Rappo, Carl | Considered the inventor of power juggling

Rappo, Carl

Herr Karl Rapp und fein achtjähriger Sohn… [Np], 1836

Broadside (535 x 440 mm). Numerous fonts, text in German, large woodcut at top featuring a tryptic of acrobatic performances; old folds, offsetting. Mounted, framed, and glazed; not examined out of frame. 

Rappo's Théatre Academique

In his youth, Carl Rappo trained as an athlete, and at the age of 19 he saw a troupe of Indian circus performers in Innsbruck. Inspired, Rappo joined the troupe, touring with them for two years, thus marking the beginning of his career as a performer. His aristocratic family was not happy about this choice, and Rappo subsequently renounced his noble title and began an itinerate life.

In 1825, Rappo married Josefina Marco Belli, and together with two apprentices, they formed Rappo's Théatre Academique, which became so successful that he and his troupe performed throughout the cities Europe's greatest cities. The success he and his company enjoyed in Berlin opened opportunities for Rappo to expand his ensemble and broaden his reach. Russia was perhaps the most profitable country for artists at that time, and Rappo soon gained fame there as well, even making several appearances for Tsar Nicholas I in St. Petersburg. His repertoire, as illustrated here, included gymnastics, juggling, and balancing acts, as well aa great feats of strength.