Flea Circus Research Library Blog

Bertolotto rival in Kassel

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000Z

From the "The Bavarian People's Friend,Volume 17, 1840" and "La Fame" - Journal of science, literature, arts,. industry and theaters 1840.

Bertolotto, the flea tamer has found a rival in Kassel. Hr. Fiarenzi from Genoa announced, that he had trained "ants", taught them to march in rank and file, to climb scaling ladders and conquer a fortress, which was built of sugar; also, they were, on word of command’ able to retreat before the heat of a fire, while saving oats, crumbs of bread and small cut off pieces of cheese, with the result that they looked, in this way, like people who salvaged their belongings "under their arms" from the fire;

People still say that the present century had produced no great men: Bertolotto and Fiarenzi eclipse the finest intellects of all time.

Translation assistance from Google and from JohnThePotter

Miniatures night @ExploreWellcome

2012-01-20T18:39:00.001Z

Yesterday was a late night event at the Wellcome Collection. On arrival I was greeted by a large crowd of people listening to the Hot Potato Syncopators ukulele band who were having a great time. I collected a programme which itself was a miniature 3inches tall.

I headed into the basement to get tickets for the talks by Author Steven Connor and Psychiatrist Isobel Heyman but despite the ticket office only opening 5 minutes before, all the tickets were gone. So I headed up the the first floor where most of the events were happening. The first floor of the Wellcome Collection houses their medical exhibits so the event was intermingled with giant sculptures of bodies, wierd bottles and masses of books. One exhibit was a mechanical eye that opened when you walked close to it (one for Poter and Jenkinson)

Over in the Forum area the people from Pestival had done an excellent job of creating a sideshow atmosphere. The first stall I visited was hosted by the entomologist and flea expert Amoret Whitaker. She'd brought some dressed fleas along from deep in the archives of the Natural History museum and we got to look at them under a microscope.

Further around the room was Tim Cockerill he'd brought along his collection of flea items including some impressive chariots, more pulgas vestidas (dressed fleas) and many pamphlets, postcards and showbills from around the world.

Tim had also filmed a short clip for the event telling you about flea circuses

The first showing for the flea circus was packed out. Whilst I was waiting I took the opportunity to sketch up some designs for an improved flea chariot based on what I'd seen. I left it on the wall of thoughts so that others might take inspiration.

The nanotechnolgy did not interest me that much so I visited the Medicine Man room which hosted some Bonsai and Zoe Hughes who was painting names of grains of rice. The Medicine Man collection is a permenant exhibit with some strange items such as a shrunken head. There was obviously a law put in place for importing shrunken heads at some point as the label made very clear that it had been brought into the country some time back.

I got to see second performance of the flying starts flea circus. Before the show I had a chat and looked at their flea circus hall of fame, classic moments from flea history such as Vivaldi and the four flea sons and a member of the Fleamasons.

The flea show was excellent, a wide range of acts from around the globe all performed in an entertaining style. One of the trainee fleas had a bit of an accident with his trick and one of the props went up in flames but thanks the Mama Mia and her fire engine it was all put out without any issue. The audience loved the show and afterwards I bumped into a new flea trainer who was quizzing Michael for techniques for building props.

All in all an excellent evening, to finish things off I had to exit via the gift shop, there was a wide range of gifts and books including some on miniatures which I though was good, although it could have been a co-incidence.

More Events - A flea talk

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000Z

It must be a popular month for flea related events, as well as the miniatures event at the Wellcome Collection, Tim Cockerill will be at the Natural History Museum on the afternoon of the 19th Jan to give a talk on Flea Circuses. Some of the secrets of how it is done, how circus 'professors' fed their fleas and the flea effects on Victoria ladies wil be shared.

Kickstart Stufenfedder's Fleas

2012-01-10T09:32:00.001Z

Richard Mann is looking for backers for his flea theatre project in Chicago, IL My Life Infested with Fleas

Events

2012-01-05T15:39:00.003Z

A couple of new events coming up. On 18th January the Wellcome Collection is running a miniatures evening, there will be talks about miniatures and collections and the fine line between collecting and hoarding. Free entertainment will be provided by nanotechnologists, bonsai experts and a flea circus from the flying starts
In Feb the Art Historian Collective Porter and Jenkinson are running an exhibition called "Curious Pursuits" at The Portico Library and Gallery in Manchester. There will be a preview evening Thu, 2 February, 18:00 – 20:00 and then the exhibition will run from 3 – 29 Feb 2012.

