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, he performed as Bert Holt his entire career. He initially learned acrobatics and tightwire walking, but he was a talented juggler at a young age. He originally did a ground act, as you can see in the following rare photograph from the collection of Erik Åberg.
Here’s another photo of young Holt.
In the 1940s, Bert developed an act where he hung by his teeth on an “iron jaw” aerial apparatus and juggled while suspended in the air. The following article from 1959 shares how he began performing the iron jaw act.
He performed a variety of difficult feats, most famously juggling six rings while spinning two more on his ankles, as you can see in the following images.
In addition to rings, Holt also performed with large balls, clubs, sticks, ball spinning, and combination tricks, as you can see in the following photos.
Holt also did a trick where he was suspended upside down, hanging by one foot. In this position, he juggled 3 plates while rotating a ring on the other foot. He performed his act over a cage of lions at one point and did it hanging from a helicopter on another occasion. He often worked with Ringling Brothers Circus and later Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, first working with them in 1955 and continuing with them occasionally until he retired in the late 1960s. He and his wife had two children, Christine (b. 1943) and Martin (b.1948). The family moved from Germany to Casablanca, Morocco when the children were young. When Bert started working with Ringling, the family moved again, settling for good in Sarasota, Florida (USA).
While he was quite talented, Holt (or his agent) would sometimes use hyperbole in advertising or discussing his act. The following poster is a perfect example of this. Holt also once claimed, “I can do everything Francis Brunn does hanging by my teeth.”
Holt was able to at least flash eight rings, but without the ring balance and ankle rings, as you can see in the very poor photo below.
One of his career highlights was performing on the Ed Sullivan television program in 1960.
Below is a very bad image of Holt and Sullivan.
In 1962, Bert fell, breaking several bones and badly injuring his back. His daughter Chrys, who performed a tightwire act with her brother, had been secretly learning a hair-hanging juggling act. So, with Bert injured, Chrys stepped in to complete her father’s contract, debuting her hair suspension juggling act. She was an instant hit.
Chrys Holt
When Holt recovered, father and daughter performed their acts simultaneously, in separate rings. This pairing only lasted a couple of years, as Holt retired in 1964 and Chyrs began her very successful solo career, which you can read about by clicking here. Holt bought a motel in Sarasota and eventually passed away on March 15th, 2000.
Oddly enough, the one decent film we have of Bert Holt doesn’t show any juggling. Instead, it shows him doing headstands and handstands on the edge of a tall building. It was filmed in 1949.