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 …
Juggling Festival Need to Knows
So, you want to go to a juggling festival? Your first fest can be an intimidating thought, but Kaylin (IG: @thatjugglinggirl) has created a fantastic document to help you prepare for your first festival, and it’s a great reminder for even long-time attendees. This is a living document, ever evolving, and you can find it here! Thank you, Kaylin, for …
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, …
Juggling in the Time of Kublai Khan
Editor’s Note: The following article mentions slavery and military conquest. It is presented for educational value without any political endorsement. By Esteban Velez. Kublai Khan (1215-1294) was a Mongol emperor and founder of the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). He was the grandson of Genghis Khan. He is known as the Emperor of the Seas for his naval campaigns to conquer …
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 …
Lottie Brunn Juggling Cartoon Scrapbook # 2
In July of 2024, Michael Chirrick, the son of juggling icon Lottie Brunn, donated two of his mother’s scrapbooks to the Museum of Juggling History. Rather than them being filled with clippings from Lottie’s illustrious career, they are filled with juggling-themed cartoons and illustrations that she collected throughout her life. We recently shared photos and video from the first of …
Lottie Brunn Juggling Cartoon Scrapbook # 1
In July of 2024, Michael Chirrick, the son of juggling icon Lottie Brunn, donated two of his mother’s scrapbooks to the Museum of Juggling History. Rather than being filled with clippings from Lottie’s illustrious career, they are filled with juggling-themed cartoons and illustrations she collected throughout her life. Some images are drawings of Lottie herself or other well-known jugglers, such …
The Tragic Robbery of Karl Rappo
By Esteban Velez Karl Rappo is considered one of the first modern jugglers (one of the first jugglers since Philip Astley created the modern circus around 1770). He was born Karl Von Rapp on May 14, 1800 in Innsbruck, Austria. He trained in gymnastics in his youth, which gave him great strength. His artistic career began when he joined …
Lucy Gillet – New Information and Photos
By David Cain Lucy Gillet was an extremely talented juggler. She juggled six plates while balancing a long bird perch on her chin and a flower pot on her forehead. She also performed nine balls in her act. Despite these incredible toss juggling feats, she was best known for her foot juggling and balancing stunts. Lucy Gillet was born …