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The critically acclaimed Pleasurelands exhibition toured in the UK from October 2003 until January 2005 - taking in Sheffield, Croydon and Edinburgh.

The exhibition followed the history and culture of 200 years of Fun at the Fair, and was roughly broken into four themed areas: Spectacle, Experience, Illusion and Reality. Each had it's own story to tell, and each was profusely illustrated with images and artifacts relevant to the topic.

A visit to Pleasurelands was an absolute must for anyone remotely interested in the business, whether showman or enthusiast, although it was designed to appeal to the general public, a factor which was a great credit to the joint curators - Kim Streets of the Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust, and Vanessa Toulmin of the National Fairground Archive - and the designers Alan Bird and Elaine McLaren of Axiom Design.
This review is based on Pleasurelands whilst at the Millenium Galleries, Sheffield.

The entrance to Pleasurelands at the Millenium Galleries.

On entering the exhibition gallery, one first encounters a small reception and shop area, the pay desk being - appropriately - the paybox from R Edwards & Sons Octopus ride, with decor by Lesley Martin. Also hanging above this area is the front board from the Octopus, both items generously loaned by Roger Austin. The shop offers an interesting range of fairground-themed gifts, some superb postcards of images from the NFA collections, and an imformative and well-produced catalogue researched and written by Vanessa Toulmin.

The catalogue cover features an atmospheric image of Noyces' Gallopers by Richard Hanson. It is priced at £10 and is available only from the exhibition and FAGB sales.

The paybox (left) and front sign (above) from R Edwards & Sons Octopus ride: from the Roger Austin collection.

Looking through to the main gallery, the first glimpse is of the incredible Ben Hur front (picured right), painted by Edwin Hall at Lakins' for A C Clowes. This important piece of fairground decoration - considered by many to be the finest ever painted - is on loan from the Fairground Art collection at Dingles Steam Village in Devon, courtesy of Richard and Anthea Sandercock. Sadly this piece is too large to feature in the Pleasurelands presentation at Croydon Clocktower next year, but will instead return to Dingles for the 2004 season, before rejoining Pleasurelands for the final stint at Edinburgh City Arts Centre in Autumn 2004.

The first section of the Pleasurelands presentation focuses mainly on Spectacle, and contains many artifacts pertinent to this aspect of the fairground. There are also some wonderful images, which capture the essence of this part of the show. Some of the photo displays are shown left, flanked by a pair of Orton & Spooner columns from R Edwards & Sons Noah's Ark, now part of the Fairground Heritage Trust collection, and appearing at Pleasurelands courtesy of Roger Austin.

To the right of the Ben Hur front is the first of many screens showing a series of films compiled from both historic and contemporary footage from the collection of the National Fairground Archive. Either side of this screen is a pair of splendid caryatids, also from the front of the Edwards' Ark.

Sitting in front of the Ben Hur is another stunning piece: the Boadicea centre piece from Pickards' Spinner, pictured left, from the Roger Austin collection. Dating from the 1920's, this amazing piece of carved work is the epitome of traditional fairground carving.

To see one spinner centre in this day and age is remarkable - perhaps two is unbelieveable! But close at hand is the Fish centre from Castles' Spinner. For some years part of the Lady Bangor collection, it was acquired at the Wookey Hole sale by Russell Cook, and has been on display at Dingles for several years, always arousing a great deal of interest. Like the Boadicea centre, this is also believed to date from the 1920's.

The Spectacle gallery contains many examples of mounts from rides: the earliest being some naively carved ponies from a ride built by Vospers in the 1830 - pictured left. Like the rest of the exhibition, this section is imaginatively lit, and this combined with creative use of mirrors, and suitable backing music helps simulate something of the atmosphere of a fair.

Clockwise from above left: an Anderson horse from Edwards' Gallopers (FHT collection, courtesey of Roger Austin), and a modern fibreglass horse from Roger's collection; an Orton & Spooner horse carved around 1925 for Ashleys' Gallopers, and an Orton Cockerel c.1905, both from the Geoff Weedon collection at Dingles Steam Village; some ponies from the Gilligan Halstead-built ride, loaned by York Museums, two fibreglass horses loaned by Rundles, and three Ark mounts from Traylens' Ben Hur, built c.1935 by R J Lakin, from the Michael Smith collection at Dingles; a seahorse chariot from Traylens' Ben Hur (as previous); and two ark mounts from Ashley Bros. Ark, by R J Lakin 1932, from the Roger Austin collection.

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NUMBER OF VISITORS SINCE 06/10/03