Here’s a very interesting (and very short) film about the recreation of the now famous Victorian circus poster which inspired John Lennon to write one of my favourite Beatles tracks, Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite:
The full text of the original Pablo Fanque‘s Circus Royal poster is:
- PABLO FANQUE’S CIRCUS ROYAL
- TOWN-MEADOWS, ROCHDALE
- Grandest Night of the Season!
- AND POSITIVELY THE
- LAST NIGHT BUT THREE!
- BEING FOR THE
- BENEFIT OF MR. KITE,
- (LATE OF WELLS’S CIRCUS) AND
- MR. J. HENDERSON,
- THE CELEBRATED SOMERSET THROWER!
- WIRE DANCER, VAULTER, RIDER, etc.
- On TUESDAY Evening, February 14, 1843.
- Mssrs. KITE and HENDERSON, in announcing the following Entertainments ensure the Public that this Night’s Production will be one of the most splendid ever produced in this Town, having been some days in preparation.
- Mr. Kite will, for this night only,
- introduce the
- CELEBRATED
- HORSE, ZANTHUS!
- Well known to be one of the
- best Broke Horses
- IN THE WORLD!!!
- Mr. HENDERSON will undertake the arduous Task of
- THROWING TWENTY-ONE SOMERSETS,
- ON THE SOLID GROUND.
- Mr. KITE will appear, for the
- first time this season,
- On The Tight Rope,
- When Two Gentlemen Amateurs
- of this Town will
- perform with him. Mr. HENDERSON will, for the first time
- in Rochdale,
- introduce his extraordinary
- TRAMPOLINE LEAPS
- AND
- SOMERSETS!
- Over Men & Horses, through Hoops,
- over Garters and lastly through a
- Hogshead of REAL FIRE!
- In this branch of the profession Mr. H challenges THE WORLD!
- For particulars see Bills of the day.
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