More Spanish imagery from the 50s

Circo Americano was a name initially invented in 1919 in Spain by circus impresario Sanchez, when every big top in Europe was forever changed by the recent tours of Barnum or Buffalo Bill.

In 1949, Circo Americano was revamped by circus director Manuel Fejio, under the management of his son-in-law Arturo Castilla. The unforgettable Senor Arturo had the theatrical experience of operetta productions, a consuming passion for circus and the inhexaustible imagination of a child.

In his Circo Americano, every costume and uniform had to be part of a fairy tale. A revolving stage connected to the ring revealed gilded curtains and visions of ingenuity from around the world, enriched by water fountains and a powerful orchestra.

In the Spain of the 50s and 60s, Circo Americano trascended the American imagery, and became a magic formula to materialize every possible fantasy from the corners of the universe.

As if forgetting the pretext of stars and stripes, year by year Americano promised the magic lamp, the court of the Khan, miracolous hypnotists, the cossacz of the Czars, the races of the world. American indians semed at ease in the darkest Africa, and Buffalo Bill impersonators had their cue after the eruption of Pompeii…

In 1963, Castilla merged Circo Americano with the italian Togni family, creating a true American three-ring circus with herds of elephants, still touring in Europe.

But this is another story….