By David Cain
Some of the topics I most enjoy researching and writing about are obscure tricks and props from the past. Since I have written over 500 articles over 11 plus years, finding these subjects can be difficult. Therefore, it was suggested to me that I include a listing with hyperlinks here. Balls, rings, clubs, hoops, diabolo, cigar boxes, and other familiar props are great, but there are many other tricks, routines, and props from the past that could make a great addition to an act or help inspire a new idea. Here are links to some of these that I’ve written about. Click on the prop, routine, or trick name to see the eJuggle article.
Sorin Munteanu juggling boomerangs
Rabello doing the triple ball stack balance
Inverted Toss and Bounce Juggling
Bobby May bouncing five balls off a drum
Old advertisement for the ball and two sticks trick
Gena Shvartsman Cristiani
Bounce Juggling with Rings and Clubs
George Sollveno bounce juggling with rings
Cup Stick illustration from the early 1850
Ian Marchant
Kara performing the Kara Box
Cobra Coin Catching 1911
The Two Torres
Joseph Rosani with his hoop and glass
David Cain
One version of the table cloth pull trick
Tube and Balls – 1910
George Hurd
Advertisement from 1910
The Whirligig
The Goldeno Trio performing rug spinning
Egg spinning by Joe Marsh
One version of the swinging knock away trick
David Cain
Whip Balance Trick – 1890s
Mar Tina performing the Loop
David Cain
Carlotina juggling umbrellas
The Japanese Bottomless Basket
Daikagura Master Maruichi Senoh using a modern Bottomless Basket
Pipe Balancing circa 1910
Catching balls on a fork in the mouth – 1907
Jack Bremlov juggling flags
This list isn’t comprehensive of all the tricks, props, and routines I’ve written about, but there should be plenty to inspire you in what I did list.
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).