01    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The archives of Irish showmen and their families are integral to their sense of community. They document their personal and professional lives in the operation of circuses, funfairs, travelling cinema and theatre and variety companies, known as ‘fit-ups’, from the late 19th century to current times. They thereby serve as an important record of showmen’s endeavours in the performance arts and their contribution to public entertainment and our national heritage, while also serving to foster a sense of community identity for showmen within the wider society. Showmen’s archives, like all archival material, are inherently fragile and vulnerable to loss or destruction due to a number of factors. These can range from disasters - such as fire and flood - through wanton destruction, theft and damage by infestation, to attrition due to use or adverse environmental conditions. It is essential that provision is made for the preservation of Irish showmen’s archives through storage, facilities and services that meet with recognised international standards for the accommodation and administration of archives. It is also essential that arrangements are made for public access to archives as a means of encouraging research of the history of Irish showmen, their way of life and wider social impact. Research use of the archives will also raise the profile of the Irish showmen as a group and create an awareness of their contribution to Irish heritage. The archives of Irish showmen survive largely due to the efforts of individuals within showmen’s families or collector enthusiasts with a love of and interest in the artistic expression and lifestyle of that community. In some instances, showmen’s archives have been deposited in memory institutions, such as libraries or archives, where there is an awareness of their research value and of the dearth of provision for preservation.

Over the course of September and October 2024, Archives Ireland conducted a survey of a number of sample archival collections in private custody on behalf of the Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network and the Irish Showman’s Guild in an attempt to establish the scope and content of extant material, assess its condition and make recommendations for its preservation. Key observations of this survey are:

1. Families of Irish showmen and collectors of material relating to circus, funfairs and travelling cinema and fit-up companies hold a considerable volume of archives of potential relevance. This archival material takes the form of posters, photographs, programmes, scripts and film. Artefacts, such as model circuses, pottery, figurines, costumes, stage props, paintings and equipment are also held.

2. The archival material held by Irish showmen forms part of their private family documentation. This is especially the situation with photographs, but also posters and film recordings.

3. Archival material in private custody is uncatalogued, with only custodians understanding collection content, arrangement and how to access.

4. While the archival material is generally in good condition, there is evidence of attrition and this needs to be addressed through conservation repair and a preservation programme to ensure survival in optimum conditions into the future.

5. There is frequent exchange of material between collectors and collections are thereby broken up and re-distributed. This can affect the integrity of collections and authenticity of individual documents.

6. Few, if any, administrative records of Irish showmen enterprises were found to be extant.

7. There is no single archival repository that specialises in the collection of Irish showmen archives. Some archival material has been deposited in libraries or archives, but this is exceptional. There is now an urgent need to preserve the archives of Irish showmen in a dedicated repository in Ireland. Otherwise, there is a risk of loss of such archives through neglect, with consequent disappearance of any evidence of showmen's significant contribution to Irish social, cultural and artistic life.

Key recommendations of this survey report are:

1. The archival records of Irish showmen to be preserved should ultimately be transferred to the custody of an appropriate archival institution in Ireland with the capacity, both professional and physical, to house and administer the archives in a manner that assures preservation.

2. Consideration should be given to developing partnership arrangements with an appropriate third level educational institution with archival facilities to preserve and manage the archival records of the community of Irish showmen.

3. There should be engagement with the community of Irish showmen and with wider networks of collectors to encourage the transfer of archival collections to the designated archival institution.

4. A policy on access and research use for showmen’s archives should be developed, which is based on legal provision and internationally accepted best practice models.

5. An oral history programme to record interviews with senior members of the Irish showmen’s community should be undertaken as a matter of priority.

6. An archival records management programme should be implemented to ensure the identification and retention of records and information of Irish showman families and organisations that are worthy of archival preservation.

 

02    INTRODUCTION

The Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network, in partnership with the Irish Showmen’s Guild, was awarded funding in 2024 through the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant, to work on a joint project ‘Towards an Irish Showmen’s Archive: Survey of Archival Sources relating to Circuses, Funfairs, Travelling Cinema and Theatre and Variety Companies (Fit-ups) in Ireland'. Both bodies worked with the University of Galway’s Library and with Archives Ireland on project delivery. The aim of this project was to survey sources of documentation and other recorded information relating to the professional and personal lives of showmen in Ireland in order to

A: identify collections of such material, whether in the custody of individuals, institutions or organisations;

B: Describe its scope, extent and content;

C: Assess its physical condition and conservation requirements;

D: And make recommendations for its permanent archival preservation as

- valuable evidence of circuses, funfairs, travelling cinema and fit-ups as art forms; and as

- a means to safeguard the skills, traditions, way of life, language, collective memory and          cultural heritage of the small community of Irish showmen families who run, or have run, them.

The Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS) was established in 2010 to represent, support and develop, and raise the profile of the street arts, circus and spectacle sectors in Ireland. In pursuit of these objectives, it acts as an information hub and resource centre, sharing information and opportunities, and supporting the development of the sector through training, networking and advocacy. ISACS mission is to celebrate these artforms and advocate for the policy and practical changes that will allow the sector to flourish. There are currently over 260 active members of ISACS, which encompasses every county in the Republic of Ireland and three counties in Northern Ireland as well as several internationally resident members mainly across Europe. The Irish Showmen’s Guild was established in 1954 to represent the interests of those who operated Irish circuses, fairgrounds, travelling funfairs and fit-ups. It acts as a trade association at both national and local level, while also serving to promote and protect the showmen's way of life and preserve the unique cultural heritage of funfairs, circuses, travelling cinema and fit-ups generally. There are currently 105 members and these run family-owned organisations that have been involved in the industry for several generations. The Library of the University of Galway supports and enhances the learning, teaching, and research activities of the University by providing access for all its users to relevant information resources. In furtherance of this, the Library is also custodian of a rich and growing array of heritage collections, consisting of archival, print and digital heritage material relating to literature, theatre, film and the performing arts, as well as historical and political collections, and Irish-language and regional material. The Library encourages and assists academic staff to use heritage collections in teaching and academic research, and promotes their use by students to enhance their course-work and wider learning experience. Archives Ireland is a leading provider of archives expertise in Ireland, working with over two hundred clients for in excess of two decades. It offers a range of archives and records management services to public and private bodies, including conservation and digitisation. Personnel of Archives Ireland have undertaken this survey and compiled this report. The Heritage Council is a public body established under the Heritage Act, 1995 whose mission is to develop a wide understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmental and economic well-being. In addition to advising, educating and raising awareness to develop a knowledge of and interest in all aspects of Irish heritage, the Council enables and supports communities to participate in and take responsibility for the development and conservation of the heritage of their areas.

 

