Norwich-born Pablo Fanque, or William Darby, the first black circus
proprietor, is the perfect illustration of our society in which
ethnic diversity and cultural identity are much valued. His
connection with the Beatles song, Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite,
found on the Sergeant Pepper album, provides a very real nostalgic
link for a generation which began to cast off previous assumptions
about race, class, and notions of history.
Pablo Fanque and the Victorian
Circus is a story of very humble beginnings and then of great
artistry, constant travelling, business flair, success, tragedy,
ruin and revival. Born in 1810, Pablo became a performer and then a
proprietor in the circus world of the mid-19th century. The circus
was the ultimate form of spectator entertainment. It
professionalised, commercialised and industrialised types of
performance that had existed for hundreds of years. Rope-walking,
tumbling and acrobatics had a long tradition of drawing audiences at
country and town fairs. However, horsemanship, above all, was the
essence of the original circus and at this Pablo excelled. The fact
that William Darby was African British had an important bearing on
his life and tells us something about Victorian society, but so does
the fact that he was born of such humble origins and became one of
the best known and loved circus proprietors of the Victorian period.
Author Gareth H.H. Davies graduated
from the University of Wales in 1979 and has spent his career
teaching and supporting work in education. A Fellow of the Centre
for History Education at Leeds Trinity University and text book
author, he became an educational adviser for a UK local authority
and then an educational software consultant. He is a speaker
specialising in 19th and 20th century history. |
