Josef Blank was a German juggler who started his performing career in his hometown of Munich in 1901 at the age of fourteen. In 1903, he and his family came to the United States. He initially worked as a solo act. Josef was a very skilled juggler, being able to juggle seven discs for quite some time, and also performing a juggle of six plates while balancing a pole with a plate and four filled glasses at the top.
1905
1905
1905
The twelve objects listed above and elsewhere are believed to refer to the six plates, pole, tray, and four glasses in the balance trick described above and shown in the following illustration.
1905
Juggler Jack Greene wrote the following about Josef’s Blank’s juggling of the seven discs in the July 1947 Jugglers’ Bulletin. “Joseph Blank of that family was a great juggler, and I mean great! One of his tricks that impressed me most was the juggling of seven large discs. He not only tossed them up in the air but he kept them going as an ordinary juggler would three or four balls. ”
1905
1905
Courtesy of Erik Åberg
1906
1906
In 1911, his father, brother, and sister Mary joined the act as The Josef Blank Company, working mostly in Europe. After World War I, the company reformed, now consisting of Josef, his wife, and his brother-in-law. The trio performed some amazing tricks, which you can see in the photos and illustrations below.
1931
1931
1931
Courtesy of Erik Åberg
1938
1938
1938
Below is a brief announcement of his death at age 68, from 1955.
David Cain
David Cain is a professional juggler, juggling historian, and the owner of the world's only juggling museum, the Museum of Juggling History. He is a Guinness world record holder and 16 time IJA gold medalist. In addition to his juggling pursuits, David is a successful composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and singer as well as the author of twenty-six books. He and his children live in Middletown, OH (USA).