03    SHOWMEN IN IRELAND

Irish showmen identify as a cultural group, united by their participation in the travelling entertainment industry and the lifestyle necessary for its management and development. The community of show families that operate circus and funfairs, that formerly included those operating travelling cinema and fit-ups, can trace its history through many generations, with the term “showmen” evocative of its historic origins as strolling entertainers in the late 16th and early 17th centuries performing dramatic works, staging variety and puppet shows, juggling, giving acrobatic displays or demonstrating menageries. The spectacle that is circus in the western world can trace its origins to exhibitions of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows and displays featuring animals, jugglers and acrobats in large venues in ancient Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire. Such forms of entertainment disappeared during the Dark Ages in Europe, but travelling showmen continued to appear in European fairgrounds, with animal trainers and performers of all kinds moving between cities and towns to entertain at local fairs. Modern circus in its current form entailing performance in a circular arena developed in the mid to late 18th century with the emergence in Britain of such shows as Philip Astley’s equestrian circus in London, whose displays of horsemanship were imitated by others. Circuses in England were often held in purpose-built buildings in cities, featuring a combination of the circus, the menagerie and variety theatre. In the United States of America, the first circus building opened in the late 18th century in Philadelphia, with large canvas tents being used in America in the 1820s and in use in Europe by the 1840s. The travelling "big tops" for circus performances eventually superseded the static venues. Today's travelling funfairs trace their origins to the commercial fairs that took place in towns and cities, where merchants traded various goods. Gradually the focus of fairs shifted from commerce to pleasure, with fairs offering satirical theatre, puppet shows, jugglers, comedians and fire eaters. As they developed, funfairs largely shared features in common with 19th century circus, with both being set up in open fields or ‘grounds’ near or in towns and moving from place to place. The first fairground rides began to appear in the 18th century. These were small, made of wood and propelled by gangs of boys. In the 19th century, before the development of mechanical attractions, sideshows were the mainstay of most funfairs. Typical shows included wild animal menageries, wax works, boxing and wrestling competitions and theatrical shows. By the 1860s, manufacturers of farm machinery began to develop steam power rides. In addition to mechanised rides such as the early merry-go-round, fairgrounds featured live animal acts, pony rides, sideshow curiosities, and games of skill and chance. Circuses and funfairs tour throughout Ireland typically from March until October. They are visited by over 1.5 million people each year. As a working, living community the passing on of the traditions of Irish travelling circus and funfair is organic. It takes place each time that a circus or fair is dismantled, loaded, transported and built up again. The showman skills are developed and honed every time a ride needs repainting and the artwork needs renewal. A fit-up is a style of theatre where companies of travelling performers tour towns and villages. Generally, a fit-up company carried all props, costumes, scenery, curtains and light systems and materials for a temporary stage which could be “fitted-up” in available venues, usually a tent or a local theatre or hall. Fit-up companies were particularly prevalent in 19th century rural Ireland that didn’t have built venue alternatives, with the number increasing during the early 20th century to an estimated 60 companies touring by the 1930s. Performances usually involved some form of variety act and a melodrama, followed by a farce. Very often these travelling fit-up shows might be the only entertainment a village or town would see and would therefore usually play to large audiences. They would often perform the works of classic authors such as Shakespeare, but also more popular works and comedies. Fit-ups, together with travelling cinema, while existing in tandem with circuses and funfairs and bringing entertainment to much of rural Ireland, largely disappeared with the advent of television. Many of the showmen families that operated travelling fit-up companies evolved to travelling cinema and then to the operation of travelling funfairs, often also marrying into families running circuses. Irish showmen had to adapt to changing circumstances, often moving from one showman profession to another. The Arts Act of 2003 gave appropriate recognition to Irish circus as an art form. This status was further bolstered in 2021 when the traditional travelling circus and funfair was added to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, thus giving due recognition nationally and internationally to their significance to the culture and heritage of Ireland. Inclusion in the inventory acknowledges the need to protect and promote the artistic creativity, expression and manifestation of traditional travelling circus and funfair and to support the individuals and families who operate them, not only in the pursuit of their art and safeguarding of the skills that underly them, but also in preservation of the traditions and way of life integral to development and protection of this aspect of Irish culture and heritage. Inclusion in the inventory also acknowledges Ireland’s obligations under the 2003 UNESCO Convention to resource, support and safeguard the cultural heritage practices, customs, crafts and traditions of Irish showmen. The Heritage Council recognised the significance of the lifestyle of the travelling showman to the continuation of their performance arts with the award in 2024 of grant aid under its Community Heritage Grant Scheme to undertake this survey of archives in an effort to understand what is necessary to secure the preservation of showman archives as tangible evidence not only of the artistic expression of showmen, but also their way of life. The Irish showmen comprise a small but vibrant group of people who are proud of their heritage and this pride in the showman craft and way of life has not been diminished through the years.

 

04    PURPOSE, METHODOLOGY AND SCOPE OF SURVEY

The survey was an exercise to identify and locate extant documentary sources and other recorded information created by the operation of circuses, funfairs, travelling cinema, theatre and variety fit-up companies and by showmen generally, whether such material was held by the operating showmen families, by enthusiasts and other private collectors, or by museums, libraries and archives. The purpose of the survey was to gain an understanding of the volume of material in existence, its scope and content, and its format and condition in order to determine the requirement for and feasibility of establishing an Irish national archive for circuses, funfairs, travelling cinema, fit-ups and showmen. It is hoped that this survey report will serve to focus attention on the individuals whose invaluable work in collecting such documentation and whose careful and diligent stewardship has ensured its survival. A qualified archivist, Tom Quinlan, working on behalf of Archives Ireland, was appointed to undertake the survey work. He undertook survey work among known circus, funfair and showmen collectors whose contact information was provided to him by ISACS or the Irish Showman’s Guild. In addition, he received other contact information from individual collectors or showmen, which he followed up. Mr Quinlan conducted site visits to a range of locations to view material. Where it wasn’t possible or necessary to make a site visit to view material, Mr Quinlan was supplied with data by custodians. This tended to occur where custodians were showmen currently travelling for work or where the volume of material to be reviewed was small and uniform in nature and information could easily be returned on foot of enquiry by the survey. In reviewing material onsite, Mr Quinlan sought to quantify the volume of material, assess its physical condition, and identify its arrangement and any form of intellectual control. Similar information was supplied by custodians where no visits occurred. This information is set out in summary form and appraised in Findings below. The survey did not pay site visits to relevant national archival institutions in Ireland, i.e. the National Library, the National Archives and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Instead, searches were made in online catalogues, supplemented where necessary by enquiry. A similar strategy was used in the case of RTE and the United Kingdom National Fairground and Circus Archive at the University of Sheffield. An online meeting was also arranged with the United Kingdom Fairground and Circus Archive. 

