National Fairground Archive

Fairground Societies and Useful Links

1. UK Fairground Societies:

• Circus Friends' Association (CFA)
• Fairground Association of Great Britain (FAGB)
• Fairground Organ Preservation Society (FOPS)
• Fairground Society
• Society of Independent Roundabout Proprietors (SIRPs)

2. World's Fair Newspaper:

• The World's Fair Newspaper

3. Links to Other Web Sites:

(i) UK Fairgrounds - enthusiast and showmen sites

Sites for fairground information, or specifically for fairground fans, are very common on the internet. These include sites created by enthusiasts to showcase their own photography or specific interests, sites created by show families to advertise their fairground, and sites created to advertise specific theme parks and amusement parks. These sites generally offer up-to-date information on forthcoming fairs, news and pictures from recent fairs, and a forum to exchange viewpoints and information. The NFA cannot accurately maintain an up-to-date and comprehensive listing of all fairground related sites, but includes the following links to outside links pages:
All The Fun of the Fair is a major UK funfair site, has a links page here.

(ii) International Fairgrounds

• BOVAK: Showman's Guild, Netherlands
• Fairs Net: a guide to North American fairs.
• Kermis Wereld: Funfairs and Theme Parks in Europe.
• Showmen's League of America
• A guide to American Theme Parks
• Links to British and American Theme parks
• The Roller Coaster Enthusiasts of America
• Official site of the Italian Association of travelling showpeople and leisure parks: the site is in Italian but there is an English abstract.

(iii) Early Cinema and Optical Illusion

• The Ghost Show - Scottish Cinematograph History.
• Projected Picture Trust: preserving the magic of cinema.
• The Bill Douglas Centre, University of Exeter: history of cinema and popular culture.
• The British Film Institute.
• DOMITOR: international association to promote the study of early cinema.
• British Pathe.
• The Film Vault: specialising in Americana and the exciting worlds of Amusement Parks, Carnivals, Circus and Fairs. Films from the turn-of-the-century to the 1960s with many stills on the site.
• The Library of Congress: early motion pictures (1897-1916).
• The Magic Lantern Society 
• Moving History: in-depth guide to the UK's 12 public sector moving image archives.
• National Film Preservation Board (Library of Congress): working to ensure the survival,conservation and increased public availability of America's film heritage.
• National Museum of Photography, Film & Television.
• Professor Heard's: information on Lantern history and performances.
• Projection Box: comprehensive website offering an introduction to precursors of cinema and early film with a section on Bioscope Shows - click on Museum Tour to begin
• Some Silent Movies pages
• Early fairground bioscopes
• Online University of Photography

(iv) Education

• Showmen's Guild: European The Guild's own education page, detailing a history of the various schemes.

(v) Fairground Collections

• Dingles Steam Village: A Devon based collection showcasing the best of our industrial and fairground heritage.
• Fairground Heritage Trust: The UK's most valuable collection of fairground equipment.
• Folly Farm: The largest working collection of preserved fairground rides, based in Pembrokeshire.
• Hollycombe: Working steam collection based in Liphook, Hampshire.
• Bergantino.
• Bergen op Zoom.
• Essen.
• International Museum of Carousel Art, Oregon.
• Charles Burrell Museum: steam engine manufacturers.

(vi) Historical Resources

• Philip Bradley Collection at the Surrey History Centre: A vast and important fairground collection (notes and photographs) from Philip Bradley.
• Coney Island and Side Show History.
• Sideshow World: preserving the past, promoting the future
• Mechanical Music.
• History of Amusement Park Rides.
• Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516.
• Bideford on Avon Trinity Fair
• Warwick Mop Fair
• Joyland Books: website dealing with books about fairgrounds, amusement parks and theme parks. Look out for the forthcoming book The History of Joyland, Bridlington.
• Jumper Books: important new publishing venture set-up by historian Brian Steptoe. A good selection of high-quality books already under its wing.
• To the Hilt Sword Swallowing: fascinating facts about sword swallowing.
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach
• Penny Machines: vintage arcade action

(vii) Fairground Art - specialist sites

• Ghost Show - photographic resources connected to the historical project
• Fair Art by Michael Smith - a detailed look at traditional fairground art.
• Tate Decor: Pete Tei is our best exponent of tradional style fairground art.
• Wright Air: Paul Wright's own site - the world's best airbrush artist.
• Airbrushed Art: Chris Gadd and his darkside images.
• Fairground and airbrush art by Albert Lewis.
• Airbrush Art by Frazer Day.

(viii) Circus pages

• See the Circus Friends' Association for more circus links.
• The Circus Historical Society has links to all the major circus collections in U.S. universities, museums, historical. societies, etc.
• Raymond Toole-Stott Circus Collection: Dept. of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of Southern California, Santa Barbara.