarrasani Poster (c.1910)
+File:Sarrasani_layout.png|Sarrasani Poster (c.1910)
 File:Sarrasani_Postcard_(1910).JPG|Promotional Postcard (1910)
 File:Circus_Sarrasani_Poster.jpg|Sarrasani Poster (1910)

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:09, 24 August 2026
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	Friedländer Circus Sarrasani poster showing its layout adapted from a 1907 photograph (c.1910) — ''Private Collection''		Friedländer Circus Sarrasani poster showing its layout adapted from a 1907 photograph (c.1910) — ''Private Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[Circus Sarrasani]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Sarrasani Circus]]

@@ Line 257: / Line 257: @@
 <Gallery>
 File:Sarrasani_Clown.jpg|Giovanni Sarrasani (1900)
 File:Façade_Sarrasani_(c.1905).jpg|Circus Sarrasani (c.1905)
 File:Zirkus_Sarrasani.jpg|Circus Sarrasani (c.1905)

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:34, 24 August 2026
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	Adolph Friedländer poster for the "Clown Sarrasani" (Hans Stosch) and his animal act (c.1900) — ''Private Collection''		Adolph Friedländer poster for the "Clown Sarrasani" (Hans Stosch) and his animal act (c.1900) — ''Private Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* Biography: [[Hans Stosch-Sarrasani]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Sarrasani, clown]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Charly_Baumann_1976.jpeg|right|400px]]
+[[File:Charly_Baumann_1964.jpeg|right|300px]]
 ==Animal Trainer==
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 === World War II: A Family Tragedy===
-From age seven to twelve, young Heinz made his first foray in show business, playing bit parts in movies at the UFA studio. This could have led to an acting career, but the advent of World War II completely reshaped Heinz’s destiny: His father was caught helping a Jewish family escape to Spain, and was arrested and deported to Bergen-Belsen. His mother was interned in Ravensbrück, and Heinz was sent to a Nazi orphanage, and then to work on a farm.
+From age seven to twelve, young Heinz made his first foray in show business playing bit parts in movies at the UFA studio. This could have led to an acting career, but the advent of World War II completely reshaped Heinz’s destiny: His father was caught helping a Jewish family escape to Spain, and was arrested and deported to Bergen-Belsen. His mother was interned in Ravensbrück, and Heinz was sent to a Nazi orphanage, and then to work on a farm.
 Heinz’s father died in the gas chambers of Bergen-Belsen, but his mother was freed after nineteen months of captivity in Ravensbrück, her health severely altered. This succession of events suggests that Heinz’s father had a Jewish ancestry (Baumann is indeed a common Jewish name) and that his mother was gentile, although Charly Baumann apparently never mentioned it.
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Paula Busch’s empire now laid in ruins, and she was trying to rebuild some of it with an outdoors circus, the [[Circus Busch|Astra Arena Schau]], which she had started in July 1946 in the ruins of the Berlin Zoo. Heinz Baumann, who had often helped his father take care of his horses, got a job as a groom, and participated in the show’s pantomimes&mdash;which were but a poor shadow of the elaborate spectacles that once were the glorious trademark of Circus Busch.
-[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]]. Harry Williams held a British passport, and the attitude of the Althoffs&mdash;Carola (1903-1987), and her brothers [[Franz Althoff|Franz]] (1908-1987) and [[Adolf Althoff|Adolf]] (1913-1998)&mdash;during the war had been exemplary, at least from the Allies’ perspective: They had hidden and helped several Jews, performers or not, in their circus under the nose of the Nazis and at their own risk. The occupying authorities had had no problem granting Harry and Carola Williams a permit to operate a circus again.
+[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]].
 The Williams hired Heinz as an assistant horse trainer, who was also to participate in Circus Williams’s equestrian acts and displays. At Circus Williams, Heinz met a young apprentice who had followed a path comparable to his (and would continue to do so), [[Gunther Gebel-Williams|Günther Gebel]]. It is also at Circus Williams that Baumann would change his first name, Heinz, for the less German-sounding Charly.