The Abbot and the Flea

2011-10-27T17:42:00.002+01:00

From Aesop's Fables there is a tale about an Abbot and a flea.

This is the story of the flea that was caught by the abbot. The abbot said, 'Now I've got you! You have bitten me many times, making it impossible for me to get a good night's sleep. I will never let you go; in fact, I am going to kill you right now!' The flea said, 'Holy Father, since you intend to kill me, please hold me in the palm of your hand so that I will be able to freely confess my sins to you. Let me make my confession, and then you can kill me.' The abbot was moved by the flea's piety so he placed the insect in the middle of his palm. The flea immediately leaped up into the air and flew away. The abbot yelled loudly at the flea, but the he refused to come back.

From Aesopica - Aesop's Fables in English, Latin and Greek

Sea Firefleas

2011-10-17T15:25:00.004+01:00

Thanks to a rather silly kids TV programme, "Barney's Latin America" I now know about the sea fire fleas or Photeros annecohenae a type of Ostracode Crustaceans.

These tiny creatures make vivid light by mixing two chemicals which is used to attract mates and to scare off predators.

Reference:
Insect Behavioral Ecology '85
Discover the beauty and complexity of Photeros annecohenae

Nikon International Small World Competition

2011-10-04T17:49:00.005+01:00

A water flea (Daphnia magna) has made it into the top 10 of Nikon International Small World Competition with some help from photographer Joan Röhl.

This fantastic image is 100x magnified and was created with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany.

Other flea entries include a 20x magnified mouse flea by Dr. Jerzy Gubernator from the University of Wroclaw, Poland and another water flea with grean algae by Dr. Ralf Wagner of Düsseldorf, Germany

Fleas at the Natural History Museum 1926

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

I occasionally check Ebay for interesting flea items and today I spotted this one.

"This modern postcard features a reproduction of a work by American artist Edward "Ted" McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954). Montana born McKnight Kauffer was one of Europe's most prolific and influential advertising poster artists during the Twenties and Thirties

The original poster titled The Flea ( Natural History Museum) was created by the artist in 1926 for the British Natural History Museum in South Kensington. London."

Camping fleas?

2011-08-24T12:00:00.002+01:00

Flea Circus Tonga now has it's own circus tent and hence can provide shows whatever the weather or if you've only a small venue he's also available in a portable table top variation of the show.

"Betty LaBelle" is back from Australia and has brought more artists! Overall, six fleas their arts! Experience "Hannibal" the daring stuntman, "David Copperflea" and "Professor Fips" as a magician, as well as the Grand Dame "Mme Flohrentine" as a prima ballerina and many others more.

ABC, My Grannie Caught a Flea

2011-07-07T17:30:00.001+01:00

Spotted in a castle bookshop in Scotland, a gripping insight into the author's grandmother's entomological studies including techniques for acquisition of new specimens.

ABC, My Grannie Caught a Flea

Nu Way Flea Circus!

2011-07-06T12:00:00.001+01:00

Chuck Caputo from the USA has announced his new "out of the box" flea circus that has no suitcase but still has plenty of contents. The acts contain some of the standards such as a high wire, diving board, strong flea but also some new ideas such as a bowling flea and Annie Oakly flea. The stage also has spot lights and a magician flea who makes a card rise from a pack.

The circus platform "integrates sophisticated electronics, electronic pad control, pull bar and magnetic operations."

Fleas in Novels

2011-05-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

The latest from Lee and the Victorian London website is a searchable index of literature.

Of course the first thing I did with it was to search for fleas. This returned an interesting selection of books with flea references. Here's a sample of the results at the time the query was run

Middlemarch, by George Eliot - "I should stick to it like a flea to a fleece for my own sake"

The Way We Live Now, by Anthony Trollope - "'With a flea in her lug,' suggested the farmer."

Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles Dickens - "I looks at him tolerable hard. 'Fleas?' says I. 'And more,' says he. 'Wampires?' says I. 'And more,' says he."
also
"Astonishment making him surly, he preferred the latter, and sent her into the toll-house with a flea in her ear."

Antonina, by Wilkie Collins - "It is easier to make a drinking-vessel of the skull of a flea than to make an honest man of such a villainous night-walker as thou art!"

The Mysteries of London, by G.W.M.Reynolds - Chapter 246 - The Party at Ravensworth Hall - "And bid smart onions rise To churn me in my mantling path and give A flea to nerve the thought that I may live To bask in thy blear'd eyes!"

