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 …
Angel Egea and Nicolai Gerasimov – Where Did They Go?
By David Cain It is impossible to keep track of all the jugglers in the world, even those with significant performing careers. However, when two of the world’s top jugglers seem to have disappeared completely online, it makes me decide to investigate. That is the reason for this article. The two jugglers are Angel Egea and Nicolai Gerasimov. Angel Egea …
The Human Billiard Table Routine
By David Cain A well-known juggling routine known as the Human Billiard Table was invented by Paul Cinquevalli, the most famous juggler of all time, in 1894. Let’s look at his original creation and others who copied him. Paul Cinquevalli The following is a description of the Human Billiard Table Routine as performed by Cinquevalli that appeared in an 1897 …
Dewitt Young – An Almost Forgotten Juggler
By David Cain In the past, I’ve written fairly extensively about Ollie Young, the juggler credited as inventing kick ups with clubs, and an early hoop, diabolo, and boomerang juggler. It turns out that Ollie’s brother Dewitt was a talented juggler as well. The brothers were from Columbus, Ohio (USA). Dewitt Young was born 1879. In the late 1890s, Dewitt …
1
Six Mysteries in Juggling History
By David Cain As I research juggling history, I often come across information and photos that create a variety of new questions. Some of these lead to answers, but many do not. Let’s look at some of my recent discoveries and some long-term mysteries that I’d love to learn more about. A Talented Amateur and a Mysterious Japanese Juggler In …
Remembering Rick Prevett
By David Cain (Author’s note: Much thanks to Renee’ Jizba, Jim Brennan, and Steven Strasburg for contributing to this.) The juggling community has lost another valued member. Rick Prevett was an only child and was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska (USA). He worked as a computer programmer and was quite intelligent. He was a member of the Lincoln City …
Betty Gorham, IJA Member # 1
By David Cain Betty Gorham was born on July 26th, 1931. Her mother was an avid circus fan and would take Betty to all the local performances near their home in Davenport, Iowa. Betty learned to juggle at the age of thirteen, juggling mittens on the way to school. Doug Couden, already an established professional on the school assembly circuit, …