Philip Lailson

Last updated
Philip Lailson
Born
Philip Lailson
Occupation
  • Showman
Known forHorsemanship, Circus street parades
Notable workLailson's Circus
Awards Circus Hall of Fame (1962) [1]

Philip Lailson was a showman and circus proprietor who organized the first circus parade in America. He was inducted into the Circus Hall of Fame in 1962.

Contents

Circus life

Lailson began his circus career in equestrian acts, highlighting his horsemanship. After touring Scandinavia, Philip Lailson arrived in America from Stockholm in 1796. His arrival, four years after John Bill Ricketts's American debut, marked the start of their rivalry. [2] Landing at Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1796, his troupe debuted in Boston on August 11, 1796. [3] Lailson's Boston appearance, coinciding with Ricketts's, marked America's first instance of two circuses performing in the same town at once. [4] He led Lailson's Circus, a company of fourteen performers from diverse backgrounds—French, German, Irish, and Italian. [5] Among the performers were two women and a young child of five. [3]

In 1797, Philip Lailson announced the circus's arrival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by leading America's first recorded circus parade. Lailson and his troupe promoted the circus by parading through Pennsylvania's capital in costume and on horseback. [6] At Prune Street near Fifth, Lailson constructed a vast amphitheatre with a ninety-foot dome. [7] Only a few blocks separated Philip Lailson's domed amphitheatre from Ricketts' Chestnut Street venue. [8] His circus opened in Philadelphia on April 8, 1797, hosting pantomimes and circus acts. He later toured Alexandria, Virginia, in September and then followed his rival J. B. Ricketts to New York City in December. [3] [9] He returned to Philadelphia in March 1798 until July 8, 1798. [3] After selling his equipment and amphitheatre in Philadelphia, he moved on to the West Indies. [3]

Lailson brought the concept of the equestrian circus to Mexico in 1802. [10] He was last traced to Mexico in 1809. [3]

Legacy

Philip Lailson originated the tradition of the circus parade in America. [11]

Lailson was inducted into the International Circus Hall of Fame in 1962. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Circus Hall of Fame Inductees". circushalloffame.com. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  2. ↑ "The Cambridge Companion to the Circus". books.google.ca. Cambridge University Press. 2021. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Olympians of the Sawdust Circle: A Biographical Dictionary of the Nineteenth Century American Circus". books.google.ca. Borgo Press. 1998. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  4. ↑ "Theatre and Travel: Tours of the South". books.google.ca. Southeastern Theatre Conference and the University of Alabama Press. 2005. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  5. ↑ "The Transnational History of the Early American Circus". bgc.bard.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  6. ↑ "Circling the wagons for the Great Circus Parade". The Sheboygan Press. July 8, 1997. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  7. ↑ "America's Longest Run: A History of the Walnut Street Theatre". books.google.ca. Pennsylvania State University Press. 2010. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  8. ↑ "Step Right Up! The Adventure of Circus in America". books.google.ca. Betterway Publications. 1990. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  9. ↑ "The Colophon - Part 18". books.google.ca. Colophon Limited. 1934. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  10. ↑ "Big Apple Circus". books.google.ca. Big Apple Circus. 2003. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  11. ↑ "History of circus in America began in Philadelphia". The Morning Call. May 27, 1993. p. 66. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
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