For generations, families all over the world have attended circuses. Circuses were a collection of animals, acrobatics, clowns, and other exotic oddities. In an era before television and the internet, circuses were a major form of entertainment for many people. Over time, however, circuses have changed and evolved into something very different in the 21st century. Learn more about circuses, how they came about, and how they've changed, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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Sign up for Butcherbox today by going to Butcherbox.com slash daily, and use code daily at checkout to get $30 off your first box. Again, that's Butcherbox.com slash daily, and use code daily. Okay, you can do this. I know, I know, Carvana makes it so convenient to sell your car. It's just hard to let go. My car and I have been through so much together. Look, you already have a great offer from Carvana. That was fast. Well, I know my lessons played in Vennmy Heart, and those questions were easy.
You're almost there. Now to just accept the offer and schedule a pickup or drop off. How'd you do it? How were you so strong in letting go of your car? Well, I already made up my mind, and Carvana is so easy. Ah, yeah. True. And sold. Go to Carvana.com to sell your car the convenient way. What we think of as a circus, which is acrobats, clowns, animal performances, and skilled stunts, all performed under a big top or in an arena, is historically a relatively recent invention.
The idea of a circus goes back to ancient Rome, although the meaning was quite different back then. The word circus is derived from the Latin word circus, meaning circle or ring. The Roman Circus was an open-air venue used for public events, most notably chariot races, gladiatorial combat, and other forms of entertainment. The most famous of these circuses was the circus Maximus in Rome, which could seat about 150,000 spectators.
It was a long oval-shaped arena with a central dividing barrier called a spina, around which the chariots would race. The Roman Circus was more akin to a stadium than a modern circus, but it laid the groundwork for public entertainment in a circular space. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of large-scale public entertainment declined. However, smaller traveling groups of entertainers continued the tradition in Europe.
These included jugglers, acrobats, and animal trainers who performed at fairs, markets, and festivals. Those performances were often in open squares or temporary wooden structures, and were the precursor to modern circuses. Over in China, they developed their own similar forms of entertainment. The origins of Chinese circuses can date back to the Han Dynasty.
During this period, various forms of acrobats juggling in martial arts were popular forms of entertainment at Imperial Courts and Public Festivals. Chinese circuses were deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, including martial arts and Chinese opera. The emphasis was often on skill, balance, and physical strength. Many of the acts showcased human ability and control over the body, often pushing the limits of what seemed physically possible.
Throughout the centuries, Chinese acrobatic performances continued to develop via traveling troops of entertainers. I should also note that similar acrobats and entertainers also existed in ancient India and during the Islamic Caliphates. The modern circus is often credited to Philip Astley, an English cavalry officer who opened up the first circus in London in 1768. Astley was an accomplished horseman and initially focused on equestrian performances.
He established a circular performance area, approximately 42 feet in diameter, which became the standard for circuses. The ring size allowed for riders to maintain balance during their performances. And he also incorporated clowns and acrobats into a show to fill the gaps between horse performances. Following Astley's success, circuses began to spread across Europe.
Astley himself established the first circus in Paris, the amphitheater Anglais in 1782, and then leased his circus to the Italian Antonio Francoini in 1793. Also in 1793, Englishman John Bill Ricketts opened up the first circus in the United States in Philadelphia. The circus is a form of entertainment spread rapidly through Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. However, almost all of these circuses were in permanent or semi-permanent structures, often specially built for the circus.
It was extremely difficult at the time to move such a large number of people and animals not to mention all the props and equipment. It wasn't until 1825 that the American J. Perty Brown took his circus troop on tour and performed under a large canvas tent that became known as a big top. Before I get further into the history of circuses, I want to go off on a tangent on the history of some of the acts most closely associated with circuses.
One of the most popular circus acts is the high wire, or tightrope walking. Tightrope walking actually has an ancient history, and it's known as funambulism, the word comes from the ancient Greek words for rope and walking. The earliest recorded evidence of tightrope walking goes back to the Han Dynasty in China about 2000 years ago. As the Greek origins of the name would suggest, there's also evidence of being practiced in ancient Greece.
Tightrope walking was a core part of acrobatic troops throughout the Middle Ages. When circuses began in the late 18th century, it was natural to include tightrope walkers as part of the show. 19th century funambulists such as Charles Blondon performed for circuses and also did public exhibitions. Blondon became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Another act which is tied to the circus is the trapeze. Unlike high wire acts, the trapeze is a relatively new innovation.
What we know today as the flying trapeze was popularized by a French acrobatic by the name of Jewels Liatard. There are references to the word trapeze 20 years beforehand with respect to acrobatics, so there's doubt as to if Liatard actually invented the trapeze, but he was the one who brought it to the attention of the world. According to legend, Liatard practiced his act over his father swimming pool in Toulouse, France.
