236p Colour and bw photos. Afrikaans.
Frank E. Fillis was born in Lambeth, London, in 1857 and was apprenticed to Ginnett's Circus as a child. Arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1880.
Frank Fillis was one of South Africa's greatest circus proprietors ever. In fact, the name Fillis was once synonymous with the circus. He was born in London in 1857 and died in Bangkok in 1921. He came to South Africa in 1880 and for 30 years he was the top circus proprietor in the country. He left South Africa in 1910 to take his circus to the East.
Frank Fillis' circus was considered the biggest and most important public entertainment in Africa. He was a creative genius and one of the most acclaimed creators of extensive entertainment of his time. Everybody enjoyed his entertainment, irrespective of their age, gender or race. The fact that Fillis offered different entry fee prices contributed to the accessibility of the circus. In addition, his realistic shows portrayed many incidents from Southern African history to the outside world. These shows were always culturally informative and fulfilled the role of documentary films. The fact that he often handed out presents to children and held competitions for the circus audience, in which they could win prices, boosted his popularity. From time to time, he also donated a percentage of his profit to charity. In spite of his pleasant personality, Fillis' poor business sense unfortunately caused his bankruptcy after 30 years.
Source: FJG Van der Merwe
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajch/article/view/6343/0
- Binding Condition: Good
- Overall Condition: Good
- Size: 260 X 175 mm
