Andrew Ducrow (10 October 1793 – 27 January 1842) was a British circus performer, often called the "Colossus of equestrians". He was the originator of horsemanship acts and proprietor of Astley's Amphitheatre, and remains one of the few giants of equestrian drama whose name is still familiar in the twenty-first century.

Life and career

Ducrow was trained by his father, who had immigrated to England from Belgium in 1793. Ducrow performed within the United Kingdom and in Europe, including in famous venues such as

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and

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

. He is perhaps best known as the proprietor of Astley's Amphitheatre, where he was also the chief performer. Referred to by some as "the

Chippendales Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male striptease performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie, collar, and shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso with jeans and undergarment. Est ...

of his day," Ducrow and his sons would dress in "fleshings" (flesh-coloured body stockings) to perform physique poses called '' plastiques'', while standing upon the rumps of white stallions cantering round the amphitheatre.

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, the black circus equestrian and later circus owner, best known from his mention in

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song "

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" on the album ''

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'', worked in Ducrow's circus for some time. Ducrow's shows proved immensely popular. Unfortunately, the Amphitheatre succumbed three times to fire. After the third time in 1841, Ducrow collapsed from a mental breakdown and died shortly thereafter in 1842. William Batty took over management of Astley's Amphitheatre and an employee of Ducrow called Joseph Hillier took over Ducrow's circus company.The Life and Art of Andrew Ducrow by A.H. Saxon

Legacy

Ducrow is buried on the Main (or Centre) Avenue at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...

in London, England, then one of the most desirable burial plots of the time. His tomb is one of the largest and most decorated tombs within the cemetery. The decoration is primarily pagan, being drawn from

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and

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ian sources. There is no

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-inspired decoration. The tomb was designed by Ducrow's theatrical designer and originally was brightly painted in pastel hues to attract the eye. These have faded over time. The "Courier of St. Petersburg", his most famous act, was the forerunner to modern horse acts and is still performed today at equestrian events.

References

*''The Victorian Way of Death from Body Snatching to Burning'', BBC Video Documentary, 2009.

External links

* 1793 births 1842 deaths English male equestrians British circus performers Sportspeople from London Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery British circus owners {{UK-equestrian-bio-stub