Silk and satin theatre playbills and programmes were produced from the 18th century onwards to commemorate special evenings at the theatre. Most theatres and some circuses in the 19th century had some made to mark grand openings or milestone performances. By the end of the First World War however the practice had generally died out, only being revived very occasionally, more often at London's opera houses than any other theatres.

This expensively produced silk programme with its images of some circus acts celebrates a 'grand fashionable Military Bespeak' in the presence of Captain Gunston of the 5th Dragoons, at Ginnett's Circus owned by John Frederick Ginnett (1826-1892). Known as Frederick, he was the eldest son of Jean Pierre Ginnett (1797-1861), the founder of the circus in the 1840s. A talented equestrian from an early age, John Frederick first appeared as an infant prodigy at Astley's Amphitheatre in 1832, billed as the 'Infant Ginnett'. By 1851 he was director of Franconi's Cirque National, before running the family circus. The images on this silk programme are probably those of Frederick Ginnett with his first wife, the equestrienne Sarah Savage, and their three sons, Frederick, Claude and Albert. The performers include the equestriennes Mlle. Mancini and Mme. Adelaide; the clowns Jimmy Paston, Rumbo and Juba; Fred Ginnett, Mlle. Marguerite on the Rolling Globe, the clown Juba, the equestrians Sam Pugh,Claude and Fred Ginnett, Mons. George, Richmond, Hull, Austin, John Powell who trained the horse Emperor and the dogs; Ethardo and Pugh with their balancing act La Perche; the 'aerial marvels' The Rezenes, and comic scenes by The Brothers Aldean.