Val Vino – The American Japanese Juggler and Sideshow Lecturer

By David Cain

I was recently contacted by circus aficionado Dylan Geer regarding an old cabinet card photo that he had acquired. It showed a Caucasian juggler dressed in Japanese clothing holding a parasol and ball, the props used by traditional Edo-Daikagura Japanese jugglers. The back of the photo was labeled Val Vino, American Japanese Juggler. He asked me if I knew of anything about Val. I said that I didn’t, but that I would start researching him.

Val Vino, from the Dylan Geer Collection

What I found were dozens of mentions of Val Vino in various newspaper archives. Val was a popular and successful Vaudeville juggler from 1888 until 1901. He was often billed as an “American Japanese Juggler”, meaning that he was a Caucasian American performing Japanese juggling tricks and wearing Japanese garb. Since we know nothing of Val’s background, we don’t know if he learned these skills by visiting Japan, apprenticing with a Japanese juggler, or teaching himself. Nevertheless, he was apparently a talented juggler, top spinner, and balancing artist. In addition to being billed as an “American Japanese Juggler”, he was, at various times, billed as being American, Japanese, Australian, Chinese, and French. He was also referred to by numerous different titles, as you’ll see. Let’s take a look at some of the newspaper advertisements and reviews that I was able to find.

1888

1888

1888

1889

1890

1891

1891

1891

Depending on the length of the match, the above trick could be a very difficult feat.

1891

1891

1891

1891

1891

1892

1892

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1894

1894

1894

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1896

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1897

1897

1897

1897

1898

1898

1899

1899

1900

1900

1901

I can’t find any other mentions of Val performing as a juggler before 1888 or after 1901. As you can see, the newspaper clippings tell us very little about what he actually performed. We can assume from the photo that he did parasol and ball work. We know that he was a top spinner and that he balanced a match and a lamp. What else he performed remains a mystery for now. Whatever he performed, it appears that he was talented and well-received.

Unfortunately, we don’t have much personal information about him. We do know that he was married to Bessie Searle, a talented singer. Val and Bessie were almost always on the same Vaudeville bill together throughout his career. Bessie passed away at the age of 55 in 1918 in Philadelphia, PA, where the couple lived at the time. That same year, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Val Vino continued in show business after retiring as a juggler. As you can see in the following newspaper clippings, he became a well-known and respected sideshow lecturer and guide, working in various circus sideshows from at least 1911 to 1935. He also worked various other jobs, including as an inspector at an arms manufacturer and in the tire and fence businesses.

 

1918

1921

1922

1927

1935

At some point Val remarried, but lost his second wife in 1935. After that date, I’ve not been able to locate anything further on Val Vino. If  you have any additional information or photos, please contact me.