Whenever the conversation turns to juggling teams The Elgins are spoken of in high esteem.
TOM BREEN of The Elgins has been one of our best travelling correspondents. His letters from all parts of the country bespeak highly of the box office appeal of this team.
To "old timers" the names of the individual members may te associated with their former acts or partners:
ROSE SHELDON BAGGETT, formerly of:-
Fitzgerald Eight Juggling Girls
Paul Shultz Girls
The Original Juggling Jewels (manager)
Baggett & Sheldon
CAL KENYON, formerly of:-
Kenyon Bros. & Allen
the Altus Bros.
Mahoney & Auburn
JAMES BAGGETT, formerly of:-
The Barretts
Frear, Baggett & Frear
Baggett & Sheldon
TOM BREEN, formerly of:-
The Breen Family
Moran & Breen
Breen & Martine
It reads like a who's who of Juggling teams.
San Antonio, Texas. Into this thriving and picturesque city to finish school and hobnob with jugglers. We don't usually play towns of this size but for a change we'll do about 40 assembly shows here which will keep us quite busy. While looking for trailer park ran across George Gordon with his wife and daughter in a trailer. George does juggling on the slack-wire and his wife trapeze. You oldtimers will remember George's vaudeville act before 1911, the Bounding Gordons. this was a 3 male acro act, performers jumping from pedestal on to small trampoline and doing those thrilling doubles, twisters, etc. on to catcher's shoulders two and three high. Pic in this issue shows George doing some of his juggling on the wire in his present act. Another nifty not shown is juggling 4 hoops while twirling one on his leg.
Lola and I have seen Gus Kiralfo several times so far. A book could be written on his colorful life in oldtime Show Biz. Gus worked with his brother in an act known as the Kiralfo Brothers for many years, doing double juggling with battle axes, clubs, etc. He also worked with different partners and did singles during his long career. In addition to juggling Gus also played parts in Rep, doubled in orchestra, was a tumbler with circuses and also did the leaps. Gus played a lot of Vaude, trouped with various Med, Minstrel and other tent shows, led the band as twirling drum major on parades and played with road shows playing theatres. We both thoroughly enjoy his reminiscences of his full and eventful life.
Next month will include something on his cloth spinning and other odd juggling tricks. Gus gave us advertising, programs, etc., some dating back to 1890. Would like to share this with collectors of such material.
Other jugglers here are Ed DeWees, branch manager for Remington Rand and Danny Dreeben in the hotel supply business. DeWees is that live wire who successfully put over the Blackstone show here. At the monthly meeting of the I.B.M. Ed had their photographer on hand to catch some juggling pics during the show. Up to photographers with Ed to see proofs, they dug up out of their files several fine action photos of Truzzi, one of which appeared in the November Bulletin. Have ordered a set for the scrapbook. Also received 8 x 10s from Bob (front page) Blau and Earl Gotberg, Detroit juggler and ventriloquist. Recently swapped photos with our good friend George McAthy who writes that column, "For Vents Only" for Tops Magic Mag,. He's given the Juggler's Bulletin some good boosts. Good work George. Sorry we haven't space to mention your new comedy magical society, the "D.O.P.E.S.". That's the Deceptive Order of Prestidigitoral Entertainers, brother! Just mail a buck to George at 1915 Alabama St., Vallejo, Calif. and become a DOPE if you are not already one!
Have you tried the Bert Hansen easy method of juggling 9 balls? For this gag just fasten them together in bunches of 3. Heard this on the Air. Try it next time you do 3-ball stuff, "I live in Fish-hook, Texas. That's clear out on the end of the line." If you want a pin-up juggling gal get the March issue of See with full page of Trixie juggling on ice. Caught this blond acro-juggler in N.Y. about 4 years ago. Also Trixie is reported to be in Pic, "My Gal Sings", or so I hear. Mail in that two bucks to Roger and help keep the Juggler's Bulletin agoin Same address for writer, 1860 El Sereno Ave., Pasadena 3, Calif.
BERT HANSEN'S JUGGLING REVIEWS
The program that follows is an act I enjoyed on many occasions - a juggler that passed away several years ago I believe.
JACK GREGORY & CO.
Roosevelt Theatre Oakland, California
April 1, 1938.
Juggler with lady assistant.
Man enters manipulating single hoop.
3 hoop routine (hoops decorates in college colors and college music by orchestra)
Rolling 5 hoops around self - then boomerang work with same hoops
Twirling 8 hoops on floor at one time, returning to each hoop before it falls to floor.
Hoop on single string - then two hoops on one string.
Hoop picking up handkerchief and returning to juggler (apparently pin in hoop catching into hank as hoop gets return traction).
Drunken hoops - three hoops rolled off stage in jerky manner due to weighting.
Three hoops doing Carioca.
Hoop and three strings.
Four hoop juggling with four hoop spinning to close this routine.
Sitting on table - five hoop spinning (one on neck, one on each arm, and one on each leg).
Sitting on table - Spin on each foot while juggling 4 hoops.