 

05    FINDINGS

5.1 GENERAL

There is an assortment of archival documentation generated by the community of showmen in Ireland. The range generally relates to circus, supplemented by a smaller proportion relating to funfairs, travelling theatre and variety groups (fit-ups) and travelling cinema, although little of the latter was discovered during the course of the survey work. The material is held by a variety of custodians, ranging from families of showmen to private individual and institutional collectors. Apart from the institutional collectors, the vast bulk of the material is held in private houses and is diligently curated by those in whose custody it is held. Indeed, it should be noted that many of the showmen photographs form part of the family photograph albums of individual family members and are not only highly prized, but also form part of the wider family’s private papers. However, despite this, such archival material is not stored in an environment that provides the optimum conditions to ensure permanent preservation, nor is it subjected to the requisite professional administration necessary to establish and maintain intellectual control. In some instances, the archival documentation is supplemented by artefacts that fall outside of the scope of this survey, but to which reference is made in this report for the sake of completeness.

5.1.1 STORAGE

Apart from institutional collections, the archives are largely stored in private residential accommodation in filing cabinets, cupboards, or on open shelving. As mentioned, such accommodation, while adequate to store the archives, does not provide the optimum conditions to ensure permanent preservation of archives. Ideally, archives should be stored in an environment that is secure from unauthorised access and with monitored fire detection and extinction systems. There should be controls in place to regulate temperature and relative humidity, which are key to the preservation of archives. Temperatures should be kept constant. Ideally, temperatures for the storage of paper should be in the range 13°C to 20°C and relative humidity should be kept at between 35% to 60%, with any fluctuations gradualIn the case of photographic and film material, temperature should be in the range 8°C to 16°C and relative humidity in the range 30% to 50%. Temperature and relative humidity should be monitored continuously and not allowed to fluctuate dramatically. Conditions such as these cannot be replicated in private residential accommodation.

Individual archival documents or groups of documents were observed to be filed either in lever-arch binders, portfolio cases or envelopes. These were stored in filing cabinets, cupboards or on open shelving. In many instances, posters were stored loose on shelving, either flat, folded or rolled. Photographs were stored in commercially-available photograph albums, pasted into scrap books or stored loose in boxes or other containers. Ideally, archives should be subjected to a regime of packing that envisages individual documents or aggregations stored in archival quality (acid free) packing designed to protect the documents physically while in storage and during retrieval for use. Paper documents or aggregations of related documents should be placed in folders made from archival quality board, photographs should be placed in Mylar/Melinex pouches and then attached into archival folders by Treasury tags or placed in archival envelopes. Posters should be stored flat in large archival folders and, ideally, also placed in Mylar/Melinex to protect them during handling. When packed, all archival documents should be stored either in archival quality boxes on shelving or in storage drawers that meet archival specifications and health and safety requirements for the purpose of retrieval.

5.1.2. CONDITION

Overall, the archives were in good condition and reflect the care given to them by their diligent custodians, but there was some evidence of attrition. There were minor tears to documents and some larger documents have been folded for storage purposes with consequent weakening of paper along folds. There was evidence of use of Sellotape to carry out repairs to individual documents. However, there was no evidence of mould or any sign of damage by pest infestation. There were instances of photographs unsuitably mounted on board and there was some fading due to exposure to light. Some posters were also similarly faded.

5.1.3. CATALOGUING

None of the archival collections viewed has been catalogued. Many custodians have sorted and arranged the material in their possession and rely on this physical arrangement or grouping of material as a means of finding individual documents. Only the custodians can locate individual documents within collections. There is no archival catalogue with document reference numbers and written descriptions of documents available for any of the individual collections to facilitate identification and retrieval of a particular document. As a consequence, much contextual information on individual documents in collections has not been recorded in a catalogue. Various custodians have a wealth of knowledge that needs to be ‘mined’ to ensure that contextual information on the documents they hold, particularly the photographs, is recorded in catalogue descriptions. Any future cataloguing project undertaken should be compliant with the international cataloguing standard, ISAD(G), including such compulsory descriptive elements as reference code, title, creator, date or date range, level of description, and scope and content. Full cataloguing of archival documentation must be undertaken in advance of or in tandem with any future planned digitisation.

