Caroline Hall, Curatorial and Collections Manager, writes: Showtown is a new museum in Blackpool which opened in March 2024; it is Blackpool’s first permanent museum and highlights the town’s rich history as a seaside home of entertainment. This major capital development was supported by Blackpool Council, the UK Government, the Heritage Fund and Lancashire Enterprise Partnership. The museum features Blackpool’s collections of entertainment history material, which are without parallel and include a comprehensive archive record of its venues, the acts and the trends in entertainment covering the transition from 19th-century entertainment to mass popular culture in the 20th century.
Charlie Cairoli became one of the greatest and most creative Auguste clowns of the 20th century. He dominated the history of the Tower Circus, establishing himself as its primary attraction and Britain's most celebrated clown. The Auguste clown, known for their clever and humorous antics, typically performs alongside the authoritative whiteface clown. Often, the Auguste undermines the whiteface clown's intentions, leading to hilarious situations. Charlie excelled in this physical role, gaining fame for his comedic timing, musical performances and signature slosh work (custard pies).
The collection offers insights into Charlie Cairoli's years of training, the continuation of circus traditions, and the remarkable talents he employed. It documents his childhood in France, where he honed his craft, followed by his initial performances in Britain, his contributions during wartime and his subsequent rise to international prominence.
The collection features items representing all aspects of Cairoli's performances, including programs, playbills, posters, costumes, props and musical instruments, as well as materials related to the business side of his performances, such as scripts, jokes, contracts and correspondence. Additionally, the collection is enhanced by several artworks and circus-related books collected by generations of the family.
At the age of 17, Cairoli joined his father's act under the name Carletto. Posters and programs chart his growth in experience and popularity, showcasing how the Trio Cairoli emerged as one of the most beloved acts in Paris, rivalling the renowned Trio Fratellini—a family into which Charlie later married.
The Trio’s first performance in Blackpool took place in the 1939 season at the Blackpool Tower Circus, it was a tremendous success and they were booked for the following season in 1940. However, a few weeks into the season Charlie was arrested and interned on the Isle of Man as part of the government’s wartime policy regarding ‘aliens’. He was released after a few months. The collection of programmes, handbills and letters documents how - during the war - Charlie was supported by the Tower with a residency and how he responded to the war and public reaction by working for the British war effort through performing.
After the war Charlie was at the peak of his career. The performance photography and ephemera including a bound volume of Charlie’s jokes, music pads with annotations and scripts reveals how he developed routines that kept people laughing at the Tower - no matter what - for 39years.
We are delighted to acquire the entire collection, thereby preserving its integrity and significance. We are grateful for generous contributions from FNL, the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Art Fund, which together have brought us a collection that reveals a continuity from the finest circus traditions and acts of 19th-century Europe all the way through to circus performances in Blackpool.
Charlie Cairoli was one of the most important clowns of the 20th century and his archive fills a gap in our collection – circus, one of Blackpool’s most significant entertainments.
