I thank you so very much for the copy of Jugglers News of Oct. 1951 and acknowledging me as a new member of the IJA. Appreciating your kindness, I will in the following lines add some interest for you and the readers of the Jugglers News. There is one real, big-time vaude here in Berlin, it is the only one. It is the Friedrichstadt Palast Theater, located in the Soviet sector of Berlin, in the huge house of the former Renz Circus, that later housed the Albert Schumann Circus. Miss Marion Spadoni, daughter of the once famous heavyweight juggler, Paul Spadoni, founded this vaude just after the end of World War II, and opened it in the fall of 1945... It is a pity West Berlin book has no vaude at all just now. Though some of the cabarets in West Berlin book some vaude acts for their night shows, neither the stage nor the lighting systems are favorable for their performances... 

In August, when on vacation, I saw and met the well-known Swiss Master Juggler, Felovis, and had a little talk with him after the show in the Grock Circus, where Felovis was engaged for the summer season. As we had seen and spoken for the last time nine years ago, we had a lot to tell each other. In his art, Felovis had not changed, he still is the master of all kinds of skilful jugglings, as clubs, sticks, ball and sticks, sticks that somersault in mid air, he juggles with top hats and finishes his great act with lighted torches, juggling them in a most thrilling way. 

In October at the Friedrichstadt Palast in Berlin, it was Frank Eders, this wonderful and quite unique and jovial heavyweight juggler. Last time we met was in 1942 in the Wintergarten... Though 63 years old, he catches the heavy cannon balls just as lightly as he did nine years ago. For instance he takes the heavy cannon balls between his heels, tosses them high up and catches them on his strong powerful bear chest. 

Just in the same light-hearted manner was Eders juggling with three small rubber balls, tossing the three balls with one hand down to the floor, when they returned to his hand, he juggles them with this very same one hand. His personal Viennese charm helped him take the nickname: "The Laughing Hercules." Still this master of juggling has more offers from all European countries than he could accept. In the same month, I saw at Fredrichstadt Palast, the German juggler Jean Maric, who specializes in foot juggling with barrels, crosses, glowing stick on the darkened stage. 

At the Barclay Circus, I saw in November the clever juggler Albert Schweitzer, who starts his act with juggling of his lighted cigar and two balls, followed next by a most amusing trick with a bowler hat, then juggling with three balls, three top hats, and finishing with three cigar boxes. His act reminds me of Bela Kremo's clever solo routine. That is all I can report for today. Hope you will be interested in these descriptions. Max Koch, Berlin, West Germany (IJA Newsletter, December 1951) 

It is with deep regret, we announce the death of one of our members, Edward Van Wyck, of Lincoln Neb. (IJA Newsletter, January 1952)

Vin Carey reports the following writeup appeared in the Baltimore Evening Sun... "Vin Carey, the West Franklin street juggling collector, just received a very old and revered Indian club from Joe Cook, the veteran comedian, and Vin is particularly impressed by the fact that it weighs 17 ounces. 

"Joe juggled the silver-foiled pin in a number of long-run musical comedies from 1932 on, Vin tells us, nowadays performers 'scream for 10-ounce clubs,' he says. Vin's collection of ancient clubs now numbers 20 and most of them are heavier than the effete modern apparatus. Included are a Morris Cronin Troupe club, vintage 1910 - 23 ounces, a Juggling Johnsons club, 1898 - 18 ounces; two Juggling Breen Family basket weave clubs, 1910 - 20 ounces each, and a Juggling Tierney Family club, c. 1930 - 19 ounces. (IJA Newsletter, February 1952)

Best from Betty (Gorham): Had a very pleasant visit with Bobby May just after Christmas in Davenport.  He is with the "Holiday on Ice" show now, and his act is going over great as always. He is doing a seven-minute routine using balls, three and four clubs, ball bouncing on a drum, cigarette trick and a combination with lighted props. At Christmas, Bobby said he spent a wonderful few days at home with his wife and Bobby Jr., who is five years old now.  Jack Green and Dick Brennan also had a jug session with him. (IJA Newsletter, February 1952)

Philadelphia Reporting From H. M. Lorette: I witnessed a presentation of "The Greatest Show on Earth" (the movie). For the benefit of those interested in the juggling, there is not very much of it. About 15 minutes after the picture starts Truzzi is seen practicing six sticks. It is just a flash, so look closely or you may miss it. About halfway down in the picture, Veronica Martell bounces five balls nicely and gets them up into the cascade in the air without stopping. Near the finish in the last outdoor parade, a juggler marches with the band, juggling three long decorated sticks, occasionally throwing them up under the legs in time with the marching.  (IJA Newsletter, February 1952)

My advice to all the 11 ball jugglers. In starting hold six balls in the right hand, and five in the left hand, (don't use balls any larger than La Cross ones). Now start your cascade, but keep the balls an equal distance apart, or they may possibly hit each other which would be a catastrophe, and be careful in stopping them that you have the six in the right hand and the five in the left; to drop even one ball wouldn't look nice.

In order to assure smooth manipulation, practice juggling five balls in the right hand, change over the same five to the left, do this several times and it will make your nine ball juggling easy. This same practice advanced to six balls in each hand separately will insure perfection for the 11. Do not get discouraged; it may only take from 12 to 15 years of practice of approximately five to seven hours a day. But what is a little think like that, if you really love your art. (IJA Newsletter, February 1952)

Boston Briefs, by Bert Hanley

There is one novelty juggling idea which has never been described in any of the bulletins, however. It is a novelty that had several jugglers agog for a time - but for only a short time - around the fall of 1932. 

As recalled by Lester Bode, there were several entertainers gathered for a bull session in the Lafayette Hotel in Montreal. Most of them were jugglers or performers who could at least juggle three balls. There was Leslie Hall, , Fred Norman, Bode and Les Nichols, the latter doing a single billed as "The Human Mockingbird." Bode at that time was featuring a novelty trick with four balls in which he imitated a horse traveling at a trot, a gallop, then slowing down to a walk and a final WHOA! He had appliances strapped to the palms of his hands which made a clopping sound as the hard balls hit his hand. By going from a straight juggle to a shower with the four balls, then back into a straight juggle, he gave an excellent imitation of a horse's hooves hitting the pavement in the various changes of pace.

The group was discussing this effect when suddenly Les Nichols, the ventriloquial bird-imitator, stood up with three balls and started juggling them - and the juggled balls seemed to be whistling a tune in tempo as they flew back and forth in Nichols' hands.

Lester Bode was on his feet in another flat. The effect caught him completely unawares. "Let me look at those balls! Let me look at them!" But he soon collected himself, realizing that Les Nichols, in his vent act, featured a stunt in which he whistled with his mouth closed. Bode laughed with the rest, but is said there were many pensive periods later when he pondered the possibility of devising a set of balls with which he might imitate a flock of nightingales while juggling seven of the trick spheres. (IJA Newsletter, February 1952)

Bobby May in his juggling prime

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