 

5.2 CATEGORIES OF ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS, APPRAISAL AND WORK REQUIRED

The archival documentation surveyed across various locations consistently fall into an assortment of formats described in greater detail below under the headings of posters, photographs, programmes, film footage, scripts, ground agreements. These are accompanied by an archival appraisal, an estimation of the total likely volume based on the samples surveyed and a statement of the archival work required. In addition, some archival collections were accompanied by artworks and objects. While these fall outside the scope of this survey of archival documentation, reference is made to them for the sake of completeness. Finally, many collectors held published printed material. These were regarded as falling outside of the scope of the survey of archival documentation and are not treated in this report, apart from any references made to their existence.

5.2.1. POSTERS

One of the most important of the showman’s document types, posters are also referred to as "bills" from the early use of handbills. The key to success for every travelling show was advertising, and the key to advertising was the poster, which was normally produced to cover a single season of performances and therefore differed from year to year as the programme content of circuses, fairs and fit-up shows altered with each new season of performances. Posters were printed on paper on behalf of showmen by printers in a range of sizes, usually measuring 100cm X 140cm, 38cm X 100cm or 28cm X 86cm. Posters of other sizes, smaller and larger, were found to be present in some collections. Some collections also included handbills. Largely ranging in date from the early 1900s to 2010s, the posters are the most colourful of the documents viewed. In addition to their colour, posters carried illustrations of performers and, in the case of circuses, vignettes of ring performances. While posters as printed for a season did not specify actual dates or locations of performances, an unprinted portion on each poster allowed for this to be stamped or handwritten as required. In later years, the dates and locations of performances were pasted onto the end portion of posters. As many “blank” posters are undated, it is often the collectors who inscribed dates on them. There can be little doubt of the archival value of posters. They provide dates and locations of performances by different showmen organisations. In the case of circuses and travelling cinema and fit-ups, they provide evidence of the programme content in a given season. In many instances, they provide the only evidence of showmen’s activity in a given locality at a particular point in time. They often provide the only evidence of the presence of a touring European circus in a particular area of Ireland.

5.2.2 PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs surveyed largely took the form of photographic prints in either black and white or in colour, held in albums or stored loose in containers of various kinds. The photographs are not only formal portraits of performers in costume produced for publicity purposes (often autographed or signed with a dedication to a particular individual) or images of particular entertainment acts or scenes from performances in session, but also include albums of personal photographs of show families, often taken in private social and/or family settings. Photographs also exist that document circuses, fairs, fit-ups and travelling showmen on the move, showing transport methods, the erection of tents for performances, equipment used and other ‘backstage’ photographs. Photographs are by far the most numerous of the document types observed during the survey, but it is suspected that there is considerable duplication of photographs among the families of showmen. This can be attributed to the close family ties that exist among the various show families leading to the duplication of photographs for distribution; but it can also be attributed to the duplication of photographs among collectors as they seek to develop their collections through the exchange of photographs. Many photographs of collectors document circuses arriving in a particular locality and the holding of the circus parade. The photographs of some collectors document specific aspects of Irish showmen’s life in which that collector had an interest, such as logistics and equipment in use. The photographs are of immense archival value. Not only do they provide a visual record of the professional activities of Irish showmen, but they also give a very intimate view of showpeople and the practical realities of everyday life. It proved extremely difficult to quantify photographs for the reasons cited above, i.e. the tendency of showmen families and collectors to duplicate photographs. In arriving at the figure below, cognisance was taken of the collection of Michael Ingoldsby, a noted circus collector. It is estimated that his collection includes approximately 45,000 photographic prints, some obtained as copies from the families of Irish showmen, but also including photographs relating to circuses abroad. Allowing for presence of photograph of little relevance to Irish showmen and circuses and the absence of photographs relating to funfairs, travelling cinema and fit-ups, a figure of 30,000 is estimated. It should be noted that the UK National Fairground and Circus Archive holds approximately 80,000 original photographic prints, so the figure for Ireland is likely to be correspondingly lower and the figure below might be revised downwards.

