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John Bill Ricketts (1769–1802)John Bill Ricketts ''Circopedia''
/ref> was an English equestrian who brought the first modern
/ref> a circus building, in the fall of 1792, in which he conducted a riding school. After training a group of Pennsylvania horses, on April 3, 1793, he gave America's first complete circus performance, which began a series of exhibitions two to three times a week. In 1797, Ricketts commemorated the retirement of his friend and fellow Freemason
/ref> On 5 September 1797 he established the first circus in Canada, in Montreal. In December 1799, three days after the death of Washington, his circus building burned down. Ricketts sailed to the West Indies on the schooner ''Sally'', but the ship was intercepted by a French privateer and taken to the island of Guadeloupe. Eventually, Ricketts was able to recover some of his horses and property and even managed to perform some shows on Guadeloupe. He recovered his fortunes enough to charter a small, if unreliable, ship, intending to return to England; along the voyage, the ship sank, and all on board were lost.
Ricketts is identified as the subject of an unfinished portrait of ca. 1795–99 by Gilbert Stuart. The painting's current provenance includes the sitter's brother, Francis Ricketts; it was later owned by Peter Grain and
/ref> In 1879, George C. Mason published ''The Life and Works of Gilbert Stuart'', in which he described the painting as "an unfinished picture, which, there is strong reason for believing, was painted by Stuart" and identified the subject as '' Breschard, the Circus Rider''. It was under this title that the painting was displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1880. In 1942 the painting entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art, which changed the identification to "John Bill Ricketts" by 1947.
/ref> was an English equestrian who brought the first modern
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...
to the United States.
Biography
Ricketts began his theatrical career with the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, inLondon
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, in the 1780s. He emigrated from Britain, in 1792, to establish his first circus, in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
. There, he built “Ricketts' Art Pantheon and Amphitheatre”,John Bill Ricketts ''Circopedia''/ref> a circus building, in the fall of 1792, in which he conducted a riding school. After training a group of Pennsylvania horses, on April 3, 1793, he gave America's first complete circus performance, which began a series of exhibitions two to three times a week. In 1797, Ricketts commemorated the retirement of his friend and fellow Freemason
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
with a special performance. He soon performed the president's successor, John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...
."Ricketts Circus Historical Marker"; ''Explore PA History''/ref> On 5 September 1797 he established the first circus in Canada, in Montreal. In December 1799, three days after the death of Washington, his circus building burned down. Ricketts sailed to the West Indies on the schooner ''Sally'', but the ship was intercepted by a French privateer and taken to the island of Guadeloupe. Eventually, Ricketts was able to recover some of his horses and property and even managed to perform some shows on Guadeloupe. He recovered his fortunes enough to charter a small, if unreliable, ship, intending to return to England; along the voyage, the ship sank, and all on board were lost.
Gilbert Stuart portrait
Ricketts is identified as the subject of an unfinished portrait of ca. 1795–99 by Gilbert Stuart. The painting's current provenance includes the sitter's brother, Francis Ricketts; it was later owned by Peter Grain and George Washington Riggs
George Washington Riggs (July 4, 1813 – August 24, 1881) was an American businessman and banker. He was known as "The President's Banker." He was a trustee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Peabody Education Fund.
Early life
Riggs was ...
.NGA website: John Bill Ricketts—provenance/ref> In 1879, George C. Mason published ''The Life and Works of Gilbert Stuart'', in which he described the painting as "an unfinished picture, which, there is strong reason for believing, was painted by Stuart" and identified the subject as '' Breschard, the Circus Rider''. It was under this title that the painting was displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1880. In 1942 the painting entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art, which changed the identification to "John Bill Ricketts" by 1947.
See also
* History of juggling Tattersfield, Nigel (December 2013). ‘Caught in the Act: John Bill Ricketts as Glimpsed by Thomas Bewick’. Print Quarterly (XXX, No. 4): pp. 422-426.References
Further reading
*External links
*http://www.circusinamerica.org/public/people/public_show/67 British circus performers History of Philadelphia 1799 deaths Year of birth unknown Circus owners 1769 births {{Philadelphia-stub