The History of the Circus

Podcast Transcript

For generations, families all over the world have attended circuses.

Circuses were a collection of animals, acrobats, clowns, and other exotic oddities.

In an era before television and the internet, circuses were a major form of entertainment for many people.

Over time, however, circuses have changed and evolved into something very different in the 21st century.

Learn more about circuses, how they came about and how they changed on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

What we think of as a circus, which is acrobats, clowns, animal performances, and skilled stunts, all performed under a big top or in an arena, is historically a relatively recent invention.

The idea of a circus goes back to ancient Rome, although the meaning was quite different back then.

The word “circus” is derived from the Latin word circus, meaning “circle” or “ring.” The Roman Circus was an open-air venue used for public events, notably chariot races, gladiatorial combat, and other forms of entertainment.

The most famous of these was the Circus Maximus in Rome, which could seat around 150,000 spectators. It was a long, oval-shaped arena with a central dividing barrier called a spina, around which the chariots would race. The Roman circus was more akin to a stadium than a modern circus but laid the groundwork for public entertainment in a circular space.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of large-scale public entertainment declined. However, smaller traveling groups of entertainers continued the tradition in Europe. These included jugglers, acrobats, and animal trainers who performed at fairs, markets, and festivals. These performances were often in open squares or temporary wooden structures and were the precursors to the modern circus.

Over in China, they developed their own similar form of entertainment. The origins of Chinese circuses can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). During this period, various forms of acrobatics, juggling, and martial arts were popular forms of entertainment at imperial courts and public festivals.

Chinese circuses were deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, including martial arts (w?shù) and Chinese opera. The emphasis was often on skill, balance, and physical strength. Many of the acts showcased human ability and control over the body, often pushing the limits of what seemed physically possible.

Throughout the centuries, Chinese acrobatic performances continued to develop via traveling troupes of entertainers.

I should also note that similar acrobats and entertainers also existed in ancient India and during the Islamic Caliphates.

The modern circus is often credited to Philip Astley, an English cavalry officer who opened the first circus in London in 1768. Astley was an accomplished horseman and initially focused on equestrian performances.

He established a circular performance area, approximately 42 feet in diameter, which became the standard for circuses. This ring size allowed riders to maintain balance during their performances. He also incorporated clowns and acrobats into his shows to fill the gaps between horse performances.

Following Astley’s success, circuses began to spread across Europe. Astley established the first circus in Paris, the Amphithéâtre Anglais, in 1782 and then leased his circus to the Italian Antonio Franconi in 1793.

Also in 1793, Englishman John Bill Ricketts opened up the first circus in the United States in Philadelphia.

The circus as a form of entertainment spread rapidly throughout Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

However, almost all of these circuses were in permanent or semi-permanent structures, often specially built for the circus. It was extremely difficult to move such a large number of people and animals, not to mention all of the props and equipment at that time.

It wasn’t until 1825 that American J. Purdy Brown took his circus troupe on tour and performed under a large canvas tent called a big top.

Before I get further into the history of circuses, I want to go off on a tangent on the history of some of the acts most closely associated with circuses.

One of the most popular circus acts is the highwire, or tightrope walking.

Tightrope walking actually has an ancient history and it known as funambulism. The word comes from the ancient Greek words for rope and walking.

The earliest recorded evidence of tightrope walking goes back to the Han Dynasty in China. As the Greek origins of the name would suggest, there is also evidnece of it being practiced in Greece.

Tightrope walking was a core part of acrobatic troupes throughout the middle ages. When circuses began in the late 18th century, it was natural to includetightrope walkers as part of the show.

19th century funambulists such as Charles Blondin performed for circuses and also did public exhibitions. Blondin became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

Another act which is tied to the circus is the trapeze.

Unlike the highwire, the trapeze is a relatively new innovation.

What we know today as the flying trapeze was popularized by a French acrobat by the name of Jules Léotard. There are references to the word trapeze twenty years before with respect to acrobatics, so there is doubt as to if Léotard actually invented trapeze, but he was the one who brought to the attention of the world.

According to legend, Léotard practiced his act over his father’s swimming pool in Toulouse, France.

The word trapeze was a French term that was used to describe the bar and the ropes which resembled a trapezoid.

The very first public trapeze performance was on November 12, 1859. Léotard performed a three bar trapeze act for the Cirque Napoleon in Paris.

Just in case you are curious, Léotard developed a full body suit for his act, which was named after him: the leotard.

