Not currently on display at the V&A

Poster advertising Bertram Mills' Circus featuring Beautiful De Mario the Human Top, Olympia, 1927 to 1928

Poster
1927 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePoster advertising Bertram Mills' Circus featuring Beautiful De Mario the Human Top, Olympia, 1927 to 1928 (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Printed ink on paper
Brief description
Poster advertising Bertram Mills Circus featuring Beautiful De Mario the Human Top 'and 20 Other Sensational Novelities', Olympia, 21st December 1927 to 24th January 1928. Printed by W.E. Berry
Physical description
Typographic poster printed in black on a luminous pink, green, yellow and orange gradated background advertising Beautiful De Mario the Human Top and '20 Other Sensational Novelties' at Bertram Mills Circus, Olympia, 1927 to 1928
Dimensions
  • Poster height: 75.9cm
  • Poster width: 101.8cm
Object history
Associated Production: Bertram Mills' Circus. Performer: De Mario (human top). Olympia, Kensington, London. 21.12.1927-24.1.1928. Performance category: circus.
Summary
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.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.115-1994

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Record createdApril 1, 2021
Record URL
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