Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From Circopedia

 
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<div style="font-size:162%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;">Welcome to [[Circopedia]],</div>
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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
<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:95%;">the [[free content|free]] [[encyclopedia]] of circus history.</div>
+
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 id="articlecount" style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:85%;">[[Special:Statistics|{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}]] articles in [[English language|English]]</div>
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia is an independent educational website, originally created as a project of the non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
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==Categories==
 
*[[:Category:Artists and Acts|Artists and Acts]]
 
*[[:Category:Circus Arts|Circus Arts]]
 
*[[:Category:Circuses|Circuses]]
 
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[[Portal:Contents|Contents]]&nbsp;'''·''' [[Portal:Contents/Categorical index|Categories]]&nbsp;'''·''' [[Portal:Featured content|Featured content]]&nbsp;'''·''' [[Portal:Contents/Quick index|A–Z index]]
 
 
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==In The Spotlight==
 +
 
 +
===THE GREAT CARMO===
 +
[[File:Carmo_in_turban.jpg|right|300px]]
 +
Relatively little has been written of Harry Cameron (1881-1944), better known as "The Great Carmo," apart from a small volume entitled ''The Great Carmo, The Colossus of Mystery'', by magician and writer Val Andrews in 2001. Yet, Carmo was at one time one of the leading illusionists of the British variety theatre scene, and for a short period, the owner of a circus stalked by tragedy. He might also be considered the man who launched the Bertram Mills Circus on its first tour, having had a short connection with Bertram W. Mills and his two sons in 1929, prior to the appearance of the full-fledged Mills tenting show in 1930.
 +
 
 +
Although of Scottish origins (his parents had emigrated to Australia in about 1880), Harry Cameron was born in Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia on November 8, 1881. His father was an engineer; unbeknownst to him, Harry was destined to become a magician and illusionist who would rival the "greats" of his era: Lafayette, Chung Ling Soo, Lyle, Dante, Murray, Chefalo, and Kalanag, whose huge stage presentations were among the finest in theatrical history.
 +
 
 +
As a youngster, and without any encouragement from his family, Harry developed a love for show business. He had been first entranced by the magic quality of a travelling circus he had visited, and then by Paul Cinquevalli, the greatest juggler of his time, whom he saw in a variety theatre in Melbourne: Harry set out to emulate the feats of his new idol in his juggling, balance and strongman routines.
 +
 
 +
Hence Harry started practising juggling, and whenever possible, without his parents’ knowledge, he frequented theatres and travelling shows. Leaving school at fourteen, he was first apprenticed to a grocer and developed his muscles carrying sacks of flour up to a ladder. Next, he worked in a brass foundry and, in his spare time, took part in a Minstrel show, where he began learning the business of entertainment and formed his flair for showmanship and his stage-sense.
 +
 
 +
When his father found out about Harry’s clandestine affair with show business, he gave him an ultimatum: Either to abandon his artistic ambitions, or to leave home. Harry chose the second option and went on to travelling with the Minstrel show for a year, and later with Rowley’s Waxworks and Varieties&mdash;where he performed his budding juggling and strongman act. He then continued to develop it in other shows.
 +
 
 +
Next, Harry moved on to Ashton’s Circus, playing in the bush townships of Australia, a hard grounding in the circus life. There, attempting to learn wire walking, he had a fall followed by a penniless period in hospital, which led to reconciliation with his parents. Eventually, Harry developed a successful variety career with an act that combined juggling, feats of strength, quick-changes, and impressions. He married his singer-assistant, Nellie Lloyd, in Sydney, on January 5, 1903.... ([[The Great Carmo|more...]])
 +
 
 +
==New Essays and Biographies==
 +
 
 +
* [[The Biasini Family]], Circus Owners, Artists
 +
* [[Paul Jerome]], Clown
 +
* [[Evelyn and André]], Aerialists, Acrobats
 +
* [[Ramón Rampin]], Clown
 +
* [[Elsane]], Aerialist
 +
 
 +
==New Videos==
  
 +
* [[Segura_Family_Video_(1984)|The Segura Family]], Risley act (1984)
 +
* [[Pipo_Gougou_Zippo_Video_(2004)|Pipo, Petit Gougou & Zippo]], clown entrée (2004)
 +
* [[Pipo_Gaston_Zippo_Video_(1993)|Pipo, Gaston & Zippo]], clown entrée (1993)
 +
* [[Krone_Video_(2025)|Circus Krone]] Press Confernece (2025)
 +
* [[Biasini_Video_(1994)|The Biasini Sisters]], bicycle act (1994)
  
