{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1604188"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1604188/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JL0509/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JL0509/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JL0509","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1604188","accessionNumber":"S.222-1994","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Tour poster advertising Rosita's International Circus and Animal Show appearing at Market Rasen, Lincolnshire","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This tour poster for a season of tenting circus presented by Rosita's International Circus and Animal Show is overprinted with the name of the venue Brigg's Field in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, and the date 4th July, but no year. It proudly emphasises the size of the show that takes thirty lorries to transport, that it seats 3,000, that the Big Top is: 'fully illuminated with electric light and is waterproof', and a prize of £1,000 for anyone producing a monkey 'as clever and human as Jocko'.\n\nThe acts in the circus are listed as: J. Jordan's 7 Acro Girls; Signo & Jute ('Acrobats from Malay'); Blackie the Wonder Horse; Hugo Darty ('Famous French Clown'); Leon Volpre's Wonder Ponies & Dogs; The Lady Cossak Rider; The 2 Marlows; Gloria ('Expert Wire Walker'); Mona Connor ('England's Ballerina on Horseback') from Bertram Mills Olympia London; Doris and her Zebra; The Zola Brohers ('Fun Makers from all the leading shows'); The Pony with the Human Brain (presented by L. Volpre), and The Cottrell Brothers ('Direct from Spain'). Mona Connor (1896-1969) appeared with The Great Carmo's Circus and Menagerie, a touring cicus presented by Harry Carmo and Cyril and Bertram Mills in 1929. She appears in a painting by Dame Laura Knight sitting in costume on the horse Sulleman at Carmo's Circus.\n\nRosita’s International Circus and Animal Show was formed in 1947 by Harry Cody who had founded Cody’s Continental Circus and Zoo around 1942. The versatile circus performer, clown, ringmaster and broadcaster Harry Coady (1905-1971) was born in 1905 at Airdrie, Scotland, into a fairground family. He joined Biddall’s Circus aged 17, worked in boxing booths and in 1934 married Doris ‘Dolly’ Sloan whose mother was a member of the Yelding Irish circus family that used the professional name Sloan. Doris Sloan, who also had a comedy zebra act, appears on this poster as Doris and her Zebra. She also performed as Rosita with Jocko: ‘the world’s cleverest monkey’ who Coady insured for £1,000. Harry Coady is billed as ‘Harry Cody Britain’s most versatile clown’, and always used this spelling of his name in association with his circus. \n\r\nHaving sold his first big top to Billy Smart in 1944, Coady bought a new big top in 1945 and billed his show as Cody’s Continental Circus and Zoo. He gave up his circus in 1960 but revived his knife throwing and sharp-shooting act later and returned to clowning in winter 1970/1971 with the Robert Brothers circus and in early 1971 with Circus Markus.\r\n\n\n","physicalDescription":"Pictorial and typographic tour poster printed in red and blue on white paper, listing some of the acts and including an illustration of a whiteface clown's head. Overprinted in black ink with the venue and date of the appearance: 'Briggs' Fld., Mkt. Rasen, July 3rd'","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"W. E. Berry Ltd.","id":"A23720"},"association":{"text":"printers (people)","id":"AAT25732"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"letterpress","id":"AAT178926"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printing ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Circus","id":"THES261738"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2016JL0509"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES345344"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bradford","id":"x37941"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1947","earliest":"1942-01-01","latest":"1951-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"76.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"09/06/2025","earliest":"2025-06-09","latest":"2025-06-09"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"50.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"09/06/2025","earliest":"2025-06-09","latest":"2025-06-09"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tour poster advertising Rosita's International Circus and Animal Show, Brigg's Field, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, July 3rd, ca.1947","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.222-1994"],"accessionNumberNum":"222","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1994,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-06-09","recordCreationDate":"2021-04-08","availableToBook":true}}