Por: Esteban Vélez. Paul Cinquevalli, considered one of the greatest jugglers in history, appeared in court several times for various cases, such as when the owners of the British Music Hall sued him in 1907 for “breaching the terms of a contract.” In that case, the judge ruled in favor of Paul Cinquevalli. If you want to learn more about …
Singing Juggling Acts – A Video Compilation
By David Cain As many in the juggling community know, I am both a juggler (obviously) and a musician. I play piano, guitar, ukulele, dulcimer, melodica, and a few other instruments. I also compose music and perform occasionally as a singer / songwriter. The very first juggling history article I ever wrote was about musical juggling combination tricks, where juggling …
Juggling for Pope Francis
By: Esteban Vélez. “(Circus artists) are artisans of celebration, of wonder; they are artisans of beauty: with these qualities they enrich global society, also with the aspiration to nurture feelings of hope and trust”. Pope Francis. On April 21, 2025, one day after Easter Sunday, the world received the news of Pope Francis’s death. According to the death certificate released …
Another Interview with Paul Cinquevalli
By Esteban Velez Paul Cinquevalli, considered one of the greatest jugglers in history, was interviewed by several journalists who, amazed by his incredible feats in his performances, wanted to know the secrets of his tricks. Cinquevalli readily accepted the press’s challenge, and in the interviews he was able to give, he talked about his tricks: how he performed them, how …
Harry Sparrow – The Mad Juggler
By: Esteban Vélez. One of the strangest situations I’ve encountered while researching juggling is that, when I find a juggler who was very popular in his time, paradoxically, there is no information about him. This happened with, for example, Emma Cotrely. The following juggler enjoyed great popularity, to the point that he supposedly descended from English nobility, but there …
Miss Okabe and Peggy Sun – Two Stage Names, One Juggler
By David Cain I have come across photos in my archives of the jugglers Miss Okabe and Peggy Sun, but I recently learned that they are the same juggler. Changing stage names over the course of one’s career was a frequent occurrence in the past and makes for challenges when doing research. Peggy was a member of the Okabe Troupe …
April Fools Juggling: Pranks and Fakery in the Juggling World
By David Cain In honor of April Fools Day, when pranks, practical jokes, and hoaxes abound, I was asked to put together an article showcasing some of the best known fakery and pranks in the juggling world. Faked Juggling Photos and Videos In the late 1800s and early 1900s, photographic shutter speeds were not fast enough to catch most props …
Three audiovisual materials of juggling in the Historical Archive of Luce
By: Esteban Vélez. The Luce historical archive, from the Istituto Luce Cinecittà, is one of the most important in Italy. Since its founding in 1924, it has worked to collect, compile, and publish historical public and private audiovisual materials. Its collection includes a list of videos and photographs that contribute to the ongoing construction of the history of juggling. …
Two Old School Newspaper Balancing Tricks
By David Cain In just the past two weeks, jugglers have asked me about two old school balancing tricks involving a newspaper. One involves balancing a burning cone made of newspaper while the other involves balancing a large sheet of newspaper from one diagonal corner. Let’s take a look at them. The Burning Cone Balance The Burning Cone Balance is …