Wirth's Circus in Sydney (c.1936) скачать в хорошем качестве

Wirth's Circus in Sydney (c.1936)

This footage is clearly located in Sydney. Behind the fences, Sydney terraces are visible. Painted text is also visible on the side of a corner shop which reads Sydney Herald. During this period the Sydney location for Wirth’s Circus was between Riley and Goulburn Street, Surry Hills and the entrance was located behind Buckingham’s Department store at 71-73 Oxford Street. Buckingham’s burnt down in a terrible fire in 1968 and the general area is now known as Oxford Square. In this footage we see crowds of people meeting the menagerie before the show begins. George and Philip Wirth can also been seen in the footage at various times chatting to staff and customers. Inside the big-top a procession of animals and performers arrive. Philip Wirth is seen leading a group of performers and is perhaps the ringmaster for this session. In one performance Philip’s daughter Miss Eileen May Wirth stages with some elephants in an act called ‘The Fight for the King’s Colours’. In this act a shot is fired, Eileen May falls and pretends to be dead. The elephants then place an Australian flag across her body, and carry her away from the ring with their trunks. This footage is teamed with a recording of Philip Wirth playing the tin whistle, originally recorded on lacquer disk and digitised by NFSA. It is unknown as to what year this music was recorded however it is known that Philip Wirth took up playing the tin whistle in his older age and would often play it in the circus ring during performances. Side A: Cuckoo -- Side B: Scottish Medley. Wirth’s Circus was Australia’s largest and most prestigious circus company. For eight decades Wirth’s was billed as Australia’s own ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, and was a huge travelling circus of international standard and reputation. It was the sons and daughters of Johannes and Sarah Wirth, of German origin, that formed the circus: John, Harry, Philip, George, Marizles, Mina and Madeline. The Wirth brothers began performing with their father as a travelling band though they soon advanced their show into a variety troupe and established themselves as a small circus by 1882. The circus grew rapidly; extended family featured as artists, they embarked on world tours, travelled Australia extensively, boasted an exotic menagerie of animals and recruited star attractions from Europe and America. It was Phillip and George Wirth that continued to manage the circus as Wirth’s Bros Circus from the 1910s. George Wirth retired in 1930, though Philip Wirth and his extended family continued running the business up until its demise in 1963. The NFSA currently holds approximately 50 x 16mm home movies that document the Wirth’s private life, circus life and performances from the years c.1926-1950s. They primarily document the period that Philip and George managed the circus. The majority of the films are thought to be shot by George Wirth, who became a director of Pagewood (Film) Studios after his retirement in 1930. The NFSA does not endorse the use of animals for entertainment purposes. This film must be understood in its historical context. WIRTH’S CIRCUS: SYDNEY c.1936 IMAGE: #759317 [THE WONDER OF WIRTHS: 1928 -1950 HOME MOVIE] SOUND: #1068188 [PRIVATE RECORDING TIN WHISTLE SOLOS BY PHILIP WIRTH]