Vintage Photos of Traveling Circus Performers in Strabane, Northern Ireland from the 1910s

In the early-20th century, the circuses toured Northern Ireland’s cities and towns providing entertainment and excitement to the crowds they attracted. These circuses were also known as ‘Circus on wheels”. They had acrobats, clowns, and several other performers of different acts to attract huge crowds.

Photographer H.F. Cooper documented the circuses which arrived in Strabane (a town in Northern Ireland) in his photographs. He did not photograph the acts because the cameras couldn’t capture the frame while objects are in motion. However, he managed to capture behind-the-scenes and the performers, in the middle of their rehearsals. He has scenes from the parade in Abercorn Square, Strabane, from a wall of death act (with a car, rather than a motor-bike) in the 1920s, and of the animals of the circus, including lions and a sign for ‘bears that talk’.

#1 Two younger performers – Lola and May of Hanneford’s Canadian Circus, 1910s.

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#2 The Dixie Girls of Buff Bill’s Circus, 1910.

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#3 A group of performers from Buff Bill’s Circus, 1910s.

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#4 Lady on a horse, with a clown watching, 1910.

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#5 Entertainers of The Grand Circus in Strabane, 1910.

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#6 Members and performers of Wilson and Duffy circus, 1911.

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#7 Four girls outside a tent, Duffy’s Circus, 1911.

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#8 Three men and two dogs, 1911.

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#9 A group of circus entertainers from Duffy’s Circus, 1911.

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#10 Public Record Office of Northern IrelandHanneford’s Canadian Circus, four girl circus performers. 1910.

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#11 Circus performers in a horse and cart. Hanneford’s Canadian Circus, 1910.

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#12 The tent master, 1910.

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#13 A clown of Hanneford’s Canadian Circus in Strabane, 1910.

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#14 Group of circus performers standing on each other’s shoulders, 1910.

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#15 A child with a baboon on a donkey. Buff Bill’s Circus, 1910.

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#16 Two children and a man sitting on the steps of a caravan, Buff Bill’s Circus. 1910.

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#17 Clown on a horse, while a lady holding the horse, 1910.

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#18 Man on a horse outside a circus, 1910.

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#19 A clown beside a wagon of The Grand Circus, 1910.

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#20 Two clowns in front of a wagon, 1910.

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#21 Four circus performers in front of a wagon, 1910.

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#22 A crowd of people round a clown and a donkey, 1910.

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#23 A circus performer in front of a wagon, 1910.

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#24 Two circus performers in front of a wagon , 1910.

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#25 Duffy’s Circus, man standing in front of a wagon labelled, ‘Duffy’s Circus’, 1911.

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#26 Male entertainers of Duffy’s circus. 1911.

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#27 Funny George’, the Clown of Duffy’s Circus, 1911.

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#28 Scott’s Circus, a clown, 1910.

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