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Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

CIRQUE BUREAU

Bureau Frères Program.jpg

From the late nineteenth century to the early 1950s, the Cirque Bureau was one of France's most popular circuses. Over its long existence, it had built in the French provinces a faithful audience that appreciated the constant high quality of its offerings and its simplicity, devoid of the advertising hype of its competitors. Wherever it went, its visits were expected and anticipated, practically at the same time each year. Sadly, this steady routine was disturbed by World War II and the Nazi occupation of France—and Jules Glasner, its last director, had a hard time trying to restore its place in the new economic era that followed the war: The Cirque Bureau folded its big topThe circus tent. America: The main tent of a traveling circus, where the show is performed, as opposed to the other tops. (French, Russian: Chapiteau) in 1953, at the end of what was advertised as its "99th season."

Its founder was Jean Bureau (1836-1899), born on May 31, 1836, in Villeréal, a small village of the Lot et Garonne department that has kept its medieval architecture and is classified today as one of the "most beautiful villages of France." His father, Jean, Sr. (1809-1844), a carpenter and the son of a farmer, and his mother, Françoise (née Arché, 1815-1880), had two other children: Cosme (1838-1885) and Jeanne (1844-1908). Jean Bureau was just eight years old when he lost his father, and to alleviate the burden on his family, he was soon placed in apprenticeship to a blacksmith.

In 1853, a small traveling equestrian circus came to Villeréal. It was a modest affair owned by William Tagg (1822-1884), and his wife Elizabeth, née Woodley, a couple of British traveling performers who had long settled in France. The Taggs needed a blacksmith to reshoe their horses, and his boss sent seventeen-year-old Jean Bureau, a horse lover, to do the job. Jean was immediately fascinated by these people whose horizon seemed limitless; he asked William Tagg if he could join the company as a groom—and the Taggs, whose human resources were probably wanting, left Villeréal with Jean in tow.

Thus, Jean Bureau had started his circus career. Young, athletic, and interested in horsemanship, he trained in trickAny specific exercise in a circus act.-riding and quickly became a proficient bareback rider. Having become a full-fledged performer in the company, he began to pay attention to the young Anna Tagg (1840-1913), the director's daughter, who was born in Paris and was four years his junior. Apparently, the feeling was mutual—to the extent that, in 1862, Anna gave birth to their first child, Françoise Elizabeth (known as Elizabeth, b.1862). It was time indeed to legalize their union: The young couple was married on March 6, 1863, in Cenon, in the outskirts of Bordeaux. By then, Jean was twenty-seven and Anna, twenty-three.... (more...)

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CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.

Dominique Jando
Founder and Curator
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