@@ Line 41: / Line 43: @@
 Ada Aureden, Will’s divorced wife, was still her ex-husband’s partner, and the artistic force behind Circus Roland. Soon, she and Charly began a long-lasting affair, and Ada would become a major influence on Charly’s career. For the next five years, Charly became a very successful lion trainer, but working with six male lions&mdash;which are relatively lazy animals and prone to fight each other&mdash;was not easy, and it came with its share of close-call incidents. Charly eventually considered switching to tigers.
-He had several offers to take over existing tiger groups, including one from [[John Ringling North]] for [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus, but Baumann’s asking price was to high for North. Finally, in 1957, Erie Klant ended his contract with Circus Roland. As a result, Will and Ada Aureden decided to buy a tiger act, which had been put together by the Czech trainer [[Franz Kraml]], from the Hanover Zoo and give it to Charly&mdash;who now lived with Ada and had no intention indeed to leave Circus Roland.
+He had several offers to take over existing tiger groups, including one from [[John Ringling North]] for [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus, but Baumann’s asking price was to high for North. Finally, in 1957, Erie Klant ended his contract with Circus Roland. As a result, Will and Ada Aureden decided to buy a tiger act, which had been put together by the Czech trainer [[Franz Kraml]], from the Hanover Zoo, and give it to Charly&mdash;who now lived with Ada and had no intention indeed to leave Circus Roland.
-Franz Kraml and his assistant, Joseph Apel, spent the 1957 season with Charly Baumann to familiarize him with the five tigers in the act. When Kraml left, Joseph Apel remained with Charly; he became his long-time assistant and would eventually follow him to the United States. Soon, three more tigers were added to the original group, giving its final shape to the act Charly Baumann would present in European circuses (and on film) for the next five years. Charly had already abandoned the ''Tarzan'' outfit, which he had replaced by a white safari costume, replete with jodhpurs and leather boots; he opted now for an open shirt, and ornate vest and pants.
+Franz Kraml and his assistant, Joseph Apel, spent the 1957 season with Charly Baumann to familiarize him with the five tigers that composed the act. When Kraml left, Joseph Apel remained with Charly; he became his long-time assistant and would eventually follow him to the United States. Soon, three more tigers were added to the original group, giving its final shape to the act Charly Baumann would present in European circuses (and on film) for the next five years. Charly had already abandoned the ''Tarzan'' outfit, which he had replaced by a white safari costume, replete with jodhpurs and leather boots; he opted now for an open shirt, and ornate vest and pants.
-[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA. He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
+[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and it was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA: He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
-For the winter of 1959-60, Charly Baumann was featured in one of Europe’s most prestigious circuses, [[Bertram Mills Circus]], for its annual Christmas production at the Olympia of Kensington, in London. "Charly Baumann may be spoken of in the same breath as the Masters of his craft," noted the enthusiastic critic of ''World’s Fair'', the British circus and fairgrounds trade publication. The following summer, Baumann was featured at Blackpool’s [[Tower Circus]] and he ended in British season on October 30 at [[Billy Smart’s Circus]], where singer Dorothy Squires made a guest appearance among Charly’s tigers for a charity performance.
+For the winter of 1959-60, Charly Baumann was featured in one of Europe’s most prestigious circuses, [[Bertram Mills Circus]], for its annual Christmas production at the Olympia of Kensington, in London. "Charly Baumann may be spoken of in the same breath as the Masters of his craft," noted the enthusiastic critic of ''World’s Fair'', the British circus and fairgrounds trade publication. The following summer, Baumann was featured at Blackpool’s [[Tower Circus]] and he ended his British season on October 30 at [[Billy Smart’s Circus]], where singer Dorothy Squires made a guest appearance among Charly’s tigers for a charity performance.
 Then in 1960, Charly Baumann became part of the ''Cirque Français'', an allegedly French circus troupe, which performed in the Soviet Union at the old [[Circus Ciniselli]] in Leningrad, and the [[Circus Nikulin|Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard]] in Moscow. The show had been put together by the Lumbroso Agency (which had the exclusivity of Soviet shows in France), but if the star of the company was the famous French ''auguste'' [[Achille Zavatta]], only half of the acts on the program were actually French. The Russian audience didn’t really care: Seeing foreign performers, wherever they came from, was enough of a novelty for them. According to Baumann, [[SoyuzGosTsirk]], the Soviet central circus organization, tried to lure him into its fold&mdash;as in fact they often did, always unsuccessfully, with top European circus performers who came to visit.
