Long gone are the days when lion tamers would stick their heads into the mouths of big cats and elephants, monkees and bears would perform tricks in the name of entertainment.
The spectacle of a travelling circus with animals used to be a common entertainment and the excitment of the big top regularly visited Ipswich with the Billy Smart's and Chipperfield's shows among those to use a site off London Road and Ranelagh Road.
Our gallery here comes from 1972 when the Robert Brothers Circus visited and captures some of those beautiful animals joining in alongside clowns, acrobats and jugglers spinning plates to entertain enthralled crowds.
As well as the elephants and horses performing with acrobats, there was a boxing kangaroo contest - the circus perfomer taking on these powerful animals often came off second best.
Do you remember going to see a circus in Ipswich in the 1970s? To share your memories, email imagecurators@archant.co.uk
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