By David Cain
When someone attends the IJA Festival, the majority of the time is spent in the gym, where a sea of jugglers are practicing, passing clubs, or socializing. What few jugglers realized is that the IJA Conventions didn’t have a gym space until 1977. For three decades, the annual get-together was much more formal. Most attendees wore suits or dresses, which often aren’t the best attire for juggling. So, when they did have an opportunity to be less formal and be more active, they especially enjoyed those times. Today’s topic is the first of these more active juggling opportunities.
The very first IJA Convention took place in Jamestown, NY in June of 1948. Various activities took place that week, but the most famous event was the gathering of all the jugglers in Allen Park, where the jugglers not only enjoyed sharing their skills with each other, but also where the press gathered to take photos and film of this historic gathering. This took place on June 28th, 1948. An article from the Jamestown Post-Journal described the event in great detail.
Roger Montandon’s Jugglers’ Bulletin also described the day with the following paragraph.
“When George DeMott said that Fox Movietone and Look Magazine would cover the convention he MEANT it. Mr. Blair of Fox Movietone took pictures of the 25 or more jugglers gathered together at Allen Park doing every conceivable type of juggling until he was blue in the face– or we should say red, for exposing some 1800 feet of film in three hours didn’t leave much time for rest. Some of these shots may appear in the Movietone news shorts in your local theatres before this Bulletin reaches you, or at least you may expect to see them at the next I.J.A. convention. Phil Harrington, Look’s representative was a hard-working young man who left no stone unturned to get the pictures he wanted. Equipped with the latest and best in camera and strobe light apparatus, he took some 1000 pictures of every possible situation. Some of the publicity shots, that took place all over Jamestown, were designed to create local and national interest in the doings of Jugglers. There was the hotel kitchen juggling by Talent and Jennings, Cigar store scene with DeMott, the balance of a full sheet of newspaper in the Post-Journal offices by Wm. Schillinger, Dottie Dell’s juggle on top of the Jamestown Hotel, DeMott, Lou Meyer, and Barvin at the photo club – and with a model too! And as a finale- that traffic stopping, club passing foursome, Al Barnard, Jack Greene, Harry Lind and Buster Barnard. If all of the pictures that were taken at this convention were gathered together it would make the greatest collection of present-day juggling in existence.”
Let’s take a look at some of the photos and films that were made that day.
The photo below shows the names of those pictured above.
IJA Founder Art Jennings
Art Jennings
George Demott and Lou Carey passing clubs
Several years ago I discovered film of several early IJA Conventions, including footage of the day in Allen Park. You can watch it below.
I hope you enjoyed this look back at the first IJA Convention.
David Cain
David Cain is a professional juggler, juggling historian, and the owner of the world's only juggling museum, the Museum of Juggling History. He is a Guinness world record holder and 16 time IJA gold medalist. In addition to his juggling pursuits, David is a successful composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and singer as well as the author of twenty-six books. He and his children live in Middletown, OH (USA).