Part Nine: Jan Doksansky

During a few random google searches, putting Chapman and Circus together, then apart, with different names attached, turned up different things.

One of which, was the life story of one Jan Doksansky, born in 1900 (the first source I found said 1901) who worked with among others, Chapman Circus.

This is the source that sparked a newspaper search on Find my Past.

This is Jan Doksansky, born October 14th 1901 of Czech origin. This picture is of his own group of four male lions in the winter of '52/53. He was a very good all round trainer, particularly with horses and elephants. However, we know him best for his work with lions and polar bears. He worked exclusively for Chapman's Circus in the UK during the whole time they were in existence. Michael Howes, our general manager's grandfather, Captain Sydney Howes, was taught by Jan. He was greatly respected and died of cancer in 1958. His lions were sold to Robert Brothers' Circus and he also had a chimp act that he worked for the last three years of his life. I have his ring cage here and I knew his wife fairly well. He also worked in 1929 for the Detroit Zoo, training an elephant act. 

As it said above, he worked with lions and polar bears and during my newspaper search, there were a few articles that spoke of his bravery and daring while working with these animals, a couple of incidents where he was injured, once during a matinee show and after being treated, came back to work that very night.

This article sourced from the National Library of New Zealand details it. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OSWCC19310609.2.4

There are many articles that detail Mr Doksansky's daring, of being indomitable, intrepid, his skill in training and displaying a variety of performing animals.

Including this one, published in the Birmingham Mail on the 19th of January in 1939.

Mr Doksansky and his wife Sylvia Cleopatra Doksansky (nee Lee) both were involved in the circus and in the midst of the height of Chapman Circus, they had two children, both whose descendants are still around today. They married in 1950 and after Mr Doksansky passed in 1958, his wife remarried.