I so wish that I could find video footage of these old circus acts from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The posters are so bright and colourful, and full of amazing and incredible looking skills and tricks.
French brothers, Alexander and Felix Patty, performed together as The Marvells, an Icarian act (antipodism – human foot juggling) on the Barnum & Bailey program of 1903 and Alexander performed on the 1908 program as a head balancer, bouncing from step to step (he could go up and down). Alexander was also a tightrope artist. The colour poster entitled, Patty, Wonder of the World is advertising a workshop in Berlin in 1890 and the two black and white pictures were taken by the American photographer, Frederick Whitman Glasier.
Here’s a review by the New York Athletic Club Journal in 1905:
*“Of the feats of the Patty Brothers, it may be briefly said that the audience was experienced and thought it knew the possibilities of gymnasts, contortionists, and ground and lofty tumblers. But it had never seen Mr. Alexander Patty walk on his head.” *
*“He did it and for a distance of yards. He also “jumped” down a flight of steps, using his head exclusively as his feet, and the brothers, one standing on his head on the other’s head, ate, played violins and juggled iron dumbbells and solid shot like a cheap amateur can pool balls while standing on his feet.”*
Here’s a modern version of their act, performed by Li Longlong from China, who set this Guinness World Record in 2015:
https://youtu.be/4Isf7TNQF_Q?si=zC_ILOiyew_QLeyk