@@ Line 86: / Line 88: @@
 File:Charly_Baumann_1964.jpeg|Charly Baumann (1964)
 File:Charly_Baumann_RBBB_Program_(1966).jpg|Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Program Cover (1966)
 File:Charly_Baumann_1960s.jpg|Charly Baumann (c.1968)
 Image:Charly_Baumann_(1970).jpg|Charly Baumann at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (c.1970)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:50, 23 August 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Charly Baumann and his tigers (1967) — ''Photo X''		Charly Baumann and his tigers (1967) — ''Photo X''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* Biography: [[Charly Baumann]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Photo Archive\|Baumann, Charly]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Paula Busch’s empire now laid in ruins, and she was trying to rebuild some of it with an outdoors circus, the [[Circus Busch|Astra Arena Schau]], which she had started in July 1946 in the ruins of the Berlin Zoo. Heinz Baumann, who had often helped his father take care of his horses, got a job as a groom, and participated in the show’s pantomimes&mdash;which were but a poor shadow of the elaborate spectacles that once were the glorious trademark of Circus Busch.
-[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|right|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]]. Harry Williams held a British passport, and the attitude of the Althoffs&mdash;Carola (1903-1987), and her brothers [[Franz Althoff|Franz]] (1908-1987) and [[Adolf Althoff|Adolf]] (1913-1998)&mdash;during the war had been exemplary, at least from the Allies’ perspective: They had hidden and helped several Jews, performers or not, in their circus under the nose of the Nazis and at their own risk. The occupying authorities had had no problem granting Harry and Carola Williams a permit to operate a circus again.
+[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]]. Harry Williams held a British passport, and the attitude of the Althoffs&mdash;Carola (1903-1987), and her brothers [[Franz Althoff|Franz]] (1908-1987) and [[Adolf Althoff|Adolf]] (1913-1998)&mdash;during the war had been exemplary, at least from the Allies’ perspective: They had hidden and helped several Jews, performers or not, in their circus under the nose of the Nazis and at their own risk. The occupying authorities had had no problem granting Harry and Carola Williams a permit to operate a circus again.
 The Williams hired Heinz as an assistant horse trainer, who was also to participate in Circus Williams’s equestrian acts and displays. At Circus Williams, Heinz met a young apprentice who had followed a path comparable to his (and would continue to do so), [[Gunther Gebel-Williams|Günther Gebel]]. It is also at Circus Williams that Baumann would change his first name, Heinz, for the less German-sounding Charly.
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 ===Cat Trainer===
-[[Image:Charly_Baumann_(1952)-1.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Charly Baumann in 1952]]After the Circus Bügler season, Charlie’s act was contracted with [[Will Aureden]]’s budding [[Circus Busch-Roland|Circus Roland]]. There, Charlie Baumann was replacing the already famous [[Gilbert Houcke]], whose ''Tarzan'' costume (no to mention his tiger act) had been a sensation at Circus Roland the previous seasons. To keep the winning ''Tarzan'' image alive, Aureden asked Charly to adopt Houcke’s minimal, leopard-skin costume, which would be his outfit for the next few years. This type of costuming became widely popular among cat trainers in the 1950s and early 1960s&mdash;at least among those whose body could fit the image!
+[[Image:Charly_Baumann_(1952)-1.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Charly Baumann in 1952]]After the Circus Bügler season, Charlie’s act was contracted with [[Will Aureden]]’s budding [[Circus Busch-Roland|Circus Roland]]. There, Charlie Baumann was replacing the already famous [[Gilbert Houcke]], whose ''Tarzan'' costume (no to mention his tiger act) had been a sensation at Circus Roland the previous seasons. To keep the winning ''Tarzan'' image alive, Aureden asked Charly to adopt Houcke’s minimal, leopard-skin costume, which would be his outfit for the next few years. This type of costuming became widely popular among cat trainers in the 1950s and early 1960s&mdash;at least among those whose body could fit the image!
