Paul Cinquevalli

Paul Cinquevalli (born June 30, 1859 in Lissa , † July 14, 1918 in London ) was a German juggler . According to the Cambridge Guide to Theater , his real name was Paul Kestner, other sources give Paul Braun-Lehmann and Emile Otto Lehmann-Braun.

Life

Cinquevalli was born in Lissa (now Leszno in Polish ), but his parents moved with him to Berlin when he was two years old. At fourteen he joined an acrobatic troupe , against his father's wishes, led by the Italian artist Giuseppe Chiese-Cinquevalli . At first he worked on the high wire and the trapeze; when a severe fall put an end to it, he switched to juggling. In 1885 he appeared for the first time in England, where he celebrated a great success and then settled in London. He obtained British citizenship but continued to perform across Europe and America. After he was born in Germany and experienced increasing rejection in England during the First World War, he died disaffected in London in 1918.

meaning

Although he appeared in a stylized leotard, Cinquevalli is usually considered the first gentleman juggler for juggling everyday items such as bottles, plates, glasses and umbrellas. One of the tricks that go back to him and are still shown today was to toss a full water bottle, umbrella and hat in the air, catch the hat with your head, and the bottle (taped with paper) with the To prick the tip of the umbrella, which he opened at the same time, so that the water flowed out of the bottle while he himself remained dry. Cinquevalli was also active in the field of power juggling. One of his trademarks was lifting a chair on which his assistant was sitting reading the newspaper with his teeth and juggling three balls at the same time.

Web links

• Website about Cinquevalli in the Juggling Hall of Fame