THE VIN CAREY COLLECTION  - CIRCUS HALL OF FAME

When the International Jugglers Association was founded in 1947, Vin Carey started to collect juggling props and memorabilia with the hopes that some day the I. J. A. would be big and strong enough to have a museum of its own. The collection has continued to grow for over twenty years now In the club basement at Vin's home. Several circus and magic museums were contacted with regards to showing this jugglers collection. The first one to show interest in having and showing the collection was the Circus Hall of Fame in Sarasota , Fla.

On January 15th Vin loaded the collection into his car and drove to Sarasota and delivered the collection to the Hall of Fame. He stayed long enough to see it arranged as a permanent display there. The inventory shows that there are 124 pieces in the collection of juggling props plus a number of pictures of greats from the past and present. It occupies a space about ten foot square and is most artistically displayed covering the walls and floor of the special cubicle built for the display... Each prop has a name of the original owner showing the approximate time of its use.

The Hall of Fame considers it one of the best displays they have and believe it will be of interest to all visitors especially to those who have an interest in juggling.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The above three paragraphs first appeared in the IJA Newsletter in February 1969 (Vol. 21. No.2. p. 4).  In the late 50's Vin Carey was Newsletter Editor. The photos on page 2 do not show the entire VIN CAREY COLLECTION. The Circus Hall of Fame also has additional Juggling materials such as the LITTLE KNOX (clown-juggler) prop display donated by his nephew. slack-wire juggler Dieter Tasso and several photographs of Francis Brunn. Nor is the Circus Hall of Fame the only circus museum In Sarasota. There Is also the Rlngling Museum of the Circus. Sarasota was winter-quarters for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1927-1959.]

MARCELLO TRUZZI WRITES - FROM SARASOTA

I expect to be in Sarasota during the IJA convention here and will try to persuade my father to also be here. I look forward to meeting you, and hope my father will be here to do so, too. 

(My parents have a summer shop in Blowing Rock, North Carolina , and he may have to be there with my mother during July.)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Marcello Truzzi, a sociology professor at NEW COLLEGE In Sarasota , is the son of the famous juggler Massimiliano Truzzi,  who - ten years ago - attended the 17th annual IJA CONVENTION in Wheeling, West Virginia . Together they produced the article "Notes Toward a History of Juggling" that appeared in the March-April 1974 issue of Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society (Vol. 18. No.2. pp. 4-7.)