Acrobatic Equipment
ca. 1900 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This hook with leather mouthpiece is one of the items in the archive of the aerialist and variety performer Pansy Chinnery (1879-1969). She carefully collected a wide range of items relating to her career including posters, playbills, newspaper cuttings, hooks and pulleys, printing blocks and costume. Born in Suffolk, England, Pansy Chinery began her career with The Zedora Sisters, billed as Alar the Flying Arrow. The troupe went on tour with Barnum and Bailey's Circus for their 1897 tour, when she was shot from a giant crossbow high above the circus ring.
Later she performed on the variety stage, touring mostly in England with troupes called The Mars Trio, Leighton & Lindford, and Ritz and Ritz and The Uniques, specialising in comic acrobatic and gymnastic acts. One of her specialities was a so-called 'teeth-spinning' number in which she revolved from a hook such as this suspended high above the stage or auditorium, which she grasped with her jaws clenched on the leather pad attached to the hook. Her teeth marks can be clearly seen on this leather mouthpiece.
Later she performed on the variety stage, touring mostly in England with troupes called The Mars Trio, Leighton & Lindford, and Ritz and Ritz and The Uniques, specialising in comic acrobatic and gymnastic acts. One of her specialities was a so-called 'teeth-spinning' number in which she revolved from a hook such as this suspended high above the stage or auditorium, which she grasped with her jaws clenched on the leather pad attached to the hook. Her teeth marks can be clearly seen on this leather mouthpiece.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Iron and leather |
| Brief description | Stainless steel hook and leather strap used by Pansy Chinery (1879-1969) in her trapeze or teeth-spinning act. Pansy Chinery Collection. Gift of Ralph Chinery. |
| Physical description | Rusty iron hook with remnants of cream paint, attached with a bolt and nut to an iron plate to allow the hook to rotate. The plate has holes drilled either side, through which runs a bolt through a loop in a section of leather doubled back on itself, the centre raised either side to form a section to be gripped by the mouth. With indented teeth-marks. Teeth marks indented on either side of the raised section of leather. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Ralph Chinery |
| Summary | This hook with leather mouthpiece is one of the items in the archive of the aerialist and variety performer Pansy Chinnery (1879-1969). She carefully collected a wide range of items relating to her career including posters, playbills, newspaper cuttings, hooks and pulleys, printing blocks and costume. Born in Suffolk, England, Pansy Chinery began her career with The Zedora Sisters, billed as Alar the Flying Arrow. The troupe went on tour with Barnum and Bailey's Circus for their 1897 tour, when she was shot from a giant crossbow high above the circus ring. Later she performed on the variety stage, touring mostly in England with troupes called The Mars Trio, Leighton & Lindford, and Ritz and Ritz and The Uniques, specialising in comic acrobatic and gymnastic acts. One of her specialities was a so-called 'teeth-spinning' number in which she revolved from a hook such as this suspended high above the stage or auditorium, which she grasped with her jaws clenched on the leather pad attached to the hook. Her teeth marks can be clearly seen on this leather mouthpiece. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.72-1991 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | May 11, 2007 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