Man standing on table- lady tossing all hoops used in act one at a time - man catching over head and permitting to fall down around body for finish.
Last month during our chat with Bobby May the subject of literature on Juggling was brought up and he recommended "American Vaudeville, Its Life and Times" by Douglas Gilbert. We enjoyed reading it so much that we're passing the name on to you. It is probably in your Public Library or can be obtained from McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., Whittlesey House Division. Not a book on Juggling but numerous mentions of Jugglers and Juggling. In addition the appendix lists the names of standard acts of the golden era of Vodvil which includes several Jugglers.
There have been comparatively few books or manuscripts on the subject of Juggling. Just for fun we made a list of all the books we knew of. By coincidence, in the next mail we received a list of magazine and news articles pertaining to juggling, listed by Bobby May.
The following list is no doubt far from complete but will serve as a start. If you know of further additions we will be pleased to hear from you.
BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS
ANGLO "The Art of Modern Juggling" Hamley Bros, Ltd., London
COUDEN, D. G. "Club Juggling", "Balancing", Hoop Rolling, "Ball Juggling", "Rope Spinning", "Plate Juggling", "A Little of Everything", "Original Juggling Tricks" All mss.
DUNCAN, C. J. "Beginner's Baton Book"
DELISLE, WM. "The Art of Juggling," Mss.
EVERHART, WM. "Facts, Fame and Fortune" Everhart 1904
FLOYD, HAMILTON "Manual of Show Stunts"
GOLDSTON, WILL "Juggling Secrets" The Magician Ltd., London
INGALESE, RUPERT "Juggling or How to Become a Juggler" 1921
KING & CLARK "Ventriloquism and Juggling" C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd. 1921
MARTELL, CARL "The Modern Manipulator"
MILLER, FRANK E. "Indian Club Swinging" 1900
PAINTER & BENNER "The Art of Gun Spinning", Book 1 and Book 2, "Underhand Technique in Baton Twirling", "Fourteen Characteristic Tricks of Baton", "The Art of Baton Spinning" Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
RICTON "Juggler's Manual"
STANTON, ELLIS "New Juggling Tricks" London
MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
LONDON MAGAZINE, October, 1907 - "The Ancient Art of Juggling"
NEW YORK HERALD, October 6, 1901 - "How Cinquevalli Acquired His Skill"
HARMSWORTH MAGAZINE, April, 1900 - "The Balance Wonderful"
LEISURE HOUR MAGAZINE, April 20 and May 11, 1878, PP 250-53 AND 298-301 - "Oriental Jugglery"
PENNY PICTORIAL MAGAZINE, July 21, 1900, PP 275-277, PP 212-213
NEW YORK HERALD, September 29, 1901 - "Cinquevalli Explains His Tricks"
FAVOURITE MAGAZINE, NO. 34, PP 312-18 - "A Genius Among Jugglers" by E. O. Aubrey
ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, February 23, 1867, November 7, 1846
TELEGRAPH (NEW YORK), October 13, 1901 - "Juggling Tricks Explained"
BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE, December, 1900, Vol. 166, P 834 - "Indian Jugglers"
U. S. BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY, 14th Annual Report, 1892-93, Part i, PP 66-160 - "Juggling Tricks Among the Menominee Indians"
D.W. J. MR. HENRY'S NEW ENTERTAINMENT, London N.D. - Chapter on Jugglers
FAMILY HERALD, September 29, 1855
CASSELL'S MAGAZINE, March, 1909, no date, PP 384-89
PEARSON'S MAGAZINE, July, 1901, "Hoop Rolling Extraordinary"
ILLUSTRATED TIMES, January 6, 1866, May 23, 1866
HARPER'S MONTHLY, November, 1901 - "Strolling Mountebanks"
PENNY PICTORIAL MAGAZINE, London, September 20, 1902, Vol. 14, PP 93-95; February 27, 1904
STRAND MAGAZINE, December 1899, PP 644-57; May 1900, PP 599-635; January 1897, PP 92-100, January 1904
ROYAL MAGAZINE, February, 1902, PP 383-87; December, 1902; May, 1904; August, 1902; March, 1903
THE LINKING RING, December, 1944, January, 1945 - "Jugglers Past and Present"
THE SPHINX, September, 1929, P 239; July, 1930, PP 202-03
BOOKS PARTIALLY DEVOTED TO JUGGLING OR JUGGLERS
ALDEN, W. L. "Among the Freaks", Chap. 11, PP 162-77 London, 1896
BURLINGAME, H. J. "Around the World with a Magician and Juggler" 172 pages Chicago 1891
GANTHONY, ROBERT "Bunkum Entertainments" (skits on juggling) London 1895
HENTY, A. "Rujub, the Juggler", 332 pages London 1903
LeROUX & GARNIER "Acrobats & Mountebanks" (translated from French) London 1840
STRUTT, JOSEPH "The Sports & Pastimes of the People of England" (Jugglers mentioned, Chap. 4, PP 152-60) London 1801