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The Sheffield Jungle


dunsbyowl1867

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The resident snake charmer was called Osco.

Frenchman Monsieur Victor Beaute abstained from food for 28 days at a time (this performance was the 26th time he had done this). He had cigarettes and mineral water only.

The lion trainer was the famous Henreich Falkendorf.

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3rd December 1910

Mafu a Bengal Tiger escaped from its cage aboard the liner Minnewaska on the trip from New York to Tilbury Docks (landed 11th October); "The Bostock Jungle" was on ots way to Sheffield.

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Bostock Jungle

3 cards sold recently on eBay

Mr Charles Miller with Pluto the Giant and Miss Aurora's Rquestrian lion D'Artagnan

-----------------------------------------------------

Somebody best start a list of these animals !

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At the same time, Bostock had on display a three legged foal. Numerous people complained at the offensiveness and exploitation that the Gardens were guilty of in displaying the animal. At the request of the Scottish Society for Protection of Cruelty to Animals, the foal was examined by three veterinary surgeons along with a doctor, whose reports were to the effect that the keeping the animal alive under such circumstances was an act of continuous cruelty. However, Bostock’s paid no attention to the Society’s endeavours to persuade them of the cruelty which they were inflicting upon the animal in order to attract people to the show.

More on Bostock at Edinburgh

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April 1911

The Jungle will come as quite a boon to holiday makers on Good Friday.

There will be three performances - one o'clock, four o'clock and seven o'clock.

Osco, the Troglodyte, will remain on show, in addition to very attractive performances in the arena.

According to the management M. Beaute, the fasting man, is already feeling lonely and longs for chats with visitors

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Flying Visit of Anita, "The Living Doll", for the Jungle

From Sheffield Independent Monday 10th April 1911

For Friday of next week Mr. Bostock has secured an outstanding attraction in the form of Anita "The Living Doll" that has recently caused so great a stir in London.

This interesting little lady is a dwarf in comparison with Tom Thumb, Commodore Nutt, Major Mite, and midgets of other days.

Perfectly proportioned and of the sweetest of natures Anita represents a most lovely woman in miniture.

Her engagement can be of but one day's duration, when she will be presented at each of the three exhibitions arranged for that day.

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Guest Fairange

Hopefully an opportunity to introduce our history project on the Sheffield Jungle - an event that saw a large Menagerie winter in Sheffield exactly 100 years ago (and also return in 1912). We are building a website that recalls the press from the original event, and will also build towards a set of articles looking at the entertainment types on offer, and local history aspects of the event and site.

The building was originally the Alexandra Skating Rink - seemingly built from the slum clearance of the Hawley, Sims and School Crofts - cleared 1905. We know that in the late 1900s there was a manic craze for roller skating ("rinking") but by 1910 this had evaporated. The building then housed the Jungle (twice) and possibly was used as a drill hall during WW1. After that we are not sure... It was redeveloped in 1928 when the Sheffield Transport Corporation took over and built a double depot for buses and trams. The Jungle building was the higher level depot housing the buses.

We are looking for any people interested in moving the project on, particularly looking at the actual site, its changing use, and any images that may survive. Thought this local history forum might be as good a place as any to start.

here's the website:

Sheffield Jungle

thanks!

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Welcome to SheffieldHistory fairange

I am sure that many of our members will be very interested in this.

I must admit I had not heard of it before even though part of my family is from a fairground / showman background

I am also pretty sure that our members will gladly offer any help that they can with this.

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Guest Fairange

Thanks Dave H, I wonder if I should put it in another part of the forum? I wasn't sure which would get the most reads! We are working on this from the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield and would really like people from Sheffield to be involved!

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Thanks Dave H, I wonder if I should put it in another part of the forum? I wasn't sure which would get the most reads! We are working on this from the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield and would really like people from Sheffield to be involved!

Hi and welcome Fairange,

I would say that you posted the Topic in the appropriate section of the forum,

I have temporarily pinned this Topic so that it stays at the top of the list.

Steve

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Hi and welcome Fairange,

I would say that you posted the Topic in the appropriate section of the forum,

I have temporarily pinned this Topic so that it stays at the top of the list.

Steve

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=9860&st=0&p=76844&hl=jungle&fromsearch=1&#entry76844

=============================================================

Thank's Dunsby,

I have now merged both Topics.

