Bertram Mills produced his first Olympia circus at Christmas 1920, and his sons Bertram and Cyril took over the business after their father's death in 1938. Bertram Mills' produced some of their finest shows in the 1950s, but rising costs and a reluctance to increase ticket prices meant the closure in October 1964 of their tenting show that travelled the country during the summer months. Their 1965-1966 Christmas show was their last at London's Olympia.

Bertram Mills was always keen to produce some of the most colourful and attractive publicity for his circus. He produced a range of these unusually coloured posters printed by W.E. Berry for the 1927 to 1928 season advertising various individual acts appearing that season.

This act was founded in America by George Powers who taught his elephants to play baseball and perform dances including the fandango, the hula and the Charleston, once appearing on the same bill as the legendary dancer Anna Pavlova. They were the resident house elephants at the New York Hippodrome from 1905 until 1922, after which they toured in the United States in vaudeville and in Europe from 1926 until 1938.