Wirth's Circus: At Ocean View, Coogee (c.1930) скачать в хорошем качестве

Wirth's Circus: At Ocean View, Coogee (c.1930)

This film documents a theatrical play circus. We see George Wirth and Philip’s wife Alice Wirth (nee Willis) arrive arm in arm; they are seated and entertained by an exotic troupe of performers. The young woman seen toe dancing and wearing a tutu is Philip and Alice’s fourth daughter, Madeline Wanda Wirth. This film was shot on the grounds of Philip Wirth’s famous residence ‘Ocean View’ which was his home in Coogee. The grand mansion overlooks the Gordon’s Bay and Coogee Bay area of the Sydney coastline and was built in 1926 by Philip. His wife Alice and seven children lived there and the home stayed with the extended Wirth family up until 2009 when it was sold. Philip Wirth (born 1864) died aged 73 at ‘Ocean View’ in 1937. After the play circus footage we see footage of Philip Wirth with some of his daughters (possibly, Eileen, Doris & Madeline) walking out front of his home. A white cockatoo is perched on his shoulder. It is rumoured that one of the Wirth’s Circus most famous elephant’s Alice (Princess Alice) is buried on the grounds. She was a star attraction with the circus and in 1898 during a tour in England, it was said that the Prince of Wales rode her before her became King Edward VII. 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: PLAY CIRCUS, OCEAN VIEW, COOGEE c.1930 IMAGE: #759317 [THE WONDER OF WIRTHS: 1928 -1950 HOME MOVIE] IMAGE #1081103 [WIRTH, GEORGE AND PHILIP: HOLDING KOALAS AND GROUP AT TRAIN: HOME MOVIE] SOUND - #1068186 [PRIVATE RECORDING TIN WHISTLE SOLOS BY PHILIP WIRTH]