S

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Guest Fairange

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=9860&st=0&p=76844&hl=jungle&fromsearch=1&#entry76844

Thanks for linking to this, I didn't realise there was already some posts! My colleague Ian from the National Fairground Archive was interviewed about the Sheffield Jungle on Radio Sheffield and there has been a piece in the Yorkshire Post and the Sheffield Star. Our website is www.sheffieldjungle.com. Thanks again. Ange

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The building was originally the Alexandra Skating Rink - seemingly built from the slum clearance of the Hawley, Sims and School Crofts - cleared 1905. We know that in the late 1900s there was a manic craze for roller skating ("rinking") but by 1910 this had evaporated. The building then housed the Jungle (twice) and possibly was used as a drill hall during WW1.

Hawley Croft

Hawley Croft

Demolition of Court 8, Hawley Croft 14th March 1905; also this; see next link and compare

Court off Hawley Croft (probably Court 8 and therefore around or pre-1905)

Rear of Live & Let Live P.H., No 36 Hawley Croft from Court No. 8 September 1898; two known keepers Joseph Rhodes (1871) and Patrick Handley (1881) - unless you know of others; closed 1903.

Corner of Hawley Croft and Campo Lane; similar view showing Reubens Head signage (63 Campo Lane, closed 1905, final keeper Herbert Gripton (1893-1905); earliest known keeper Samuel Woolhouse (1833) - name sounds familiar; can anyone find an article written by this man - evens near the date 1833 may help you); open from 1825.

Derelict Property corner of Hawley Croft and Hawley Lane also this view.

Part of Hawley Croft near Courts 2 & 4 awaiting demolition July 1898

and, finally, which firm, of international renown, began on Hawley Croft ?

(Easy for newcomers, go the http://picturesheffield.com, search for Hawley Croft and its the one picture I haven't linked to)

(Experts have to gnaw their own arms off up to the elbow, then find the answer blind-folded, stood on one leg ...)

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Topics Merged.

I'll get you at playtime Steve, thought I'd lost my Hawley Croft post, working aay and all of a sudden - there it wasn't non more ...

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Guest Fairange

Thanks for all the interest and sorry we didn't pick up the pre-existing thread!

The method of the project will be to try and 'blog' the news and adverts of the event in a kind of '100 years out of sync contemporaneous' way (if that makes sense). We have a few bits of news for the later events such as the fasting man, Anita the Doll, and amazingly a model colliery operated by mice. At the moment, in its early weeks, the Jungle seemed to be more about the animals on display. Bostock has a keen eye for publicity so every animal has a romantic back story or is tied in to a newsworthy event (eg the local elections).

The other thrust of the website will be building up articles about the locality, about the entertainment, etc. We have a few commitments from Uni staff to bring in when the time fits (eg an essay from a professor of Nutrition to link to the fasting man etc). What i'm desparately trying to cobble together are key essays on the building of the actual Alexandra Skating Rink - the Crofts second stage demolition would have been post-1905, we have reference to the skating rink in early 1910, but little else. Was it built as a skating rink? I also need to look at how the building was used between 1913 9the closure of the second Jungle) and 1928 (transport depot). Possibly the war years would have seen little entertainment use?

If we can get these essays added in the enxt few weeks, alongside a history of 'rinking' in Sheffield, then the project will have a good basis of interest to local historians focussing on the space rather than the event.

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Thanks for linking to this, I didn't realise there was already some posts! My colleague Ian from the National Fairground Archive was interviewed about the Sheffield Jungle on Radio Sheffield and there has been a piece in the Yorkshire Post and the Sheffield Star. Our website is www.sheffieldjungle.com. Thanks again. Ange

I have come across the National Fairground Archive at Sheffield University before from several sources, -

A )

While I was a member of the Fairground Organ Preservation Society (FOPS)

B )

While researching my own Fairground family history, - the Oadley family of Derbyshire (although I only found 1 image connected with them)

C )

While I was on the committee of Sheffield and Distric Steam Society (now called Sheffield Steam and Vintage Club) organising an annual steam rally.

One of our committee members in charge of fairground section was Ian Lyne who worked in the Engineering department at Sheffield University.

Would this be "your colleague Ian from the National Fairground Archive" by any chance?

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