Cometh up as a Flower, by Rhoda Broughton - "I vault from the sofa, as if the spirit of a flea had passed into me, and walk across the room; my legs feel stiff and sore"

After Dark, by Wilkie Collins - "he is among my men and here am I ready to look for a flea or two in his bedstead"

The Water Babies, by Charles Kingsley - "the Queen of all the Fairies, who makes the clouds thunder and the fleas bite"

Adam Bede, by George Eliot - "Aye, it's ill livin' in a hen-roost for them as doesn't like fleas"

Felix Holt, by George Eliot - "the utmost stretch of their ideas will not place them on a level with the intelligent fleas"

Magic Flea - Freddie Green 1968

2011-05-05T12:00:00.000+01:00

Michael Pettersen has transcribed one of Sammy Nestico's tunes as played by Freddie Green Master of the Rhythm Guitar.

Magic Flea is very rapid piece with a tempo of 306 beats per minute. Freddie had a special technique called the "one note chord" which allowed the music to be simplified so it could be played. More details of this on the Freddie Green website.

Jack Davies - Flea Music

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000+01:00

Flea Circus is Jack Davies' latest small group project, inspired by Dave Douglas' Charms of the Night Sky group, the French Bal-Musette, and Ivo Papasov's incredible Bulgarian band.

In stark contrast to much of the electrified music being made today, Flea Circus is an entirely acoustic chamber group.

Drawing on the canon of European jazz and contemporary music, Flea Circus juxtaposes lyrical melodies and exuberant improvisation.

The line up

Jack Davies (trumpet)
Rob Cope (bass clarinet)
Aidan Shepherd (accordion)
James Opstad (bass)

Current current works include

All The Night's Adventures
Three Miniatures
1. Monster
2. So Let Us Melt
3. Lamppost
La Puce
Zapushalka
Dance of the Proles

For more information visit http://www.jdaviesmusic.co.uk

How to harness a flea?

2011-04-21T12:00:00.000+01:00

Many have wondered just how you would connect a flea to a chariot or wagon. Well the answer is simply that you tie them by forming a loop with thin wire and pulling it tight as the flea passes through. This is not an easy task and even those who are well practiced might take between 10 minutes and an hour to complete the task.

You can purchase a harnessed flea from Walt Noon.

In Episodes of insect life by Acheta Domestica 1851, people question if the fleas were glued but Bertolotto insists that his are tied.

These and all other such recorded feats have ceased to be marvels to the patrons of those "industrious fleas" who still, we believe, continue to ply their daily labours in Regent Street or the Strand; but they serve to show, that amongst the grand discoveries and inventions of this our 19th century, the art of breaking in fleas to harness is not one. Bertolotti asserts that the saddles, etc, on his flea company were really fastened by girths, not by gum, as the incredulous have thought, the corslets of the pygmy wearers being too highly polished for anything to stick upon them.

Records of real life in the palace & the cottage

2011-04-14T17:52:00.005+01:00

Latest flea find on google books, is some Industrious fleas and also our friend Bertolotto. Given that the book is in the public domain, I'll quote the whole section.

Records of real life in the palace and the cottage, by Harriet Henriette Pigott revised by J. Galt, 1839, Page 234 - 237

Close on the steps of these royal visitors from Belgium, arrives Signor Bertolotti, in pompous terms announcing " Les puces travailleuses," and himself, as having been the charm, " the enthusiastic enjouement" of the brilliant receptions in stirring high-life, during the London season. Well I recollect these sea lions engrossing the conversation alternately with the agitating question of the Reform-bill; il Signor Bertolotti, et ses enfans cheris, following close after the reforming senatorial elders and their aspiring eleves, as they mounted to the drawing-room, from the convivial banquet below; the groom of the chambers in the rear, carrying hot Mocha coffee. The wise men from the east, north, south and west, assembled with intellectual aspects round the table, and eventually held out their hands for the fleas to crawl thereon, " with what appetite they may;"—the signal recompense awarded by il Signor for industry in actively mounting their little ladders, carrying buckets. Oh! it was a pleasant sight, to see the senators of Great Britain thus amused ; whose hands had wielded the pen that signed a reform and emancipation bill, that have placed all England, and her church, in a pleasant chaos of thoughts, actions and creed; making time pass too rapidly, fraught with inteli lectual experiments.

But this charming little caravan of amusing parvenus,—(because before the rapidity of intellect these animals were disdained, chased away by vulgar, uneducated chamber-maidens;) —are now, like many a youth, who by dint of pretending liberal principles and manoeuvres, obtains introduction into drawing-room circles, and dubbed by us conservatives " illiberals," (Oh! howunjustly !) "Parvenus."

