The Architecture Shelf

Opulence and Ostentation: Building the Circus
Steve Ward, Ph.D.
Modern Vaudeville Press
www.modernvaudevillepress.com
9781958604021, $25.00

https://www.amazon.com/Opulence-Ostentation-building-Steve-Ward/dp/19586040=
2X

Opulence and Ostentation: Building the Circus is a history of the circus bu= ildings which helped house and perpetuate the popularity of the circus, par= ticularly during the nineteenth century. Readers with only a casual familia= rity with architectural history and the circus may not realize the long-sta= nding nature of this subject: "During the latter half of the nineteenth cen= tury and into the twentieth century many circus owners, and indeed civic au= thorities, commissioned buildings specifically for circus. Why, you may ask=
, for such an ephemeral entertainment? I consider that this growth in circu=
s building reflects the popularity of the art form at that time. Some of th= ese buildings were vast cathedrals of circus which could accommodate thousa= nds of people, regularly reaching capacity."

Audiences of architectural students and circus historians will find that Op= ulence and Ostentation holds many powerful examinations, but it also will a= ttract general-interest audiences who may relish the circus, but are unawar=
e of the structures that contributed to its popularity and mythos. Dr. Ward=
doesn't intend this book to be a definitive history of either the circus o=
r its buildings. It celebrates the opulence and wealth of this approach to = promoting the circus, examining how these structures contributed to the mys= tique and allure of the circus over the centuries. Vintage black and white = photos, footnoted references, and quotes from publications that described e= arly circus buildings and atmosphere make for a scholarly yet accessible su= rvey designed to educate and attract.

Students of architectural history, in particular, will find the notes and i= llustrations on design choices and the mechanics of translating a building'=
s use to both theater and circus applications to be specific and intriguing=
.. Circus history is incorporated into these building descriptions, bringing=
a satisfyingly lively tone to the fine art of capturing opulence and the m= oveable art of the circus both within and between nations: "The (then) mode=
rn building was very tall, 36 metres in height, with a cupola 46.5 metres i=
n diameter. The standard 13.5 metre circus ring had the facility to be lowe= red and flooded with water for water spectaculars. The arena was complete w= ith a fully equipped stage and orchestra pit, and could seat almost 4000 sp= ectators. The building included a restaurant and an 'American Bar'; an Amer= ican Bar being a 'long bar' arrangement as opposed to the more intimate tav= ern style bar. Behind the circus was stabling for up to 130 horses and spac=
e to accommodate a menagerie. The building survived successfully until the = bombing of Dresden in 1945, when it was completely destroyed. The circus su= rvived but Sarrasani, having problems with Hitler's regime, decided to move=
to South America in 1934. Hans Stolsch-Sarrasani died there shortly afterw= ards and the circus was continued by his son.

The Sarrasani Circus became popular in Argentina and in the 1940s was procl= aimed the 'Argentine National Circus' by Eva Peron." The detailed nature of=
such passages and references will require that readers already have a basi=
c interest in the circus environment in order to appreciate the depths of r= esearch and the social, historical, and cultural connections Dr. Ward makes=
in his survey.

Libraries strong in circus topics or architectural explorations will find O= pulence and Ostentation: Building the Circus is an opulent and potent exami= nation indeed, juxtaposing complexity with a freestyle survey of the circus=
world that is not commonly accessible to general-interest audiences.

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