Backfields Elephants!

[Romario 10]

Hi

 

I recall reading in the star last year sometime about a circus that performed near the city hall around a hundred years ago & the performing elephants, around 7 or 8, lined up down the narrow alley that is Backfields off Division St & the back of Cambridge St.

Does anyone have a photo of this as it would look very surreal & as i'm a resident, i'd love to see.

 

Thanks

 

Rom

[Blackbeard 10]

Contact the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield

http://www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Romario 10]

Cheers, will do!

[me-and-pippo 12]

The circus referred to was most likely this one on Pinstone Street

[Romario 10]

Would love to see a pic of the elephants all lined up, i'd blow it up & have it ont wall :-)

[lazarus 68]

Hi

 

I recall reading in the star last year sometime about a circus that performed near the city hall around a hundred years ago & the performing elephants, around 7 or 8, lined up down the narrow alley that is Backfields off Division St & the back of Cambridge St.

Does anyone have a photo of this as it would look very surreal & as i'm a resident, i'd love to see.

 

Thanks

 

Rom

 

They were performing at the now demolished Albert Hall. It stood where John Lewis now sits. There are no photos of them as far as I know but it was a normal thing to have animals performing at theatre's, one event at the Empire on Charles St, a Tiger escaped into the cellars and wasn't captured for an hour or so, during this time a performer was mauled and lost his arm, the Tiger should not have been used as it wasn't fully trained.

Edited March 24, 2014 by lazarus

[Electerrific 14]

Another [the one you mean?] in 1910 was called the Sheffield Jungle and was based near Netherthrope.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9221000/9221110.stm