Zarmo, international juggler and equilibrist

Zarmo (Joseph Henry Zarmo, 1868/69-after 1926), international juggler and equilibrist. Zarmo so impressed the young Charlie Chaplin that the latter recalled his perfectionism and performing skills in his Autobiography, first published in 1964.
(cabinet photo: J.B. Wilson, 389 State Street, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1893)

‘ZARMO, a clever and noted juggler, closed with M.B. Leavitt’s ”Spider and Fly” Co. March 8th in the Northwest and has returned to town. Zarmo is an exceptionally skilful equilibrist performing very difficult feats in jugglery which balancing himself head downwards on the top of a champagne bottle. He is an industrious worker and is whiling away his odd moments in practising a new act on the sensational order.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 1 April 1893, p. 50d)

‘JOSEPH H. ZARMO has sailed for England, where he is under contract at the Empire Theatre [Leicester Square], London.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 25 November 1893, p. 608d)

‘NOTICE.
Just Arrived, per S.S. St. Paul. America’s Favorite, Europe’s Surprise, London’s Success. ZARMO. ZARMO JUGGLES ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.
ZARMO, the Quaint.
ZARMO, the Balancer.
ZARMO, the Inventor.
ZARMO, the Dancer.
ZARMO, the Comique.
ZARMO, the Droll.
ZARMO, the Inverted.
ZARMO, the Eccentric.
ZARMO, the Wonderful.
ZARMO, the Hit.
ZARMO, the Only Real Funny JUGGLER
ZARMO, the only upside down JUGGLER
ZARMO, the only burlesque JUGGLER
ZARMO, the new grotesque JUGGLER
‘Is all his latest comic creations, including the Three Headed Boxing Novelty, the funniest thing extant; the laughing success of THE CENTURY. Week commencing Dec. 23 [1895], starring at Tony Pastor’s Theatre, New York City; Jan. 13 [1896], Keith’s, Philadelphia; Jan. 20, Keith’s, Boston; Feb. 10, Keith’s Union Square Theatre, New York. ZARMO HAS A FEW IMMEDIATE VACANT DATES. Proprietors in search of a novelty will do well to secure this set at once.
‘ZARMO, 107 Fourth Avenue, New York City. N.B. – COME AND LAUGH.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 21 December 1895, p. 672c, advertisement)

‘OUR LONDON LETTER… 16 June [1906]
‘Zarmo, who is as well known in America as he is in this country, is thinking of paying a visit to the States, after an absence of eight years. He played three seasons with the Tony Pastor road show, besides appearing in the best vaudeville houses. Zarmo tells me that he has never ceased practising since he returned from his last trip to America, and has now the juggling game down to a fine point.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 30 June 1906, p. e)

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Zarmo (Joseph Henry Zarmo, 1868/69-after 1926), international juggler and equilibrist. Zarmo so impressed the young Charlie Chaplin that the latter recalled his perfectionism and performing skills in his Autobiography, first published in 1964.
(cabinet photo: J.B. Wilson, 389 State Street, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1893)

‘ZARMO, a clever and noted juggler, closed with M.B. Leavitt’s “Spider and Fly” Co. March 8th in the Northwest and has returned to town. Zarmo is an exceptionally skilful equilibrist performing very difficult feats in jugglery which balancing himself head downwards on the top of a champagne bottle. He is an industrious worker and is whiling away his odd moments in practising a new act on the sensational order.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 1 April 1893, p. 50d)

‘JOSEPH H. ZARMO has sailed for England, where he is under contract at the Empire Theatre [Leicester Square], London.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 25 November 1893, p. 608d)

‘NOTICE.
Just Arrived, per S.S. St. Paul. America’s Favorite, Europe’s Surprise, London’s Success. ZARMO. ZARMO JUGGLES ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.
ZARMO, the Quaint.
ZARMO, the Balancer.
ZARMO, the Inventor.
ZARMO, the Dancer.
ZARMO, the Comique.
ZARMO, the Droll.
ZARMO, the Inverted.
ZARMO, the Eccentric.
ZARMO, the Wonderful.
ZARMO, the Hit.
ZARMO, the Only Real Funny JUGGLER
ZARMO, the only upside down JUGGLER
ZARMO, the only burlesque JUGGLER
ZARMO, the new grotesque JUGGLER
‘Is all his latest comic creations, including the Three Headed Boxing Novelty, the funniest thing extant; the laughing success of THE CENTURY. Week commencing Dec. 23 [1895], starring at Tony Pastor’s Theatre, New York City; Jan. 13 [1896], Keith’s, Philadelphia; Jan. 20, Keith’s, Boston; Feb. 10, Keith’s Union Square Theatre, New York. ZARMO HAS A FEW IMMEDIATE VACANT DATES. Proprietors in search of a novelty will do well to secure this set at once.
‘ZARMO, 107 Fourth Avenue, New York City. N.B. – COME AND LAUGH.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 21 December 1895, p. 672c, advertisement)

‘OUR LONDON LETTER… 16 June [1906]
‘Zarmo, who is as well known in America as he is in this country, is thinking of paying a visit to the States, after an absence of eight years. He played three seasons with the Tony Pastor road show, besides appearing in the best vaudeville houses. Zarmo tells me that he has never ceased practising since he returned from his last trip to America, and has now the juggling game down to a fine point.’
(The New York Clipper, New York, Saturday, 30 June 1906, p. e)

Eunice Hill, singer and dancer in vaudeville, New York, 1896-1898

Eunice Hill (active late 19th Century), American singer and dancer
(photo: Schloss, NewYork, circa 1896/98; Ogden’s Guinea Gold cigarette card, issued in the United Kingdom, late 19th Century)

Little is known about Eunice Hill although she is recorded as having appeared in ‘songs and dances’ at Proctor’s Theatre, 23rd Street West, New York, during the week beginning Monday, 23 March 1896. Two years later she was at Tony Pastor’s Theatre, also in New York.

Katie Lawrence

Katie Lawrence (1868-1913), English music hall serio comic and pantomime principal boy, whose greatest success was in 1892 with Harry Dacre’s ‘Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Made for Two)’ (photo: unknown, UK, late 1890s)

This real photograph cigarette card of Katie Lawrence was issued about 1900 in England in one of Ogden’s Guinea Gold series.

‘A SERIO COMIC ARTIST.

‘Katie Lawrence, Who Has Been Dubbed the ”Coster Girl.”

‘Kattie Lawrence is an artistic serio comic singer who has made a great hit with the patrons of Tony Pastor’s New York theater. Miss Lawrence is an English girl, and this is her first visit to America. She is Mrs. George Fuller in private life, and her husband accompanies her. Miss Lawrence is an excellent dancer, and unlike most serio comics she possesses a remarkably good voice. She has no respect for the traditional gestures of the music hall artist, and she affords a striking illustration of what is possible in variety singing and dancing.

‘Miss Lawrence is one of the highest salaried serio comics in the world. It is said that during her recent engagement at Tony Pastor’s she was paid $250 a week. When she returns to London Dec. 13 it will be to sing at five music halls ever night for a term of thirteen weeks. Miss Lawrence is still very young, and is as piquant in conversation as she is pretty of face and figure.’ (The Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Tuesday, 6 December 1892, p. 7b)