5.2.3 PROGRAMMES

Programmes are small, printed booklets or leaflets that were made available for sale to patrons attending a performance to provide a schedule of the various acts to be staged, the names of the principal performers and brief background statements as to their status and ranking within the profession. Not very many programmes survive overall as patrons didn’t tend to purchase and, consequently, they weren’t produced in great numbers and retained. This makes programmes relatively rare. Programmes merit preservation as archival documents as they provide evidence of the content of performances. As they were printed by local printers and not published, surviving copies will not be available in copyright deposit libraries.

5.2.4 FILM FOOTAGE

A number of show families and collectors hold film footage, which tends largely to be of circus performances or documenting the life and work of fit-ups and was obtained from broadcast companies, such as RTE and the BBC. However, some footage was privately shot and is held on 16mm film, which in some instances has been transferred either to VHS or to digital format. Privately shot footage is of immense archival value and should be preserved.

5.2.5 SCRIPTS

These consist of either small, printed published booklets of well-known or popular dramatic works, or are bound typescripts and manuscript notebooks, with the story, plot and dialogue that comprise the play story written for fit-up actors to perform. Some of the typescript and manuscript scripts appear to have been written by members of fit-up companies or particular writers with which they had an association. Scripts are quite rare, particularly manuscript or typescript versions. They provide a record of the drama as delivered on stage in performances. The published scripts are frequently annotated with amendments or stage directions and therefore unique and should be preserved.

5.2.6 GROUND AGREEMENTS

Book of form agreements used by travelling circuses setting out the terms and conditions under which landowners agree to permit use of fields for use in circus performances. As the single Fossett’s Circus ground agreement book surveyed appears to be unique, it should be preserved.

5.2.7 ARTEFACTS

Many of the showmen collections surveyed included objects. These ranged from circus models, through big top light fittings, theatrical costumes and props, to pottery, mannequins, figurines and paintings. The survey regarded such artefacts as being outside of the scope of the project and are therefore not described in any detail in this report. It should be noted that the UK Fairgrounds and Circus Archive does not usually acquire three dimensional objects or artefacts that form part of showman collections unless they specifically support, illustrate or add to the content of a particular document or range of documents in a collection.

 

06    RECOMMENDED STRATEGIC MEASURES 6.1. PERMANENT PRESERVATION

 

A policy should be promulgated that promotes permanent preservation of those records of the community of showmen in Ireland, regardless of format, that are worthy of permanent retention.

6.2. PERMANENT ACCOMMODATION

The archival records of showmen to be preserved should ultimately be transferred to the custody of an appropriate institution with the capacity, both professional and physical, to house and administer the archives in a manner that assures preservation. The accommodation available must meet internationally recognised standards for the storage of archives, which must be administered in conformity with accepted archival standards, procedures and processes in relation to preservation and conservation, security and intellectual control, including acquisition, cataloguing and storage.

6.3. MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP

Consideration should be given to developing partnership arrangements with an appropriate third level educational institution for the preservation and management of the archival records of the community of Irish showmen. This educational institution should have an acknowledged reputation for the acquisition and preservation of archives relating to the performing arts and should teach recognised courses of academic study in the performing arts. The partner educational institution should be required to promote use of Irish showmen’s archives in teaching, research and in public outreach programmes. Any partnership arrangements must take cognisance of the ownership of the archives by the community of Irish showmen or collectors, with appropriate agreements negotiated.

6.4. RESOURCING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The administration of the archival records of Irish showmen in archival custody should be adequately resourced, with funding secured to provide for costs of storage accommodation, equipment and supplies, staffing and professional services. Given the significance of Irish showmen to national culture and heritage, funding by or through a public body would be appropriate.

6.5. ACCESS AND RESEARCH USE

A policy on access and research use for showmen’s archives should be developed, which is based on legal provision and internationally accepted best practice models.

6.6 ARCHIVAL RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

An archival records management programme should be implemented to ensure the identification and retention of records and information worthy of archival preservation and adoption encouraged within show families and organisations.

6.7 ENGAGEMENT WITH SHOWMEN AND WIDER NETWORKS

In an effort to encourage the preservation of showmen’s archives, there should be engagement with the community of Irish showmen and with wider networks of private and institutional collectors of recorded information relating to Irish showmen and the practice of their arts, including circus and funfair, as well as travelling cinema, drama and variety groups. All collectors should be encouraged to transfer custody of archival collections to a designated institution, with appropriately negotiated agreements that address such matters as ownership, conditions of deposit, access and copyright.