 +
==New Oral Histories==
  
 +
* [[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)
 +
* [[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)
 +
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
  
==Welcome to Circopedia==
+
==Circopedia Books==
the free encyclopedia of the international circus.
+
  
 +
* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
  
 +
==A Message from the Founder==
  
==Featured Performer==
+
''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.''
*[[Kris Kremo]] [[Image:KremoThreeHats.jpg|right|thumb|100px|Kremo w/3 Hats]]
+
A true juggling legend, Kristian (Kris) Gaston Kremo was born in Paris in 1951, the son of Béla Kremo, a former icarist whose "Gentleman Juggler" act was famous the world over, and his wife Marianne, née Kalbitz, both Swiss citizens. [[Kris Kremo|more...]]
+
  
==Recent Additions==
+
:'''Dominique Jando'''
*[[Kris Kremo Interview 2007|Kris Kremo Interview (Jando 2007)]]
+
:Founder and Curator
*[[Yasmine Smart Interview 2007|Yasmine Smart Interview (Jando 2007)]]
+
*[[Short History of the Circus|A Short History of the Circus]]
+
*[[Anthony Gatto]]
+
*[[Billy Smart]]
+
*[[David Smart]]
+
*[[Yasmin Smart]]
+
*[[Kremo Family]]
+

Latest revision as of 19:48, 15 June 2025


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, originally created as a project of the non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

THE GREAT CARMO

Carmo in turban.jpg

Relatively little has been written of Harry Cameron (1881-1944), better known as "The Great Carmo," apart from a small volume entitled The Great Carmo, The Colossus of Mystery, by magician and writer Val Andrews in 2001. Yet, Carmo was at one time one of the leading illusionists of the British variety theatre scene, and for a short period, the owner of a circus stalked by tragedy. He might also be considered the man who launched the Bertram Mills Circus on its first tour, having had a short connection with Bertram W. Mills and his two sons in 1929, prior to the appearance of the full-fledged Mills tenting show in 1930.

Although of Scottish origins (his parents had emigrated to Australia in about 1880), Harry Cameron was born in Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia on November 8, 1881. His father was an engineer; unbeknownst to him, Harry was destined to become a magician and illusionist who would rival the "greats" of his era: Lafayette, Chung Ling Soo, Lyle, Dante, Murray, Chefalo, and Kalanag, whose huge stage presentations were among the finest in theatrical history.

As a youngster, and without any encouragement from his family, Harry developed a love for show business. He had been first entranced by the magic quality of a travelling circus he had visited, and then by Paul Cinquevalli, the greatest juggler of his time, whom he saw in a variety theatre in Melbourne: Harry set out to emulate the feats of his new idol in his juggling, balance and strongman routines.

Hence Harry started practising juggling, and whenever possible, without his parents’ knowledge, he frequented theatres and travelling shows. Leaving school at fourteen, he was first apprenticed to a grocer and developed his muscles carrying sacks of flour up to a ladder. Next, he worked in a brass foundry and, in his spare time, took part in a Minstrel show, where he began learning the business of entertainment and formed his flair for showmanship and his stage-sense.

When his father found out about Harry’s clandestine affair with show business, he gave him an ultimatum: Either to abandon his artistic ambitions, or to leave home. Harry chose the second option and went on to travelling with the Minstrel show for a year, and later with Rowley’s Waxworks and Varieties—where he performed his budding juggling and strongman act. He then continued to develop it in other shows.

Next, Harry moved on to Ashton’s Circus, playing in the bush townships of Australia, a hard grounding in the circus life. There, attempting to learn wire walking, he had a fall followed by a penniless period in hospital, which led to reconciliation with his parents. Eventually, Harry developed a successful variety career with an act that combined juggling, feats of strength, quick-changes, and impressions. He married his singer-assistant, Nellie Lloyd, in Sydney, on January 5, 1903.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • The Segura Family, Risley actAct performed by Icarists, in which one acrobat, lying on his back, juggles another acrobat with his feet. (Named after Richard Risley Carlisle, who developed this type of act.) (1984)
  • Pipo, Petit Gougou & Zippo, clown entrée(French) Clown piece with a dramatic structure, generally in the form of a short story or scene. (2004)
  • Pipo, Gaston & Zippo, clown entrée(French) Clown piece with a dramatic structure, generally in the form of a short story or scene. (1993)
  • Circus Krone Press Confernece (2025)
  • The Biasini Sisters, bicycle act (1994)

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