 Ada Aureden, Will’s divorced wife, was still her ex-husband’s partner, and the artistic force behind Circus Roland. Soon, she and Charly began a long-lasting affair, and Ada would become a major influence on Charly’s career. For the next five years, Charly became a very successful lion trainer, but working with six male lions&mdash;which are relatively lazy animals and prone to fight each other&mdash;was not easy, and it came with its share of close-call incidents. Charly eventually considered switching to tigers.
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 Franz Kraml and his assistant, Joseph Apel, spent the 1957 season with Charly Baumann to familiarize him with the five tigers in the act. When Kraml left, Joseph Apel remained with Charly; he became his long-time assistant and would eventually follow him to the United States. Soon, three more tigers were added to the original group, giving its final shape to the act Charly Baumann would present in European circuses (and on film) for the next five years. Charly had already abandoned the ''Tarzan'' outfit, which he had replaced by a white safari costume, replete with jodhpurs and leather boots; he opted now for an open shirt, and ornate vest and pants.
-[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA. He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
+[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA. He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
 For the winter of 1959-60, Charly Baumann was featured in one of Europe’s most prestigious circuses, [[Bertram Mills Circus]], for its annual Christmas production at the Olympia of Kensington, in London. "Charly Baumann may be spoken of in the same breath as the Masters of his craft," noted the enthusiastic critic of ''World’s Fair'', the British circus and fairgrounds trade publication. The following summer, Baumann was featured at Blackpool’s [[Tower Circus]] and he ended in British season on October 30 at [[Billy Smart’s Circus]], where singer Dorothy Squires made a guest appearance among Charly’s tigers for a charity performance.
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 Charly Baumann made his debut in America in 1964, in a show that included [[Victoria Unus|La Toria]] on the Roman rings, the [[Yong Brothers]], [[Charles Mroczkowski|Charles and Gena Mroczkowski]] and their horses, and The Great [[Doval]] on the high wire. But these were the last years of John Ringling North’s ownership; in November 1967, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus passed into the hands of Irvin and Israel Feld, and Roy Hofheinz. Luckily, [[Irvin Feld]] renewed Charly Baumann’s contract&mdash;and the German tiger trainer would spend the next 24 years with ''The Greatest Show On Earth''!
-[[File:Charly_Baumann_RBBB_Program_(1966).jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann (1966)]]In 1968, Irvin Feld lured Gunther Gebel-Williams, Charly’s old fellow apprentice at Circus Williams, to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey with the entire Circus Williams menagerie. The plan was to make, for the 1969 season, a second unit of ''The Greatest Show On Earth'' whose star performer would be Gunther Gebel-Williams. Charly remained with the first unit (the two trainers never worked their acts in the same show), where he was also promoted Assistant Performance Director.
+[[File:Charly_Baumann_RBBB_Program_(1966).jpg|thumb|right|300px|Charly Baumann (1966)]]In 1968, Irvin Feld lured Gunther Gebel-Williams, Charly’s old fellow apprentice at Circus Williams, to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey with the entire Circus Williams menagerie. The plan was to make, for the 1969 season, a second unit of ''The Greatest Show On Earth'' whose star performer would be Gunther Gebel-Williams. Charly remained with the first unit (the two trainers never worked their acts in the same show), where he was also promoted Assistant Performance Director.
 Charly Baumann’s tiger act grew in importance, reaching 16 animals at its peak. One of his greatest accomplishments was to present a three-tiger simultaneous roll over, something that had never been seen before. (He actually had four tigers able to do the trick together, one being kept as an understudy.) In 1971, Charly became the Blue Unit’s Performance Director, while still presenting his tiger act in the center ring. His authoritarian stance, however, didn’t make him popular with the other performers of the show.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:58, 23 August 2026
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	* Video: [[Merkys_Video_(1964)\|The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars]], on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)		* Video: [[Merkys_Video_(1964)\|The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars]], on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)

−	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Acrobats\|Merkys, The]][[Category:~~Contortion~~\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Horizontal Bars\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Merkys, The]]	+	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Acrobats\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Contortionists\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Horizontal Bars\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Merkys, The]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:03, 23 August 2026
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−	Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''	+	Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly, showing Jansly Blumenfeld and his group of 12 Russian stallions (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''

	==See Also==		==See Also==