Circus money bag
Object No. 2012/104/89
This money bag was used to hold the box office takings at Wirths' Circus. 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 August, 2012
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Summary
Object Statement
Money bag, cotton, made by the Bank of New South Wales, used by Wirths' Circus, Australia, 1950-1963
Physical Description
Cream money bag with dirt stains. Text on both sides 'You can bank on the Wales. Bank of New South Wales. First bank in Australia.'
DIMENSIONS
Width
255 mm
HISTORY
Notes
Used by Wirths' Circus. Kept by Marizles ('Rill') Wirth, until her death in 2007. Donated to the Powerhouse Museum by her nieces Margaret and Georgina Wirth.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of the Wirth family, 2012
Acquisition Date
3 September 2012
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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