The Sheffield Jungle

[Guest Fairange]

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?

Hi Dave, no its not the same Ian, we work in the National Fairground Archive.

[SteveHB]

I wonder if this advert on a shop front at the bottom of Bow Street (West St.) had any connection,

the finger certainly points in the right direction.

Winter Carnival & Fun City; picturesheffield

[Guest Fairange]

I wonder if this advert on a shop front at the bottom of Bow Street (West St.) had any connection,

the finger certainly points in the right direction.

Winter Carnival & Fun City; picturesheffield

That is a really interesting picture! It would be great to see it in more detail, is the date circa 1900 or exact? the jungle was 1910/11 and 1912/13

[SteveHB]

That is a really interesting picture! It would be great to see it in more detail, is the date circa 1900 or exact? the jungle was 1910/11 and 1912/13

Decade, 1900 means that the picture was taken between 1900 and 1909,

though it is not always correct.

[Guest Fairange]

Decade, 1900 means that the picture was taken between 1900 and 1909,

though it is not always correct.

When I next visit local studies I will ask them about the original, thanks for this!

[SteveHB]

Same building, but advert reads 'This Way - Fuel Light & Power' Exhibition'.

picturesheffield

[RichardB]

Great Bostock Jungle (after the painting of G. Soury Paris)

Miss Aurora,s Equestrian lion "D,Artagnan

Herr Scholtz and his wonder elephant "Mary Ellen"

Cowboy Brookes and his treacherous tigers

Mons Victor Batty.s ursine pupils

Sig. Louise with the Rocky mountain cougars

Mr Charles Miller with "Pluto the giant"

Col T. Tallon,s leonine pupils

Kid glove lion taming by Baron X

Mme. D,avilly Dorsey. the sensational

Young Martino,s zoological school

Mme. L. Morelli,s superb leopards and jaguars

Source

[RichardB]

USA side of the story

[SteveHB]

The Sheffield Skating Rink Co. Ltd.

goes into liquidation.

Dated: 17th of May, 1882.

London Gazette

[RichardB]

Mme. L. Morelli,s superb leopards and jaguars

Source

Marie-Louise Morelli, Queen of the Jaguars, 27 March, 2007 - Seeking information about a female jaguar trainer who worked with Frank Bostock during the years 1900 - 1909. Her name was Madame Marie-Louise Morelli, also called Queen of the Jaguars. The Frank Bostock Circus travelled to Brooklyn, NY and had a building at Dreamland. They also worked across the USA and in Europe. - from LindaAnn, a journalist in NYC.

Reply: 30 March, 2007 - A biographical note on Madame MORELLI's was published in 'Victorian Arena; the Performers', vol.1 (Lingdales, Formby, 1995) ; - MORELLI, Madame. Animal trainer. 'Queen of the Jaguars'. A native of France. A small woman and rather frail. Appeared with Frank Bostock, in "Bostock's Jungle" at Earls Court, in 1908. The only lady tamer at the time to perform with a troupe of panthers, leopards and jaguars. Spoke to her animals in French. In one group she controlled ten animals at one time. Noted at Bostock's Jungle, Glasgow, in February 1910, and at his 'Jungle' in Nottingham, January 1912, when she was mauled by one of her jaguars. The following month one of the jaguars scaled the arena rails during her performance! During her childhood, in France, her parents intended her to become a hospital nurse but her faher died and she needed to earn her family's keep. She soom found employment as an attendant at a menagerie and this was her first step towards the arena. Once, in Philadelphia, a leopard sprang on her when the lights suddenly went out and grabbed her by the hair. It sprang back just as quickly however, not liking the taste of her sharp hair-pins. She was once mauled when presented with a bouquet of red flowers, the leopard mistaking this for red meat. She only escaped with her life by throwing away the flowers (Sources - Word's Fair, 3/2/1912, p.10; ibid, 19/2/1912, p.6; ibid, 27/3/1925, p.24, col.2. P.111; ibid, 4/5/1935, p.12, cols.1-5; F.C. Bostock, The Training of Wild Animals (Century, New York, 1903), p.220, photo). Thank you for supplying her Christian names and other details. John Turner

Source

Timescale is right for Sheffield visits.