Before the front of the Bourse of Grecian architecture, they now stand in competition with a spurious race of fleas—an opposition! But like thorough-bred tories, they valiantly face the enemy; for tories are fearless, having naught to conceal; and few of them ought to gain,—being high in their country's annals, for patriotism; rich by commerce or husbandry, or by ancestral descent; and some of them in valourous deeds, displayed in rightful causes on the battle-field. Thus, in France, we have usurpers even amongst the insect tribe. There they stand, in contact with cracked fiacres, deltas, venders of tribunal discourses, and of attempts to assassinate the reigning King of the French:—for in life, the little will imitate the great.

This classic edifice, which is of pure white stone, in the Grecian style of architecture, is a strange contrast, — a potent satire, on the ostensible purpose for which it was erected. French taste has not, in this instance, united the appropriate with the beautiful, by selecting the model of a classic Grecian temple, for the mercenary assignations of money-changers, and Jews' speculations; and amidst incongruous buildings.—They play a high game, amassing enormous riches by the credulity and ruin of others less adroit; sustaining or lowering, by false intelligence, (per telegraph,) les emprunts of revolutionary governments; their ignoble figures and hurried gait, their countenance inflated, convulsed with the avaricious agitations of their minds; while without, every adventurer is playing his game, by exhibiting his Punchinello, his industrious fleas, his games of hazard, and many inventive twopenny traffic, before the august elegance, before the pure colouring of its finely chiselled columns.

Mr Flea - Meister Floh

2011-04-08T12:00:00.000+01:00

"Meister Floh - A fairy tale in seven adventures of two friends is a story by ETA Hoffmann. Although conceived as an art fairy tale, the first version appeared in 1822 censored and truncated to two chapters, since it satirical allusions to a case containing the Hoffman previously served as a member of the "Immediate-Commission to determine hochverräterischer compounds and other dangerous machinations" in Prussia to investigate had."

Reference

Wikipedia
Open Library
Haus Arbeiten

Kirby’s Wonderful and Scientific Museum Magazine

2011-03-28T17:30:00.000+01:00

"From 1803, Kirby’s Wonderful and Scientific Museum is a collection of curious and unusual stories from the time when medical philosophers roamed the land and the libraries, and people took mammoth teeth home after a trip to the cliffs."

says Tinker Girl from the Steam Punk Forum Brass Goggles.

Kirby's was the predecessor to Ripley and along with the museum they published a series of books, Volume 1 of this amazing book mentions the watch maker "Boverick" and his tiny ivory carved creations

"Sir, Knowing that many very minute objects have been performed by art, I transmit you the following handbill, as-it was actually published by Mr. Boverick, in the Strand, in the year 1745, and another nearly of the same date. -Yours, &c;—J: J. B,"

To be seen at Mr. Boverick's, Watchmaker, at the Dial, facing Old Round Court, near the New Exchange in the Strand, at One Shilling each Person,

The little furniture of a dining- room; consisting of a dining-table, with a cloth laid, two figures seated as at dinner; a footman waiting; a card-table, which opens with a drawer in it; frame and castors; looking glass; two dozen of dishes, twenty dozen of plates, thirty dozen of spoons; and twelve skeleton-back chairs with claw feet.—All the above particulars are contained in a cherry-stone.

A landau, which opens and shuts by springs, hanging on braces, with four persons sitting therein; a crane-neck carriage, the wheels turning on their axles, coachman's box, &.C of ivory; together with six horses and their furniture; a coachman on the box, a dog between his legs, the reins in one hand, and whip in the other; two footmeil behind, and a postillion on the leading horse, in their proper liveries: all so minute as to be drawn along by a flea.—It has been shewn to the Royal Society, and several persons of distinction.'

The curious little four-wheel open chaise, with the figure of a man in it; all made of ivory, drawn by a flea, which, performs all the oltices of a large chaise, as running of the wheels, locking, &c. ; weighing but one grain. Shewn to the Royal. Family, and several of the Nobility and Gentry. '

A flea, chained-by a chain of 200 links, with a padlock and key, curiously wrought; the chain and flea, padlock, ^ud key, wcigiung but one-third of a grain,

A camel, that passes through the eye of a middle-sized needle..

And a curious pair of steel scissars, so minute, as six pair may be wrapped up in the wing of a fly.—The said scissars cut a large horse-hair.

To be seen from nine in the morning till eight at night; and those that please to see tlicrn at their house, may be waited upon, on Thursdays, at the same hours.

