Cirque d'hiver
Cirque d'Hiver | |
---|---|
Former names | Cirque Napoléon, Cirque National |
Alternative names | Cirque d'Hiver-Bouglione |
General information | |
Type | Auditorium |
Address | 110 Rue Amelot |
Town or city | Paris |
Country | France |
Coordinates | 48°51′48″N 2°22′03″E / 48.86337°N 2.36753°E |
Construction started | 17 April 1852 |
Inaugurated | 11 December 1852 |
Dimensions | |
Diameter | 42 metres (138 ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Jacques Ignace Hittorff |
Other information | |
Seating capacity | 2090 |
Website | |
http://www.cirquedhiver.com/ |
The Cirque d'Hiver ("Winter Circus"), located at 110 rue Amelot (at the juncture of the rue des Filles Calvaires and rue Amelot,
The nearest métro station is
History
The circus is an oval polygon of 20 sides, with Corinthian columns at the angles, giving the impression of an oval building enclosing the oval ring, surrounded by steeply banked seating for spectators, very much like a miniature indoor Colosseum. A low angled roof is self-supporting like a low dome, so that there is no central pole, as under a tent, to obstruct views or interfere with the action.
The building was designed by the architect
At the end of the
The Cirque d'hiver was the site of the organization meeting of the American Legion from March 15 to 17, 1919. The American Legion was originally founded as an organization for American veterans of the First World War and has since expanded its membership to include veterans of subsequent conflicts. It is the largest veterans organization in the United States.
At the Cirque d'Hiver in August 1955, Richard Avedon took his famous photograph of the fashion model "Dovima with the Elephants" [4] to show a floor-length evening dress by Dior, one of the most iconic fashion photographs of the century. In 1995, Parisian designer Thierry Mugler held a special fashion show at the circus, to celebrate his firm's 20th anniversary. Performers and special guests included James Brown, Tippi Hedren and many of the decade's top supermodels, including Naomi Campbell. British designer Katharine Hamnett also chose the venue for some of her typically exuberant catwalk presentations.
Cirque d'Hiver in fiction
- In 1956 Carol Reed directed the film Trapeze. It was in part filmed at the Cirque d'hiver.[5]
- Elizabeth Bishop wrote a poem titled "Cirque D'Hiver".[6]
See also
- List of works by James Pradier Horsed Amazon sculpture
- Clown Bar, clown-themed bar two doors away, frequented by performers[7]
Notes
- ^ Simeone 2000, p. 176
- ^ Astyanax-Scévola Bosio (1793-1876) trained as a sculptor in the studio of his uncle François Joseph Bosio.
- ^ The grand-daughter of Dejean, Alice (Berlin 1852 - Paris 1901) would marry Emmanuel Chabrier in 1873. Delage, Roger. Emmanuel Chabrier. Paris, Fayard, 1999, p. 167.
- ^ "Dovima with the Elephants" at the Victoria and Albert Museum website. Accessed 30 July 2012.
- ^ Stafford, Jeff. "Trapeze". Turner Classic Movies (tcm.com). Retrieved 2008-12-29.
- ^ Google books source
- ^ Didier, Cyrielle. "Le Clown Bar, antre historique des saltimbanques parisiens" [The Clown Bar, historic lair of Parisian acrobats]. Zig Zag Paris (in French). Retrieved 13 October 2022.
Sources
- Simeone, Nigel (2000). Paris: A Musical Gazetteer. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08053-7.