"...eclectic and entertaining" - John Freeman (Down the Tubes), "...essential reading" - Hibernia Comics, "...always a good read" Graeme Neil Reid, "...a terrific blog" Ian Wheeler, "...one of my favourite sites on the web - always fascinating and informative!" Michael 'Judge Dredd' Carroll
Very rare (if not unique) autographs of the co-owners of Bertram Mills Circus in 1957
Bernard Mills, and Cyril Mills,
plus
CoCo the Clown (Nicolai Poliakoff)
Nikki the Clown (Geoffrey Nicholson)
“Another Clown?” (can’t remember his name!)
Marcus Morris (Editor of the Eagle Comic using his distinctive green ink pen)
And a number of other signatures of Circus and Eagle Comic employees.
Also included are my 1957 Olympia Circus Ticket and a Coco promotional card given to me by the clown himself.
This unique collection of signatures are in an autograph book that I took to the circus on the 4th January 1957.
I was lucky enough to win a weekly competition in the Eagle comic at the age of twelve and the prize was a day at Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia.
I was shown behind the scenes, met the clowns and the co-owners of the circus and had lunch with the management teams of both the Circus and the Eagle Comic including Marcus Morris the Eagle’s editor.
I then watched the afternoon performance before returning home.
I have kept the autograph book in its original cardboard box for the past sixty five years and it is in excellent (almost like new) condition. I now feel I should offer an enthusiast the opportunity to obtain a very rare (if not unique) piece of Circus and Comic memorabilia.
One of the Eagle Comic employees actually dated their signature as can be seen in the photographs.
I can see the signature of Marcus Morris quite clearly (in green ink). Above his signature is that of Ellen Vincent (who signed it Ellen Vincent Eagle) and then a further Eagle signature (in the 3rd photo) that I don't recognise - looks like Joan Hawtrey Eagle. Any better ideas welcome!