Just to give you an idea of his popularity, the 1867 song The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze” was written about Jules Léotard.

The final act that is associated with almost any circus are clowns.

The role of a jester or a fool goes back thousands of years. There are records of such people going back almost 5000 years in ancient Egypt.

However, what we think of as a clown today is, again, a rather recent invention. The first person who performed a modern clown act is considered to be an English actor named Joseph Grimaldi.

Often referred to as the “father of modern clowning,” Grimaldi revolutionized the character of the clown by transforming it from a mere comic sidekick into the central figure of pantomimes.

He introduced the now-iconic white face makeup, exaggerated facial features, and colorful costumes that became standard for clowns. Grimaldi’s performances were marked by his physical comedy, expressive acting, and ability to convey both humor and pathos, establishing the template for the modern clown.

Back to the circus itself….

There were several traveling circuses in the United States in the early 19th century.

The person who is considered to be the father of the American circus was a showman by the name of P.T. Barnum.

He and his partner, William Cameron Coup, established P. T. Barnum’s Museum, Menagerie & Circus in 1871. Barnum combined a traditional circus with other attractions, such as a freak show and menageries.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with what a menagerie is, because it isn’t a word you hear too often anymore, a menagerie is just a collection of live wild animals.

In 1880, Barnum teamed up with another circus owner, James Bailey, to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which they dubbed the Greatest Show on Earth.

Barnum and Bailey worked well together. As one of their performers, Josie Robinson, wrote in her autobiography, “Mr. Barnum was the advertiser, who loved the limelight, who rode around in the ring, and announced who he was. But Mr. Bailey was the businessman, content to be invisible…and interested only in the success of the show.”

Bailey was responsible for bringing in Jumbo, the Giant African Circus Elephant, claimed to the largest elephant in the world, which was a huge attraction for the circus.

Barnum and Bailey had a major competitor. In 1884, five brothers established a circus known as the Ringling Brothers Circus.

One of the innovations the Ringling Brothers made was moving the circus by train, which allowed for a much larger menagere, more equipment, and more performers.

In 1891, Barnum died, and Bailey died in 1906. In 1919, the two major circuses decided to merge to create the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was the dominant circus for decades and was very successful up through the Second World War.

The early 20th century was known as the golden age of the circus.

After the war, circuses began a slow decline. On July 16, 1956, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed their last show under a big top canvas tent. After that, they performed in permanent venues such as stadiums and arenas.

As tastes in entertainment changed, circuses became less popular. There was also controversy surrounding the use of animals in circuses, which had been a mainstay of circuses since their modern founding in the late 18th century.

What radically changed the concept of a circus took place in 1984. A group of street performers in Quebec, Canada formed Cirque du Soleil.

Cirque du Soleil was a very different take on what a circus could be.

Cirque du Soleil moved away from the traditional circus model that relied heavily on animal acts, clowns, and conventional performances. Instead, it emphasized artistic expression, human physicality, and creativity.

Moreover, the Cirque du Soleil shows also had some sort of general theme or story that connected all of the acts in the show.

They developed different touring shows that had completely different themes and names. Unlike traditional circuses, Cirque du Soleil toured extensively internationally. Eventually, they developed permanent shows in places like Las Vegas and Orlando.

These shows were performed in custom-built facilities, harkening back to the days of early circuses in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The decision to not use animals not only avoided much of the controversy surrounding other circuses, but it also dramatically reduced their costs.

While nouveau circuses like Cirque du Soleil were growing in popularity, traditional circuses like the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus suffered more and more problems.

They had been sold multiple times over the years including being owned by the Mattel Corporation and Gulf Oil.

By the late 2010s, the writing was on the wall for the company. On May 21, 2017, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had their last performance at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

However, the 2017 closure of the circus wasn’t final.

In 2022, the original family that purchased the circus in 1967, the Feld’s, purchased the company again and in 2023 they announced a return to touring and live performances. In their return, they have eliminated the live animal acts which had been a central part of the circus since its founding.

There are approximately 200 active circuses in the world today of various sizes. Some of them are very traditional and others are more cirque nouveau. Some are extremely regional only performing in a single city and other tour internationally.

Despite the problems that circuses have had over the last several decades, there probably always will be circuses in some form. So long as they can adapt to modern trends, there will always be demand for acrobats and death-defying feats.

…and so long as that’s true, people will always get excited when the circus comes to town.