Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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<div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
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<br><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
 
ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
 
ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia was originally inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation]''.</div><br/>
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
===BILL WOODCOCK===
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===CIRQUE BUREAU===
[[File:William_Woodcock,_Jr._(1978).jpg|right|450px]]
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[[File:Bureau_Frères_Program.jpg|right|200px]]
William Woodcock, Jr. (1935-2023), better known as Bill or "Buckles" Woodcock, was one of the great elephant trainers of the second half of the twentieth-century American circus. A true circus legend in his own times, he was extremely respected in the profession and loved by circus fans, who enjoyed testing his historical knowledge of the American circus, and his encyclopedic command of the history of elephants in the United States&mdash;an interest passed on to him by his father.
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From the late nineteenth century to the early 1950s, the Cirque Bureau was one of France's most popular circuses. Over its long existence, it had built in the French provinces a faithful audience that appreciated the constant high quality of its offerings and its simplicity, devoid of the advertising hype of its competitors. Wherever it went, its visits were expected and anticipated, practically at the same time each year. Sadly, this steady routine was disturbed by World War II and the Nazi occupation of France&mdash;and Jules Glasner, its last director, had a hard time trying to restore its place in the new economic era that followed the war: The Cirque Bureau folded its big top in 1953, at the end of what was advertised as its "99th season."
  
William "Buckles" Woodcock was born on February 26, 1935 in Lancaster, Missouri, to an old American circus family. Although his father, William H. Woodcock (1904-1963), was a first-generation circus man (and became a legendary elephant trainer with a passion for circus history), his mother was Sarah "Babe" Orton (1902-1988), whose grandfather, [[Hiram Horton|Hiram]], a former sailor and tavern-keeper of British origin, had started a circus in Wisconsin in 1854. As the feisty Babe would often say, "My family was in the circus when the Ringling brothers were still wearing wooden shoes."
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Its founder was Jean Bureau (1836-1899), born on May 31, 1836, in Villeréal, a small village of the Lot et Garonne department that has kept its medieval architecture and is classified today as one of the "most beautiful villages of France." His father, Jean, Sr. (1809-1844), a carpenter and the son of a farmer, and his mother, Françoise (née Arché, 1815-1880), had two other children: Cosme (1838-1885) and Jeanne (1844-1908). Jean Bureau was just eight years old when he lost his father, and to alleviate the burden on his family, he was soon placed in apprenticeship to a blacksmith.
  
Bill (to differentiate him from his father, William) Woodcock grew up around animals, elephants in particular. When he was a toddler, he was often buckled to his mother on a harness to keep him in check and safe around his father's elephants, thus his nickname. At age 11, he began working in the circus as a candy butcher. But Buckles had other plans: in 1951, over his father's objections, he found a job as an animal handler with another elephant trainer, Eugene "Arky" Scott, who worked with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
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In 1853, a small traveling equestrian circus came to Villeréal. It was a modest affair owned by William Tagg (1822-1884), and his wife Elizabeth, née Woodley, a couple of British traveling performers who had long settled in France. The Taggs needed a blacksmith to reshoe their horses, and his boss sent seventeen-year-old Jean Bureau, a horse lover, to do the job. Jean was immediately fascinated by these people whose horizon seemed limitless; he asked William Tagg if he could join the company as a groom&mdash;and the Taggs, whose human resources were probably wanting, left Villeréal with Jean in tow.  
  
