Thirty-six photographs of Colleano family members in a professional capacity, 1922-1938

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A studio portrait (25 x 20 cm) of Con Colleano on a tightrope, dressed as a matador, inscribed by him '1938. | For Mario | My sincere good wishes | [signed] Con Colleano.' A coloured G. Maillard Kesslere studio photograph of Con's wife Winnie, inscribed 'To Dear Rubye Bonar. Fond Love. Your Loving Sister. | [signed] Winnie. | 1929.'A coloured original photograph, 13 x 11.5 cm, of Winnie posing in circus costume in front of a trailer, within a customised birthday card to Rubye Colleano, signed 'Fondly | Sister Win'. A picture of a 'Halloween Party given in Nov. [1926] on the Circus', docketed by Rubye Colleano: 'The lady with her hand on Bonar [Bonar Colleano Jnr] is Miss Lillian Leitzel, a most marvellous ariel [sic] Performer star of the Circus with May Wirth. She gave the party for the children she just idolizes little Bonar'. A studio portrait of Bonar Colleano Jnr, 13.5 x 8.5 cm, signed by him 'Sincerely yours | Bonar Colleano'. Several photos of Rubye Colleano (three inscribed by her to her mother in 1922, in two of which she is in contortions). On the back of one photograph Rubye Colleano writes: 'This action picture taken in Hamburg (before the war of course) It is one of the flip flaps I do, at the end of my toe-routine . I do three of them - toe to toe - You can see I have just left the floor - I turn completely over landing on my toes - the preceding tricks I do in the last half of my toe number, are front back bends toe to toe a routine of kick-out russians preceding the flip flaps'. Several photographs of Bonar Colleano Jnr, including a couple of him horsing around with a comedy gang, and another of him judging a beauty contest. Also portrait of a young Bonar Colleano Jnr, is inscribed on his behalf (by Rubye Colleano) to his grandparents, and dated 'Palace Theatre New York City 1929'. Two photographs of Maurice Colleano and Rubye Colleano on stage at the Scala Theatre, Berlin, in 1933. Both docketed by Rubye Colleano (one note explaining the reason why her hair is 'just clasped back'). Also a publicity photograph of George Colleano, and a picture of the Colleano name in lights outside a German theatre (possibly the Scala in Berlin). With a few small publicity shots and calling cards of members of the Colleano family (three of Bonar Colleano Jnr) and others, including Lillian Leitzel, whose calling card shows her on a tightrope.

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Performing arts

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