The word trapeze was a French term that was used to describe the bar and the ropes, which resembled a trapezoid. The very first public trapeze performance was on November 12, 1859. Liatard performed a three-bar trapeze act for the Cirque Napoleon in Paris. And just in case you're wondering, Liatard developed a full-body suit for his act, which was named after him, the Liatard.
Just to give you an idea of his popularity, the 1867 song, The Daring Young Man and the Flying Trapeze, was written about Jewels Liatard. The final act that is associated with almost any circus are clowns. The role of a jester or a fool goes back thousands of years. There are records of such people going back almost 5,000 years in Ancient Egypt. However, what we think of as a clown today is, again, a rather recent invention.
The first person who performed a Modern Clown Act is considered to be the English actor named Joseph Gramaldi. Often referred to as the father of Modern Clowning, Gramaldi revolutionized the character of the clown by transforming it from a mere comic sidekick to the central figure of pantomimes. He introduced the now iconic white face makeup, exaggerated facial features, and colorful costumes that became standard for clowns.
Gramaldi's performances were marked by his physical comedy, expressive acting, and the ability to convey both humor and pathos, establishing the template for the Modern Clown. But now back to the circus itself. There were several traveling circuses in the United States in the 19th century. The person who's considered to be the father of the American circus was a shoman by the name of PT Barnum. He and his partner William Cameron Coop established PT Barnum's Museum, Menagerie, and Circus in 1871.
Barnum combined a traditional circus with other attractions such as freak shows and menageries. And for those of you who aren't familiar with the word menagerie because it isn't a word you hear too often anymore, a menagerie is just a collection of wild animals. In 1880 Barnum teamed up with another circus owner, James Bailey, to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which they dubbed the greatest show on Earth. Barnum and Bailey actually worked well together.
As one of their performers, Josie Robinson wrote in her autobiography, quote, Mr. Barnum was the advertiser who loved the limelight, who wrote around in the ring and announced who he was, but Mr. Bailey was the businessman, content to be invisible, and interested only in the success of the show. Bailey was responsible for bringing in jumbo, the giant African circus elephant, claimed to be the largest elephant in the world, which was a huge attraction.
Barnum and Bailey had a major competitor. In 1884, five brothers established a circus known as the Ringling Brothers Circus. One of the innovations the Ringling Brothers made was moving the circus by train, which allowed for a much larger menagerie, more equipment, and more performers. In 1891 Barnum died and Bailey died in 1906. In 1919, the two major circuses decided to merge and create the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
The Ringling Brothers in Barnum and Bailey Circus was the dominant circus for decades, and was very successful up through the Second World War. The early 20th century became known as the Golden Age of Circuses. After the war, however, circuses began a slow decline. On July 6, 1956, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus performed its last show under a big top canvas tent. After that, they always performed in permanent venues such as stadiums and arenas.
As tastes and entertainment changed, circuses became less popular. There was also controversy surrounding the use of animals and circuses, which had been a mainstay of circuses since their modern founding in the late 18th century. What radically changed the concept of a circus took place in 1984. A group of street performers in Quebec, Canada, formed the Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil was a very different take on what a circus was supposed to be.
Cirque du Soleil moved away from the traditional circus model that relied heavily on animal acts, clowns, and conventional performances. Instead, it emphasized artistic expression, human physicality, and creativity. Moreover, the Cirque du Soleil shows also had some sort of general theme or story that connected all the acts of the show.
They developed different touring shows that had completely different themes and names. Unlike traditional circuses, Cirque du Sole toured extensively internationally. And eventually, they developed permanent shows in places like Las Vegas and Orlando. These shows were performed oftentimes in custom-built facilities, harkening back to the days of the early circuses in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The decision not to use animals, not only avoided much of the controversy surrounding other circuses, but it also dramatically reduced their costs. While new vo circuses like Cirque du Soleil were growing in popularity, traditional circuses like the Ringling Brothers in Barnum and Bailey Circus suffered more and more problems. They had been sold multiple times over the years, including being owned by the Mattel Corporation and Gulf Oil.
By the late 2010s, the writing was on the wall for the company. On May 21st, 2017, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus had their last performance at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Colosseum in Union Dale, New York. However, the 2017 closure of the circus wasn't final. In 2022, the original family that purchased the circus in 1967, the Fels, purchased the company again, and in 2023, they announced a return to touring and live performances.
In their return, they have eliminated the live animal acts, which had been a central part of the circus since its founding. There are approximately 200 active circuses in the world today of various sizes. Some of them are very traditional, and others are more Cirque Nouveau. Some are extremely regional, only performing in a single city, and others tour internationally.
Despite the problems that circuses have had over the last several decades, they're probably will always be circuses in some form. So long as they can adapt to modern trends, there will always be demand for acrobats and death defying feats. And as long as that's true, people will always get excited when the circus comes to town. The Executive Producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Benji Long and Cameron Kever.
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