Elephants in Bedford Street

Here's a lovely photo taken in Bedford Street in the early 1900s. The circus was in town and and its many elephants were paraded through the streets of Plymouth. The circus would have been a huge attraction back then and would be the only chance that people would have to see such wild animals so close up. A group of boys have gathered on the left of the picture and one of them is feeding one of the elephants. On the right, is a man on a chariot and on the left is what appears to be the ringmaster, complete with straw boater and whip. In the far background, is an ornately decorated float being driven by many finely dressed horses. On top of the float, almost twelve feet up, are characters from the forthcoming show complete in their elaborate costumes. A parade through the streets like this would have assured that many people knew the circus was in town and would guarantee that children would pester their parents to take them to the show. In an age with no televisions or cinema, the only contact children would have had with animals such as tigers and elephants would be through books and comics. Being taken to the circus would have been an exciting and fascinating experience for them. Imagine the talk in the playground the next day. The same children might have also been to shows to see Houdini or Buffalo Bill who also appeared in Plymouth around about the same time. It's an amazing animate scene and the once grand Globe Hotel can be seen in the background. Unfortunately, it's all now long gone. Bedford Street was destroyed in the Blitz of 1941 and a parade of elephants through the streets of Plymouth today would probably be frowned upon.