Signor Antonio Blitz (1810-1877) was a magician, juggler, ventriloquist and bird handler. Born in England on June 21, 1810, he began his professional career at age 13 in Germany. Then he returned to tour the British Isles, generally giving out that he was a Moravian, in order to enhance his exoticism. He first came to the U.S. in 1834, performing that year in Niblo’s Garden. He continued to perform throughout North America thereafter. His tricks included bullet catching, plate spinning, “the automaton trumpeter” and “the never-failing egg sack”. He is said to have used a great deal of humor in his act. In 1872 he published his autobiography, Fifty Years in the Magic Circle.
To find out about the history of vaudeville and variety, including performers like Antonio Blitz, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.
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