By David Cain I have a confession to make. I hate strolling juggling gigs. I mean, I really, really hate them. This wasn’t always the case. I performed at Kings Island Amusement Park for 7 years during my high school and college years. For some of that time, I performed in an ice skating show or opened for that show. …
New Information and Photos of Frank LeDent
By David Cain Of all the work I’ve done as a juggling historian, I’m probably proudest of my research into Frank Le Dent. Ten years ago, I wrote the first juggling history article detailing his life and career. Previously, all we really knew was that he supposedly juggled 11 balls. We also only had one photo of him. Through the …
New Information on the History of Six Club Juggling
By David Cain More than five years ago, I wrote about the history of six club juggling. However, in the time since then, I have discovered various jugglers who were early performers of the skill as well as new photos and videos of those of whom I already knew about. So, in the interest of my readers, I want to …
Two Versions of a Famed Juggling Publication – Part 2
By David Cain As I stated in part one of this series, one of the most famous early juggling publications was America and Europe’s Greatest Jugglers, a compilation of promotional material paired with a small catalog of juggling props manufactured and sold by Edward Van Wyck of Cincinnati, Ohio, who published the book. The version of the book that we’ve …
Two Versions of a Famed Juggling Publication – Part 1
By David Cain One of the most famous early juggling publications was America and Europe’s Greatest Jugglers, a compilation of promotional material paired with a small catalog of juggling props manufactured and sold by Edward Van Wyck of Cincinnati, Ohio, who published the book. The version of the book that we’ve known about for many years was published in 1900. …
The Peacock Feather and Tube Trick
By David Cain Balancing a peacock feather on the nose or forehead is a common and old trick in the juggler’s repertoire that goes back hundreds of years. Jacques Sandre 1760 Francesco Orsini 1825 From the collection of Thom Wall There is, however, a more complex version of this stunt. The Peacock Feather and Tube Trick is an old juggling …
Bill Talent
By David Cain Vincent Coughlin, known in show business as Bill Talent, was born on April 5, 1893, in Sioux City. His earliest attempt at performing came at the age of six, when he tried baton twirling after seeing twirlers in the street parades of minstrel troupes. For a baton, he used one of his mother’s brooms, cutting off the …
New Photos, Videos, and Information on Carl Baggesen and Boy Foy
By David Cain Today we will examine two jugglers about whom I’ve written before, Carl Baggesen and Boy Foy. I’ve included new photos and information about both and new video of Boy Foy. Carl Baggesen Carl Baggesen is little known among today’s jugglers, yet he was a major attraction during the height of vaudeville. Born in 1858 in Odense, Denmark, …
Henri Agoust
By David Cain (Author’s note: Thanks to Erik Åberg for generously sharing some of his research on Agoust for this article.) Paul Cinquevalli (1859 – 1918) was the first juggling superstar and changed public perception of the art form, but he certainly wasn’t the first famous juggler. We know a decent amount about various jugglers before Cinquevalli, such as Old …