RACHEL LOUISE BROWN
GIFFORD'S CIRCUS
In 2022, Rachel Louise Brown was commissioned by Town & Country magazine to photograph the many skilled performers of Gifford’s Circus, in the South West of England, as they prepare to go on tour.
Having formed a personal relationship with the Gifford’s team from this initial encounter, Rachel has returned to also picture each performer in elaborate archive outfits from the costume department, with their touring wagons and props, as part of their 2023 and 2024 seasons.
A traditional English circus, Gifford’s combines brilliant artistry and athleticism, with attention to detail and highly creative themed shows. With a distinct visionary theme for each year, Rachel’s imagery captures the creative craft of three individual stories: “The Hooley” (2022), “Les Enfants du Paradis” (2023), and “Avalon” (2024).
Rachel’s photographs offer a slice of magical escapism. Some of the artists pictured throughout the time spent with Gifford’s, so far, are Lil Rice, Tweedy the Clown, Nancy Trotter Landry, Tatiana Ozhiganova, Eliza Wimperis, Danny Rivelino, Romy Meggiolaro and Apple the Poodle.
THE 2023 season, “Les Enfants du Paradis”, drew inspiration from French Romanticism in the mid-19th Century with both the set and costume design playing a key role in transporting the viewer into the magically crafted world.
Shot in 2022, Rachel’s editorial for Town & Country focused on this year’s theme, “The Hooley”; A CELTIC THEME That WAS ORIGINALLY DREAMT UP BY LATE FOUNDER NELL GIFFORD, AND WAS BROUGHT TO LIFE BY NELL’S NIECE, LIL RICE, WHO STEERED GIFFORD’S THROUGH A TUMULTUOUS PANDEMIC YEAR.
PHOTOGRAPHER
@Rachel Louise Brown