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19th Century
American Ventriloquists
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c. 1753 -- England
SIR JOHN PARNELL |
In a William Hogarth engraving entitled "An Election
Entertainment," Parnell is depicted as exhibiting a talking
hand not unlike what Senor Wences would use two centuries later. |
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c. 1757 -- Austria
BARON de MENGEN |
As
early as 1757 the Baron de Mengen, an Austrian nobleman who often sported
with ventriloquism, was using a little puppet or doll [poupee] with
a mouth like a kind of nutcracker then common; the lower jaw was moveable
by a peg. |
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c. 1789 -- Scotland
JAMES BURNE |
Primarily known for his distant voice ventriloquism, the
Scottish Burne also used on occasion a rigid, somber
figurine partly wrapped in a large handkerchief. The
figure probably did not have any mechanical movements. |
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c. 1796 -- England
JOSEPH ASKINS
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Also primarily know for distant voice ventriloquism, Askins
also engaged in dialogues between himself and his invisible
familiar, Little Tommy. |
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Joseph Askins Halfpenny 1796 |
Joseph Askins Halfpenny 1796 |
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c.
1797 -- England
THOMAS GARBUTT
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Primarily known for distant voice
ventriloquism, Garbutt also occasionally employed a puppet
named Tommy. |
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c. 1800 --
England
FITZ JAMES |
Talked with statues in his ventriloquial act. |
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c. 1800 --
Switzerland
LOUIS
COMTE |
This distant voice ventriloquist was also
known for producing voices from pigs. |
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c.
1801 -- Scotland
JAMES RANNIE |
Rannie (and his younger brother John Rannie) began performing in the
United States in 1801. He also used a small ventriloquist doll
named Tommy that looked like a man but was the size of a small
child. Also noted for training Richard Potter in the
craft. |
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c. 1811 -- United States
RICHARD POTTER |
Lived: 1783-1835. First American to
Perform the Hindu Rope Trick, First Black American
Ventriloquist and Magician. Potter also held conversations
with a wooden doll in his ventriloquial act. |
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c. 1818 -- England
CHARLES MATHEWS |
Performed a one-man show using mimicry &
ventriloquism (Mathews kept up a dialogue with 6 to 8 characters .
Ventriloquism was used for
off-stage voices). In his 1819 entertainment, he included ventriloquism with
a doll figure.
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c. 1822 -- France
ALEXANDRE VATTEMARE |
Vattemare was known for his dark humor “prank” of
making dead people call for help as if buried alive. He did this as
a publicity stunt. A quick-change artist, Vattemare played a large
host of characters. In 1822 The
Rogueries of Nicholas was published, a book of anecdotes, true and otherwise,
about Vattemare.
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c. 1820s or 1830s -- United
States
EUGENE LEITENSDORFER |
Lived 1772-1849. Magician & Entertainer, he headed west in 1809 and
later became the first vent west of the Mississippi. |
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c. 1828 -- England
WILLIAM EDWARD LOVE |
Born in 1806, Love performed in
England & Ireland following the pattern set by Mathews & Vattemare. |
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c. 1830 -- England
MR. M. JACOBS |
Performed in style set by Vattemare.
Appeared in Boston in 1841. |
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c. 1830 -- England
GEORGE SUTTON |
Used automatons. |
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c. 1830s -- United States
MR. NICHOLS |
Appeared in 1827 at the Boston Coffee House. |
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c. 1840s -- United States
JONATHAN HARRINGTON |
Lived: 1809-1881. A native of Boston, Harrington was billed as
"The Greatest Ventriloquist in America." His
first performance was in 1826 at the age of 17. |
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c. 1850s -- England
SIGNOR ANTONIO BLIZT |
Performed in the United States, beginning in
1835. Used a wooden figure named Little Bobbie.
Blizt also juggled and performed magic and is noted for
performing for the troops during the Civil War. He died
in 1877. |
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c. 1850s -- United States
JOHN WYMAN, JR. |
Used a knee-figure named Tommy. Performed before
President Lincoln. Began performing in 1827.
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c. 1860s -- Ireland
E. D. DAVIES |
Used two figures named Tommy and Joey. |
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c. 1865 -- Canada
CHARLES ANDRESS |
Charles Andress (1852- 1933) was a
ventriloquist, imitator, and fiddler, who began performing at
the age of 10. Later, Andress added trained animals to
his act. He opened the Andress’ Carnival of Novelties in
1872. |
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c. 1868 -- United States
PROF. HILTON |
Advertised three talking and singing heads. |
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c. 1860s to 1880s -- England
FREDERIC MACCABE |
Maccabe performed character
sketches using ventriloquism following in the footsteps of Mathews,
Vattemare, and Love. Distant voice vent primarily.
