POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Gladys Wirth's riding gloves

Object No. 2012/104/10

These gloves are thought to have been worn by Gladys Wirth (1911-1960), a significant artist with Wirths' Circus in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Trained in horsemanship by her father Philip, Gladys became an haute ecole equestrian. With Duke, her famous black stallion, she was a highlight of Wirths' bill. In a 1927 program she appears twice, as 'Miss Gladys on her high schooled horse Duke' and 'Miss Gladys presenting six trained Arab horses'. She was only 16 years of age at this time. In 1928 she presented 'Miss Gladys' miniature circus act, with ponies, monkeys, dogs and pigeons', as well as 'trained Australian brumbies'. Around 1937 she married Erwin Muehmel, AKA Erwin Nelson, and became a member of the Flying Nelsons trapeze act. The Wirth name has a special place in Australian circus folklore. Billed as Australia's own 'greatest show on earth', the Wirth Brothers' Circus was indeed one of the world's great circuses. The Wirths' Circus collection documents the family's involvement in the business from the 1870s until 1963. The sons of a German immigrant, the Wirth brothers began their show careers as members of their father's travelling band. They established a variety troupe, developed their performing skills and began touring as a small circus. Despite the hardships associated with travelling in wagons throughout the rural districts of the Australian colonies, their circus grew rapidly. Philip and George Wirth had the vision to do conduct their enterprise on a large scale. They recruited star attractions from Europe and North America. Members of the extended Wirth family featured as artists. Their circus included a menagerie of exotic animals. In 1893 the Wirth brothers took the circus on a seven year international odyssey to South Africa, South America, England, Ceylon, India, Burma, Singapore and Java. Wirths' became Australia's pre-eminent circus, travelling around the country by rail and visiting New Zealand regularly. Posters proclaiming that the circus was 'Coming by special trains' created anticipation and excitement for country people. Watching elephants skilfully push and pull wagons from the railway siding to the circus site was a spectacle in itself. Wirths' Circus toured from 1880 until its demise in 1963. Peter Cox Curator July, 2012