POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Pair of womens riding boots worn by Eileen Wirth of Wirths Circus

Object No. 2012/104/12

These boots are thought to have been worn by Eileen Wirth (1905-1968), a significant artist and animal trainer with Wirths' Circus in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The eldest child of Philip and Alice Wirth, Eileen appeared in the ring as early as 1924, as the trainer of baby elephants. She used the stage name of Miss Eileen May. She married the English equestrian Alfred Clarke in 1926. A 1927 program mentions 'military elephants presented by Miss Eileen May'. As well as training elephants, Eileen is thought to have acted as wardrobe mistress. After her father's death she became ringmaster and took over his traditional role of presenting the winning Melbourne Cup jockey with a gold-plated whip. 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