Benefit of Mr. Price
Poster
1845 (made)
1845 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This lavishly illustrated poster was produced in London to attract audiences to the Benefit Night of the acrobat Tom Price at his British and American Circus in London's Commercial Road.
Tom Price had made his name with Jem Ryan's circus at Brighton in 1836 as England's best vaulter, or performer of somersaults (or somersets) as the medal reproduced on this poster show. In July 1838 he was challenged for his title at Astley's Circus by the American circus performer Levi North who is recorded to have performed 33 to Price's 20. Despite their rivalry in somersaulting, in spring 1843 North joined Price to establish Price & North's Circus. North returned to the States that year leaving Price in charge of the circus, returning in the spring of 1844. By the autumn he had disposed of his interest in the show however, leaving Price as the proprietor of the show which advertises on this poster, amongst other attractions, the American equestrian James Buckley.
Early in 1845 the entire company of Price's circus in the Commercial Road was arrested for performing in unlicensed premises, but was bailed by the circus proprietor William Batty, and in the records of proceedings of a case at the Old Bailey on 3rd March 1845, Price is mentioned by a witness as keeping a circus in the Commercial Road which is: 'a disorderly place of entertainment where there is music, singing and dancing, and taking money at the door. It is a horse circus - but there are other entertainments'.
Tom Price had made his name with Jem Ryan's circus at Brighton in 1836 as England's best vaulter, or performer of somersaults (or somersets) as the medal reproduced on this poster show. In July 1838 he was challenged for his title at Astley's Circus by the American circus performer Levi North who is recorded to have performed 33 to Price's 20. Despite their rivalry in somersaulting, in spring 1843 North joined Price to establish Price & North's Circus. North returned to the States that year leaving Price in charge of the circus, returning in the spring of 1844. By the autumn he had disposed of his interest in the show however, leaving Price as the proprietor of the show which advertises on this poster, amongst other attractions, the American equestrian James Buckley.
Early in 1845 the entire company of Price's circus in the Commercial Road was arrested for performing in unlicensed premises, but was bailed by the circus proprietor William Batty, and in the records of proceedings of a case at the Old Bailey on 3rd March 1845, Price is mentioned by a witness as keeping a circus in the Commercial Road which is: 'a disorderly place of entertainment where there is music, singing and dancing, and taking money at the door. It is a horse circus - but there are other entertainments'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Benefit of Mr. Price |
| Materials and techniques | Woodcut on paper |
| Brief description | Poster advertising the Benefit of Mr. Price at Price's British and American Circus, Devonport Street, Commercial Road, London, 10th March 1845. Woodcut & letterpress, printed by W.J. Dailey, 1845. |
| Physical description | Pictorial and typographic. The poster features an image of Tom Price in clown's costume dancing on pointe, balancing on various objects including a chair, a punch bowl and bottles, and of an equestrian somersaulting on to a horse. There are also four images of Mr. Price's gold medal, recto and verso of the medal he was awarded by William Batty for 56 somersaults at the Circus Royal, Glasgow Green, 7th March 1839, and of the medal he was awarded by Jem Ryan for the 31 somersaults performed at his circus at Brighton, 5th November 1836. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Stamped with Enthoven collection, V.A.M. stamp. |
| Credit line | Antony Hippisley Coxe Collection |
| Object history | Associated Production: British and American Circus. Performers: Mr. Price (acrobat and clown), Mr. J. Buckley (equestrian). British and American Circus, Devonport Street, Commercial Road East, London. 10.3.1845. Performance category: circus, rope dancing, equilibrism, equestrian, clowning. The evening was Mr. Price's Benefit and the poster concentrates on his various feats and his name: 'Come at Full Price! Come at Half Price! Fail not at Any Price! This Night to see Mr. Price!!' It also credits him as being: 'late of Franconi's Paris and Astley's London'. Other performers mentioned on the bill are W.D. Broadfoot, Acting and Stage Manager from Astley's Circus, who was William Broadfoot married to Amelia Ducrow, and Mr. J. Buckley 'the star rider of America' - James Buckley, who died in America in 849 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This lavishly illustrated poster was produced in London to attract audiences to the Benefit Night of the acrobat Tom Price at his British and American Circus in London's Commercial Road. Tom Price had made his name with Jem Ryan's circus at Brighton in 1836 as England's best vaulter, or performer of somersaults (or somersets) as the medal reproduced on this poster show. In July 1838 he was challenged for his title at Astley's Circus by the American circus performer Levi North who is recorded to have performed 33 to Price's 20. Despite their rivalry in somersaulting, in spring 1843 North joined Price to establish Price & North's Circus. North returned to the States that year leaving Price in charge of the circus, returning in the spring of 1844. By the autumn he had disposed of his interest in the show however, leaving Price as the proprietor of the show which advertises on this poster, amongst other attractions, the American equestrian James Buckley. Early in 1845 the entire company of Price's circus in the Commercial Road was arrested for performing in unlicensed premises, but was bailed by the circus proprietor William Batty, and in the records of proceedings of a case at the Old Bailey on 3rd March 1845, Price is mentioned by a witness as keeping a circus in the Commercial Road which is: 'a disorderly place of entertainment where there is music, singing and dancing, and taking money at the door. It is a horse circus - but there are other entertainments'. |
| Associated object | S.3779-1995 (Object) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.3423-1995 |
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| Record created | July 30, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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