CIRCA 1820

See Haggar, fig. 73; Halfpenny, p. 272 and 273; Oliver, p. 42 and 53, colour plate I; and Sharpe, p. 170. Polito's Menagerie is credited as Sherratt's masterpiece and can be dated as early as 1808. On this date, The Menagerie visited Wolverhampton, approximately 30 miles from Burslem. Mrs. Polito is said to be the lady with the muff at the entrance. As proprietress, she kept a close eye on all who entered. Both she and her husband died in 1814. The Menagerie continued sometime thereafter. Circus authorities record that the troupe was lost at sea in 1836. It is speculated that Sherratt either saw the show directly or worked from circus poster drawings of the day. Its vitality speaks to the first.