We can inform our Correspondent, that the particulars here asserted of the flea, are confirmed by the authority of the ingenious and indefatigable author of minimal Biography, see vol. iii. page 489"

The Flea House

2011-03-22T09:00:00.001Z

It sounds like Hubert's was taken over by a bunch of Scrabble Enthusiasts.

"Primarily a New York phenomenon, gaming parlors like The International Chess Community of New York and the massive Chess City offered the chance to play chess, checkers, bridge, go, backgammon, dominoes, and, increasingly, SCRABBLE® .While SCRABBLE® took a backseat to chess and bridge, there were a growing number of players who took the game seriously.

The best of them converged at the Chess and Checker Club of New York, better known as the Flea House (supposedly because of flea circus that once existed downstairs)."

from

http://www.cross-tables.com/download/totalscrabble.pdf

See also:
Show History - Huberts
Hubert's Freaks: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus

Bat fleas

2011-03-18T09:00:00.000Z

In "Batman: Shadow of the Bat" #11, there is a story "The Human Flea", Batman visits Kemp's Flea Circus in Gotham City as a part of his investigations, the story concludes in edition #12.

"Mortimer Kadaver escapes from incarceration along with animal rights activist Jan Brodie. Meanwhile, Batman encounters the Human Flea, who has been committing robberies in order to fund his grandfather's unsuccessful flea circus. Kadaver arranges for Brodie and his collegues to raid a laboratory in order to make sure thatin his exit from this world, he takes as many people along with him as possible.

Kadaver plans to destroy Gotham by plague, stealing both fleas and a sample of the pleague baccilus. He is stopped by Batman and the Human Flea, whose grandfather he murdered to secure the fleas, and is prevented from committing suicide as well."

Ref: Unofficial History of the DC Universe

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #11 (April 1993): "The Flea, part 1"
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #12 (May 1993): "The Flea, part 2"

P T Barnum - America Museum - Industrious Fleas

2011-03-11T09:00:00.001Z

America Museum and Gardens Corner of Broadway and Ann Street. P. T. Barnum, Manager

"THE INDUSTRIOUS FLEAS - These insects have been trained by Mr. G. Weiss, from Germany who has learned them to be harnessed to carriages and other vehicles, which they will draw with as much docility aad precision as common cart horses."

Ref: New York NY Evening Post 1842 May-Oct 1842

Guisepe Pariss - Industrious Living Fleas in Edinburgh

2011-03-08T09:00:00.001Z

The Caledonian Mercury on Saturday March 29th 1834 reports of Giuseppe Pariss moving his show from Regent Street to 63 Prince Street, Edinburgh.

The timing of this is interesting as it could mean that Pariss was the rival next door to L. Bertolotto on Regent Street.

Giuseppe also appeared at the Theatre Royal in Perth as mentioned in the Story of the Scots Stage.

Guiseppe Pariss from Regent Street, London, with his Industrious
Living-Fleas, showing what "educated fleas" could do.

Ten years later the Industrious Fleas are back at 63 Prince Street, Edinburgh with a variety of other acts, it is not know if this is the same performer.

Also, the INDUSTRIOUS FLEAS will Perform a Variety of Feats too numerous to mention.

Ref:

Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Saturday March 29 1834; Issue 17585
Saturday, March 2, 1844; Issue 19336
Saturday, March 9, 1844; Issue 19339

There is a known example of a Guisepe Pariss flier that has the same words as the above news paper clipping above but with large fonts for the titles, held in a collection in Scotland.

Prof English and Kontilis Roumanian Fleas

2011-03-04T09:00:00.000Z

In the classified section of The Era for 1895, is a double hit for flea research.

Professor English's A 1 Performing Fleas are open for Engagement after March 2d for Few Weeks only. Permanant address, 37, Market-street, Shaw, Oldham"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576575008041115650" />

Like L.Bertolotto and Heckler, Prof English wrote his own book on the topic of fleas, "All about Fleas", more on that in a separate article.

Ref: The Era (London, England), Saturday, February 16, 1895; Issue 2943. Classified Advertising.

Industrious Fleas, Sloane Street Gallery 1851

2011-03-02T09:00:00.000Z

Another 19th Century British Library Newspapers search for the Industrious Fleas performance has produced the following from the Morning Post.

It is still not know if this was one of L.Bertolotto's performances or one of his rivals.

ref: The Morning Post (London, England), Monday, April 29, 1851; pg. [1]; Issue 24144.
Magic Puk Old Exhibition in London.