The Charles Cabot Collection
Charles Henry Cabot (1890-1978) was an inveterate accumulator of such ephemera during his long career with circuses, variety shows, carnivals and theatre. Only a part of his collection came to the Library, comprising some 500 posters, about 500 programmes, 99 scrapbooks of newsclippings, a small collection of around 150 photographs, and a box of itineraries, autograph books and correspondence.
The posters constitute our richest collection of circus, variety and magic posters, and complement posters held in similar collections at the state Library of Tasmania and the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. The Alexander Turnbull Library’s Photographic Archive and other New Zealand institutions hold collections of photographs that could be used as complimentary sources for the study of circus and variety shows.
The Cabot collection has still to be completely catalogued.
A smartly dressed publicity agent
Ridgway, Cole & Ridgway's Circus. A galaxy of unsurpassed novelties!
This rather laconic young cowboy appears on the cover of a programme for Barton’s circus in 1914
Mi Re Do / Do Re Mi: celebrated original eccentric comedy musical act
Barton's big new circus, sole direction of Mrs F J Barton
Perry Bros' huge circus & zoo
Daring deeds by an equilibriste and his animal charges
Short-lived circuses and changing fortunes
Chang in person - "A trip to Hades"
The curious world of the carnival goer
Mexican Rose, the 54 stone fat girl
Family amusements in the 1920s
A bareback rider epitomises the rodeo
A forerunner to “NZ Idol”
