By David Cain One of the most collectible juggling props is the diabolo. Diabolos have been around for hundreds of years and have been made in numerous shapes, sizes, and designs. The Museum of Juggling History has many diabolos on display that were owned and used by well-known performers, but it also houses a collection of other diabolos that were …
John McPeak Obituary
By David Cain We are very sad to announce the passing of well-known juggler John McPeak. He was a retired public school teacher (32+years) and professional juggler and magician. He lived with his wife Bern in Las Vegas, NV (USA). He learned to juggle 57 years ago and was still performing until two years ago. Juggling was only sometimes his …
Obituary for Henrico (Björn Gammals)
By David Cain (Author’s Note: Much thanks to Esteban Velez, who wrote a previous article on Henrico that served as the basis for much of this obituary.) We are sad to announce the passing of well-known Finnish juggler and juggling historian Henrico. The legendary Finnish circus performer pursued multiple professions throughout his artistic career, starting out as a magician before …
The Baranton Sisters
By David Cain The Baranton Sisters were accomplished foot jugglers consisting of Regina (born 1942) and Eliane (born 1945) who were very popular in Europe and the United States during the 1960s. These French sisters came from a family with a long history in the circus arts, including as members of The Troop Marcellis and Trio Bassi. Their parents, Marcelle …
Vaudeville’s Greatest African-American Juggling Stars: Part 2
By David Cain I’ve worked diligently to find information about some of the African-American jugglers of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of the jugglers I’ve researched have eluded my investigations, but I was successful in finding information about a few. In Part 1 of this series, we learned about George Rowland and Coy Herndon. Here are two more …
Remembering Chester Cable, Foot Juggler Extraordinaire
Famed foot juggler Chester Cable passed away on February 5th, 2025, at the age of 93. Hailing from the Allentown, Pennsylvania area, he ran away from home at the age of 17 and joined the Cole Brothers Circus in 1949 as an usher. Before too long, he became part of a Risley act (where you foot juggle another human being) …
Vaudeville’s Brightest African-American Juggling Stars: Part 1
By David Cain I’ve worked diligently to find information about some of the African-American jugglers of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of the jugglers I’ve researched have eluded my investigations, but I was successful in finding information about a few. Here are two Black jugglers from the age of Vaudeville who were important contributors to juggling history. We’ll …
Bert Holt – New Information, Photos, and Video
By David Cain Eight years ago, I wrote an article about Bert Holt, the “Flying Juggler” who performed his act while hanging from an “iron jaw” aerial apparatus. We now have more information about him, in addition to new films and photos. So, let’s re-examine this important performer. Bert Holt was a well-known juggler from Freiburg, Germany. Born Martin Berthold, …
William De Lisle / Sandy Lyle – One Juggler, Two Names
By David Cain William De Lisle was born in Glens Falls, New York (USA) in 1884. He taught himself to juggle at the age of 12. He was not satisfied with copying other acts and worked diligently to create original ideas. For example, he would stand on one side of the stage and have a wastebasket on the other, with …