Maccabe did not use vent figures. A British impersonator,
ventriloquist, and entertainer, Maccabe toured the United
States, his particular brand of British humor proved popular
and he became the toast of New York. In Britain in the 1860s &
1870s, his show, "Begone Dull Love", performed at the Egyptian
Hall in Piccadilly and the Great St. James’s Hall, was a big
hit. He published, The Art of Ventriloquism.
SPECIAL FEATURE: Ventriloquism Dialogues by
Maccabe (printed in 1875).
Go here
to download.
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c. 1870s -- England
W. S. WOODIN |
Followed in the tradition of William Edward
Love. Distant voice vent primarily. |
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c. 1870s -- England
G. W. JESTER |
Billed as "The Man With The Talking Hand." |
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c. 1875 -- United States
HARRY KENNEDY |
Performed at Barnum's American Museum and used
both knee-figures and bust-like figures. Famous Routine:
The Ventriloquist's Dream. Also performed
in England, where he was born. |
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c. 1876 -- England
FRED NIEMAN |
Presented a complete minstrel show with 8
figures. Also used knee-figures in the late 1870s. |
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FRED NIEMAN |
FRED NIEMAN |
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c. 1880 -- England
LT. WALTER COLE |
Both Near and Distant Voice Ventriloquist.
Used life-sized figures. |
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c. 1854-1931 -- England
FRANK TRAVIS |
'Lieutenant Frank Travis
The Society Ventriloquist'
Born Francis Thackeray and
gained fame in 1879 after a successful tour of the continent.
He employed 7 ventriloquial figures which he would seat around
a table singing and conversing which each in turn. It was
claimed on his behalf that he was the originator of the feats
of smoking and drinking while doing ventriloquism.
Appeared on stage in a military uniform and was a huge
favorite in Australia. |
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c. 1880 -- United States
WILLIAM FRANCIS CHALET |
Used black and white standing and seated
figures. |
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c. 1880 -- United States
VAL VOSE |
Performed with magician Alexander Herrmann
(noted for his Wizards' Manual).
Vose was noted for the versatility in his vocal performance. |
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1880s -- France
A. CAREL |
Used full-sized figures and, apparently,
talking heads. |
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c. 1881 -- England
MADELINE ROSA |
First Lady Ventriloquist. Wife of Frank
Travis. |
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WALTER COLE |
MADELINE ROSA |
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c. 1880s to 1910s -- England
JOHN GAMBLING |
Performed an act called The Merry Fluffam
Family using figures. |
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JOHN GAMBLING |
JOHN GAMBLING |
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c. 1883 -- Australia
FRANK MILLIS |
Used a red-headed Irish doll, among other
figures, in the British Music Hall. During the 1890s
Millis used pneumatic bladders to animate figures. |
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c. 1883 -- United States
A. O. DUNCAN |
Influenced John Cooper and inspired Harry
Lester. Used a group of figures. |
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c. 1885 -- United States
PROF. BROWN |
Prof. Brown |
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c. 1880s -- United States
ED REYNARD |
Also known as Edward Sharpless and The Great
Reynard. Famous Routine: Morning in Hicksville. |
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ED REYNARD |
ALEX DAVIES |
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c. 1880s
RODNEY GOLDINGS |
Combined a handkerchief with his fist to form
a puppet of sorts. |
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c. 1880s -- England
HENRY VENTO |
Used life-sized figures of famous music hall
artists. |
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c. 1880s -- Copenhagen
CARL NOBEL |
Performed an act in which three people
appeared to be balanced one on top of another. Actually
there was just one person and two life-sized figures. |
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c. 1890 -- United States
ALEX DAVIES |
Performed with two black knee-figures. |
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c. 1890 -- United States
BINGHAM |
Performed with General Tom Thumb's Museum. |
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c. 1890 -- England
ARTHUR BEESON |
Arthur Beeson (1862-1935) was an English
magician and was also known as The Professor or The Great
Besoni. In addition to performing magic, he also had a
ventriloquist act. He used a figure named Ginger; and,
according to sources, he was able to throw his voice anywhere
in a theater. |
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poster c. 1890 |
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