Myers' Grand Hippodrome

In Short

This detailed historical account charts the staggering scale, operational mechanics, and international triumphs of James Washington Myers' legendary traveling hippodrome. It outlines the massive logistical feat of transporting hundreds of performers and exotic animals across continents, culminating in their grand residency at the Crystal Palace in London. The text captures a remarkable Victorian entertainment empire built on unprecedented magnitude, meticulous animal training, and classical equestrian spectacles, preserving a unique snapshot of nineteenth-century popular culture and grand theatrical ambition.

The Story

The account opens by establishing the vibrant urban backdrop of London, highlighting popular public establishments and the Crystal Palace Skating Rink before introducing the main subject: Myers’ Grand Hippodrome. It details the physical layout required for such an enterprise, describing the extensive basement stabling for horses, specially erected shelters for elephants and camels on the terraces, and the massive waterproof tent and transformed centre transept designed to hold thousands of spectators.

The narrative then shifts to the biography of proprietor James Washington Myers. Born in New York in 1828, Myers began his career at age nine, fleeing home with a halfpenny as his capital to apprentice as an equestrian. After touring America and selling his first circus, he traveled to England, performed before Queen Victoria, and eventually expanded his operations onto the European continent. The text traces his crowning achievement in Paris, where he transformed the range of warehouses at the Château d’Eau—the Magasins Réunis—into a massive permanent hippodrome following a bold agreement with Baron E----.

Moving from biographical history to the nature of the entertainment itself, the text connects modern circus arts to ancient traditions, detailing the history of chariot-racing, classical Roman games, and the early introduction of exotic beasts into public spectacles. It explores the specialized mastery required for animal acts, focusing extensively on John Cooper, the premier animal trainer associated with Myers. Cooper’s fearless work with lions and his revolutionary methods of elephant training—backed by music and highlighted by humorous anecdotes of brewery visits and river swims—form a central pillar of the production.

Following the animal acts, the account surveys the equestrian performers, highlighting master riders like Mrs. Myers on Cromwell, Madame Nyegaard, and the Madigan family executing double somersaults and multi-horse driving. It describes the classical pageantry of Roman-style chariot races, athletic displays by Japanese and Bedouin acrobatic troupes, and performing dog acts. The narrative concludes with a thorough description of the elaborate equestrian pantomime of Little Red Riding Hood. This grand spectacle adapts Perrault’s fairy tale into a sequence of ballets, wolf encounters, and a brilliant final bal champêtre featuring international guests, miniature horse-drawn chariots, and dazzling silver-plated harnesses, completing the comprehensive portrait of a monumental Victorian enterprise.

How It Unfolds

• The urban introduction

The text opens by situating the reader within prominent London dining and recreational spots, establishing the cultural appetite for large-scale public entertainment. It transitions smoothly from these local venues to the expansive grounds of the Crystal Palace.

• The architectural transformation

The account details how natural and artificial spaces at the Crystal Palace are re-engineered, using timber-piled inclined planes and sunken circles to build a massive half-mile course and a flexible arena. Every logistical detail, from gas-lit stables to specialized animal housing, is systematically laid out.

• The biographical foundation

The narrative traces James Washington Myers from his early escape as an American child apprentice to his emergence as a prominent circus proprietor. It follows his path across America, his royal performances in England, and his eventual continental expansion.

• The Parisian triumph

A pivotal pivot describes Myers' daring leasing and remodeling of the Magasins Réunis in Paris. This venture establishes a permanent European headquarters that becomes a celebrated sensation across the continent.

• The historical lineage

The account roots modern circus performance in classical antiquity by recounting ancient Greek hippodromes and Roman circuses. It contrasts older, bloodier spectacles with the refined and humane nature of nineteenth-century entertainment.

• The animal masters

The focus shifts to the specialized training of elephants and lions under John Cooper. Detailed anecdotes illustrate how music, patience, and absolute fearlessness allow human will to command massive and fierce creatures.

• The final pantomime

The narrative culminates in a detailed breakdown of the lavish equestrian pantomime Little Red Riding Hood. It concludes with the elaborate stage machinery, fairy-tale transformations, and grand processional chariots that close the performance.

The People

James Washington Myers stands as the central entrepreneur of the enterprise. Born into humble beginnings, he wants to build the largest, most magnificent hippodrome in the world. Standing in his way are immense financial risks, logistical barriers, and the skepticism of foreign property owners, but he overcomes these through bold financial gambles and uncompromising standards of quality, ending up as a celebrated international titan honored by monarchs across Europe.

John Cooper acts as the chief animal trainer and lion-tamer. Wanting to master the fiercest beasts without relying on fear-based cruelty, Cooper faces dangerous, unpredictable animals and volatile situations, such as lion fights and trapped beasts. Through a calm sense of superiority and a deep fondness for animals, he ends up universally recognized as the foremost trainer in the world, trusted by kings and capable of commanding absolute obedience.

Baron E---- appears as the proprietor of the Parisian Magasins Réunis. Wanting to rid himself of a struggling, unprofitable urban structure, he faces a lack of viable buyers until Myers approaches him. Surprised by the sudden offer, Baron E---- agrees to a long-term lease, ending up an astonished participant in the rapid transformation of his property into a Parisian wonder.

Little Red Riding Hood functions as the central character of the grand equestrian pantomime. Within the performance, she wants to safely navigate the woods, but stands in danger from a savage wolf. Saved by a prince and transformed by the fairy Good Heart into a princess, she ends her journey participating in a grand royal ball and riding away in a magnificent gilded chariot.

In Its Own Voice

This favourite Dinner is accompanied by a Selection of high-class Instrumental Music.

This line appears in the opening guide to the Holborn Restaurant, illustrating the refined culinary and auditory comforts offered to London visitors.

The circuit of the Olympic hippodrome was about 2,500 feet, or a little less than half a mile; that of the course on the first and second terraces of the Crystal Palace is 3,760 feet, or half as long again.

This comparative measurement highlights the immense physical scale of the modern Crystal Palace venue relative to its ancient Greek predecessor.

Whatever and however fierce the animals presented, he enters their cage without hesitation and without emotion, at the first interview.

This sentence describes John Cooper's unyielding psychological dominance and fearlessness when confronting new, untamed lions.

What It's Really About

The text explores the intersection of human ingenuity, industrial organization, and the eternal human fascination with dominance over the natural world. Beneath the descriptions of stables and railway transport lies an argument about civilization's progress: that modern entertainment has refined ancient Roman spectacles into humane, highly disciplined art forms. It questions how scale and magnitude can be harmonized with artistic grace, suggesting that true greatness in popular amusement requires meticulous planning, massive capital, and a profound, sympathetic understanding between human trainers and animal performers. The work ultimately examines how leisure spaces reflect national wealth, organizational efficiency, and a shared desire for wondrous spectacle.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in Victorian popular culture, entertainment history, or the logistics of nineteenth-century touring spectacles will find this book deeply fascinating. Reading it feels like flipping through a meticulously curated historical artifact, offering a vivid window into how large-scale public amusement was marketed and executed before the age of cinema. Modern readers must navigate period-specific prose styles and nineteenth-century advertising conventions woven directly into the text, including extensive historical digressions on ancient Rome and unabashed promotional notices for restaurants, clothing stores, and patent medicines. Yet, the reward is a remarkably tangible sense of wonder. The vivid descriptions of elephant swimming pools, daring equestrian feats, and the sheer audacity of moving hundreds of animals across Europe stay with you long after finishing the last page.