6.8 ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES ADVISORY COUNCIL

The National Archives Advisory Council should be approached to provide advice, guidance and assistance in relation to the implementation of a planned approach to the preservation and provision of access to Irish showmen’s archives.

 

07 | RECOMMENDED PRACTICAL MEASURES

 

7.1 ORAL HISTORY

An oral history programme to record interviews with senior members of the Irish showmen’s community should be undertaken as a matter of priority. As an initial measure, the Oral History Network of Ireland should be approached for advice and assistance on commencing an oral history programme, including archival preservation of oral history recordings and sources of funding to undertake oral history programmes (www.oralhistorynetworkireland.ie).

7.2 CONSERVATION SURVEY

A conservation survey of collections of archival documentation relating to Irish showmen should be undertaken, including those held by the community of showpeople as well as private collectors.

7.3 DIGITISATION AND CATALOGUING OF PHOTOGRAPHS

A programme of mass digitisation and cataloguing of photographs in the keeping of the Irish showpeople should be undertaken, regardless of current custody arrangements. This would provide a digital master set of photographic images for preservation in an appropriate institution. The assistance of showmen and collectors should be enlisted in focus groups to harvest metadata in relation to subjects of photographs as a means to aid the work of cataloguing

7.4 DIGITISATION AND CATALOGUING OF POSTERS, PROGRAMMES AND SCRIPTS

A programme of mass digitisation of posters, programmes and scripts should be undertaken as a means of creating a preservation master set to be held in an appropriate institution. Cataloguing and conservation work must be undertaken as a necessary preliminary to any digitisation programme.

7.5 INTEGRITY OF COLLECTIONS

The integrity of extant collections of archival documentation should be maintained and collections not divided for distribution nor divided based on format.

7.6 OUTREACH PROGRAMME

Consideration should be given to an education and training programme to explain the preservation and conservation needs of archives. Such a programme could be developed as a web-based resource accessible to all.

 

08    CONCLUSION

The archival collections held by Irish showmen families and other collectors are unique in subject matter. They not only document the history of travelling circus, funfair, cinema and fit-ups in Ireland, but also the individuals and families that operated them. Given the nature of the documents and their subject matter, the archives are colourful. More importantly, the large number of photographs provides an impressive visual record of Ireland from the early 1900s to more recent times. While there will continue to be a very public visual manifestation of Irish showmen in the practice of their art, the archives allow us a glimpse behind the scenes into the lives of showmen. In this way, the archives are an important national resource. That the archival collections have survived is due solely to dedicated curation by Irish showmen families and private individuals. However, this is not a viable means of ensuring the permanent preservation of the archives. It is only with the establishment of a permanent archive that there can be preservation of the archives of Irish showmen. A permanent archive provides the physical and professional facilities necessary to ensure that archival collections relating to Irish showmen that have been assembled and have survived due to the efforts of individual custodians will • remain intact into the future; • will be supplemented by additional material acquired through deposit, and by the recording of oral history and by archival records management programmes; and • will be subjected to the processes necessary for archival management and preservation. At present, any access to the archival collections is at the behest of individual family members or collectors. While such individuals have been more than willing to give access for the purpose of the survey, this is not a viable means of providing more general public access to raise the profile of Irish showmen, their craft and way of life. For the archival collections to be used to their full potential for research purposes and in public outreach programmes, permanent preservation in an archival institution with public research facilities offers the optimum means. If no action is taken to preserve the archives of Irish showmen, there is the very real potential for dispersal and even loss.

 

 

THE SURVEY RECEIVED ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION FROM:

John Whittle

Patrick Foley

Yvonne Cullen

THE SURVEYOR OWES A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE SURVEY TO:

Lucy Medlycott, Director, Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacles Network

Thelma McFadden, David Duffy and Chris Piper of the Irish Showmen’s Guild

Tony McCarthy, McCarthy Circus Bar Archive

Vikki Jackson, Vic Loving Collection

Derek Cobbe

Jonny Duffy

Tara Gerbola

Edward Fossett

Fintan Furlong

Michael Houlihan, Patrick Houlihan Circus Archive

Michael Ingoldsby

Lackagh Museum Galway (Breda Finn and Michael Hurley)

Donna Mullins