Poster advertising Bertram Mills Circus featuring The Sensational Barbette, Olympia, 1927 to 1928
Poster
1927 (made)
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. This poster advertises the American trapeze artistand female impersonator Barbette (1898-1973), born Vander Clyde Broadway in Texas. Performing in full drag and revealing himself only as a man at the end of the act, he achieved even greater fame in Europe than in the United States.
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 poster advertises the American trapeze artistand female impersonator Barbette (1898-1973), born Vander Clyde Broadway in Texas. Performing in full drag and revealing himself only as a man at the end of the act, he achieved even greater fame in Europe than in the United States.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Poster advertising Bertram Mills Circus featuring The Sensational Barbette, Olympia, 1927 to 1928 (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed ink on paper |
| Brief description | Poster advertising Bertram Mills Circus featuring The Sensational Barbette 'and 20 Other Gigantic Novelties', 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 The Beautiful Barbette and '20 Other Gigantic Novelties' at Bertram Mills Circus, Olympia, 1927 to 1928 |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Associated Production: Bertram Mills' Circus. Performer: Barbette (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. This poster advertises the American trapeze artistand female impersonator Barbette (1898-1973), born Vander Clyde Broadway in Texas. Performing in full drag and revealing himself only as a man at the end of the act, he achieved even greater fame in Europe than in the United States. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.116-1994 |
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| Record created | April 1, 2021 |
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