Obviously, there was not much William Senior could do. He and Buckles reunited two years later and began working together. Since his father's vision was failing, Buckles's role in the partnership became increasingly more prominent. In 1951, William Woodcock had acquired a four-year old Burmese woodland elephant, Anna May, from the Al G. Kelly-Miller Bros. Circus, and Buckles began working with her. Anna May, who was a remarkably smart and talented performer, would become America's most famous elephant and stay in the Woodcock family until May 2004, when she went into retirement at Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary in Greenbrier, Arkansas.... ([[William Woodcock, Jr.|more...]])
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Thus, Jean Bureau had started his circus career. Young, athletic, and interested in horsemanship, he trained in trick-riding and quickly became a proficient bareback rider. Having become a full-fledged performer in the company, he began to pay attention to the young Anna Tagg (1840-1913), the director's daughter, who was born in Paris and was four years his junior. Apparently, the feeling was mutual&mdash;to the extent that, in 1862, Anna gave birth to their first child, Françoise Elizabeth (known as Elizabeth, b.1862). It was time indeed to legalize their union: The young couple was married on March 6, 1863, in Cenon, in the outskirts of Bordeaux. By then, Jean was twenty-seven and Anna, twenty-three.... ([[Cirque Bureau|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
* [[Rex Williams]], Elephant Trainer
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* [[Cirque_d'Hiver/fr|Le Cirque d'Hiver]] (Version française)
* [[Little Billy Merchant]], Clown
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* [[Virginie Kenebel/fr|Virginie Kenebel]] (Version française)
* [[Jacko Fossett]], Clown
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* [[Cirque Bureau]], circus (English/Français)
* [[Circus Ring of Fame]], History
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* [[Richiardi Jr.]], magician
* [[Natalya Jigalova]], Aerialist
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* [[Astley's Amphitheatre]], circus
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Neves_and_Gueorguiev_Video_(2000)|Juliana Neves & Ivo Gueorguiev]], tissu pas-de-deux (2000)
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* [[Bobby_Roberts_Video_(1977)|Bobby Roberts, Jr.]], elephant act (1977)
* [[Bikmaevi_Video_(2022)|Duo Bikmaevi]], strap act (2022)  
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* [[Quiros_Video_(c.2020)|Los Quiros]], high wire (c.2020)
* [[Knie_Elephant_and_Tigers_Video_(1976)|Louis Knie]], elephants and tigers act (1976)
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* [[Strickler_Video_(1975)|René Strickler]], mixed cat act (1975)
* [[Bruno_Togni_Video_(2023)|Bruno Togni]], tiger act (2023)
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* [[Bagdasaryan_Video_(2025)|Artur & Karina Bagdsaryan]], tiger act (2025)
* [[Rene_Casselly_Jr_Video_(2023)|RenéCasselly, Jr.]], acrobat on horseback (2023)
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* [[Karoly_Donnert_Video_(2000)|Karoly Donnert]], tiger act (2000)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
  
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* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
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* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
 
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
 
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
 
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
 
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
 
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
 
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
* [[Pinito_del_Oro_RTE_Video_(1970)|Pinito del Oro's Interview]] on Spanish Television (1970)
 
* [[Eradze_Video_(2015)|Gia Eradze]]'s Interview on SSU TV (2015)
 
  
 
==Circopedia Books==
 
==Circopedia Books==
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==A Message from the Founder==
 
==A Message from the Founder==
  
''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;basis. 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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
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''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;basis. 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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
  
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:Founder and Curator
 
:Founder and Curator

Latest revision as of 19:19, 5 February 2026


Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!
Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ ε!
Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!
Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!

Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

CIRQUE BUREAU

Bureau Frères Program.jpg

From the late nineteenth century to the early 1950s, the Cirque Bureau was one of France's most popular circuses. Over its long existence, it had built in the French provinces a faithful audience that appreciated the constant high quality of its offerings and its simplicity, devoid of the advertising hype of its competitors. Wherever it went, its visits were expected and anticipated, practically at the same time each year. Sadly, this steady routine was disturbed by World War II and the Nazi occupation of France—and Jules Glasner, its last director, had a hard time trying to restore its place in the new economic era that followed the war: The Cirque Bureau folded its big topThe circus tent. America: The main tent of a traveling circus, where the show is performed, as opposed to the other tops. (French, Russian: Chapiteau) in 1953, at the end of what was advertised as its "99th season."

Its founder was Jean Bureau (1836-1899), born on May 31, 1836, in Villeréal, a small village of the Lot et Garonne department that has kept its medieval architecture and is classified today as one of the "most beautiful villages of France." His father, Jean, Sr. (1809-1844), a carpenter and the son of a farmer, and his mother, Françoise (née Arché, 1815-1880), had two other children: Cosme (1838-1885) and Jeanne (1844-1908). Jean Bureau was just eight years old when he lost his father, and to alleviate the burden on his family, he was soon placed in apprenticeship to a blacksmith.

In 1853, a small traveling equestrian circus came to Villeréal. It was a modest affair owned by William Tagg (1822-1884), and his wife Elizabeth, née Woodley, a couple of British traveling performers who had long settled in France. The Taggs needed a blacksmith to reshoe their horses, and his boss sent seventeen-year-old Jean Bureau, a horse lover, to do the job. Jean was immediately fascinated by these people whose horizon seemed limitless; he asked William Tagg if he could join the company as a groom—and the Taggs, whose human resources were probably wanting, left Villeréal with Jean in tow.

Thus, Jean Bureau had started his circus career. Young, athletic, and interested in horsemanship, he trained in trickAny specific exercise in a circus act.-riding and quickly became a proficient bareback rider. Having become a full-fledged performer in the company, he began to pay attention to the young Anna Tagg (1840-1913), the director's daughter, who was born in Paris and was four years his junior. Apparently, the feeling was mutual—to the extent that, in 1862, Anna gave birth to their first child, Françoise Elizabeth (known as Elizabeth, b.1862). It was time indeed to legalize their union: The young couple was married on March 6, 1863, in Cenon, in the outskirts of Bordeaux. By then, Jean was twenty-seven and Anna, twenty-three.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. 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
Founder and Curator