[RichardB]

Fairground Heritage Trust

[RichardB]

Finding Our Grandfather in the Attic - background information and pictures.

[RichardB]

In 1911, having made a name for himself, Captain Clarke left the States and returned to England, where he eventually joined the Frank C. Bostock circus and trained bears for the three years he spent with them.

It was while working for this company that he met his beautiful future wife, Ethel Stella Cork, who was better known to the public as 'Mademoiselle Louise', a fellow trainer of big cats - in her case the smaller but still deadly ones such as leopards and panthers. What better match could there be? It was a love to last a lifetime.

On 7 December 1912 they were married at Sheffield. He was aged 27, she was 21 according to the marriage certificate but she was in fact just 19, having been born in Kensington, London, on 29 November 1893. Herbert was resident at "The Jungle", Hawley Street, and she at number 15 Hawley Street. So began another adventure for a truly adventurous couple!

Source

[RichardB]

More USA Bostock

[RichardB]

Frank Bostock (1905)

Rare photo of the man.

[DaveH]

Hi Dave, no its not the same Ian, we work in the National Fairground Archive.

OK Fairange, I just thought that given the connection it could have been the same Ian.

[Stuart0742]

Received this by email today

Hi! I am trying to gather information about my grandfather, Henry (Henreich) Falkendorf, who was a lion and tiger trainer for Bostocks Jungle in 1910, 1911, 1912 in Sheffield, where he met and married my grandmother. I have just a couple of pictures that I could contribute. I would appreciate any information that you can provide.

Thank you, Michele Brule’

[SteveHB]

That is a really interesting picture! It would be great to see it in more detail, is the date circa 1900 or exact? the jungle was 1910/11 and 1912/13

Came across this one..

[SteveHB]

The sign is a little deceiving,

to me it appears to read;

There are No Lions Tigers Bears

or other Wild Animals

[vox]

The sign is a little deceiving,

to me it appears to read;

There are No Lions Tigers Bears

or other Wild Animals

I think you're right.

Very much ahead of it's time in that case.

[DaveH]

I think you're right.

Very much ahead of it's time in that case.

No animals were harmed in the performance of this funfair

But why call it the Sheffield JUNGLE if there are jungle like animals (lions and tigers and bears) in it?

Anyway, - isn't that expression, -

LIONS and TIGERS and BEARS,

straight out "The Wizard of Oz" said by Dorothy (Judy Garland) as she walks the yellow brick road with a brainless straw man, a heartless tin man and a cowardly lion? :unsure:

[SteveHB]

But why call it the Sheffield JUNGLE if there are jungle like animals (lions and tigers and bears) in it?

The advert is not for Sheffield Jungle it's for 'A Carnival & Fun City',

the old skating rink was used for other attractions and not solely for the Jungle.

[DaveH]

The advert is not for Sheffield Jungle it's for 'A Carnival & Fun City',

the old skating rink was used for other attractions and not solely for the Jungle.

Sorry Steve, got mislead by the topic title.

Perhaps I am the straw man with no brain

Or just full of Christmas spirit with an alcohol pickled brain

I would assume that a show called "The Sheffield Jungle" would have wild animals as exhibits though

[Guest Fairange]

Just to say we have made good progress on the local history of the Sheffield Jungle site - we have hosted an article looking at the building of the structure as part of the roller skating craze of 1909, and then looked at the few years during the Great War when the Jungle buildings were used for other purposes. The next stage of the story is the conversion to an omnibus depot...

There's plenty of other material appearing also....

[Guest jose]

There's an exhibit on the Sheffield Jungle as part of the 'Inhabiting Space' Exhibition at Jessop West. If anyone is interested the website is www.inhabitingspace.org, and it's the display by Karen Harvey and students. It's running for a couple of weeks starting this Monday, the details are on the website. The exhibit looks briefly at the living wagons, at the circus building, and at the Grand Hotel, and the aim is to ask questions about where the Jungle staff might have lived - part of the history of the Jungle that we don't seem to have any record of.