Flea Circus Posters

The artist David Manuel involved in the HP Wobulation advert has placed some of his posters on his blog.

Sala, Monck, Bertolotto and loss of the Industrious Fleas

In my previous blog entry I mentioned that I had found a reference to the Industrious Fleas in a book by George Augustus Sala and wonder if it was connected to my research into L.Bertolotto. A trip to the Westminster Archives proved fruitful and after a little light reading I found the relevant section of the second volume and was both glad to see this strong connection between the world of the Flea Circus and the genealogical research linking Bertolotto in London and Canada. Sala mentions that Governor Monck's butler was the owner of the Industrious Fleas. However there is also a sad story to tell as Sala describes the destruction of the fleas in a fire.

Life and Adventures of George Augustus Sala written by himself
In Two Volumes
Vol II
Third Edition
Cassell and Company, Ltd 1895
Page 45

Across the Atlantic
"It was not until the summer of 1864 that I visited Quebec. Travelling, in the first instance, by steamer on the beautiful St. Laurence, and by the Thousand Islands, the romantic, old-fashioned aspect of the ancient capital of Lower Canada pleased me hugely. Quebec was then the residence of a Governor-General of Canada, Viscount Monck, and we were hospitably entertained at his Excellency's summer quarters near Quebec. I specially remember these viceregal dinners, for two very different reasons. Lord Monck's butler had been the proprietor of the original Industrious Fleas; and his talented troupe, includig the flea that drew the cannon, the flea that rode in the sedan-chair, and the flea that impersonated Napoleon Bonaparte's charger Marengo, had all been burnt - poor little insects! - in a terrible fire at the Governor's country seat."

The Governor and his family

Related links:

• A History of the Governor General in Canada
• Governors of Canada
• Happy Dominion Day
• George Augustus Sala
• Bertolotto Genealogy from Port Hope
  

Flea Researcher releases Quirky book

Richard Wiseman who wrote the history of the flea circus article available on Walt Noon's site has brought out a book called Quickology.

"‘Quirkology’ is a term coined by Prof Richard Wiseman to refer to psychological research that is quirky. Much of this work uses mainstream methods to investigate unusual topics, or unusual methods to investigate mainstream topics."

In the flea circus article Richard Wiseman also mentions "Nightmare Alley" a novel by William Lindsay Gresham. If you have a copy of this book and know of the flea connection there then please let me know.

Arthur, Odo and tutors visit the Industrious Fleas

From: Lord William Russell and his wife, 1815-1846
by Georgiana Blakiston
Publisher: London, J. Murray, 1972.
ISBN: 0719522420 9780719522420

Oakley, Dec 3rd, 1839

"During their first weeks in London Arthur and Odo with the two tutors pursued a course of sightseeing that took them from the Tower of London to the British Museum and the Polytechnic Institute, and included a visit to the Industrious Fleas, while their evenings were often spent at the play when the ducal boxes at Drury Lane and Covent Garden were available."

Arthur and Odo were Natural History enthusiasts and the diary goes on to tell how they had a large amount of pets, visited the snake shops in Cannon Street and a taxidermists in Bank.

These two went on to become an MP, Lord Arthur John Edward Russell and the first British ambassador to the German Empire, Odo William Leopold Russell, 1st Baron Ampthill.

There is also tenuous Bertolotto connection because Lord Russell died on 16 July 1846 at age 56 in Genoa, Italy which was where Bertolotto was born.

http://www.thepeerage.com/p2760.htm#i27600

Chasing the Industrious Fleas

Whilst researching the history of the Flea Circus, I perioducally do a search for "Flea Circus", "L Bertolotto" or "Industrious Fleas" in both the google search and the google books search. The book search returns an increasing number each time I run it. Many of these are simply references to politics or cheap jokes about badly run guest houses.

However, today I found a couple of new links including

The diary of Lord William Russell and his wife, 1815-1846
The life and adventures of George Augustus Sala

Which are present in local libraries to me. So there could be some intersting progressions soon....

New and Old Circuses

This has been a good week for Flea Circus research, as well as the 1751 report from the surgeon John Knyveton there has been a range of other updates to the Flea Circus History page.

There are also some new flea circus performers including Faust the Magician who reports to represent the classier side of the flea circus world. When not performing his classical illusions, writing books and collecting magic memorabilia, Faust puts on his white tie, red tail coat and Habig top hat to become a true circus showman. His Louis Vuitton suitcase hides some traditional flea circus acts and some specialities of his own.

Faust's Fantastic Flea Circus is available for Magic Clubs, Magic Conventions, or any organisation that wants to book it.

April 27th, Flea Circus in New York

As part of the Ensemble Studio Theater / Sloan Center’s First Light Festival’s closing night celebration, Adam Gertsacov is performing an excerpt of the flea circus at the Cabaret Scientifique. This is a power-packed evening of song, dance and comedy--"specially comissioned by the EST-Sloan Project to celebrate the mergin of art, science and technology. Quirky, hilarious and endearing, these top acts are sure to close the First Light Festival with a night to remember"

The Flea Circus will be about 7-10 minutes from a 40 minute show.

Admission is free, but the theatre is small.

YOU MUST RESERVE YOUR FREE SEATS BY CALLING. Call 212 247 4982 to make a reservation and don't forget to mention you are there to see the flea circus.

Info: http://www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org/first_light-2007.html
Ensemble Studio Theater, 549 West 52nd St. NYC (Between 10nth & 11nth)