Harold Alzana, the Incomparable and His Astounding Troupe

 

From the late 1940s to the 1960s, Harold Alzana was a HUGE star for the Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus.  He was a daredevil who performed on the high wire without a balancing pole!  Harold also worked at high speed which differed from prior high wire stars such as the Wallendas known for a slow, steady, careful approach.  

                                           1948 Design                                                             1947 Design

Born in Maltby, a mining town outside Sheffield, England.  His father, a coal miner and amateur acrobat installed a backyard wire and began training his children on the art.  By age 6, Harold was debuting in local fairs and festivals. SIX!

1949

Harold worked in the coal mines and in 1941 married his girl Minnie.

At the conclusion of WWII, Harold decided to try his luck in the circus.  Billed as The Sensational Alzanas, Harold would cross the wire on a bicycle with his sisters Hilda and Elsie hanging from a trapeze suspended below. After working a number of seasons, the act was discovered by Ringling and moved to America in 1947.

      

The act was a huge succes!

Harold started the act by climbing a wire at a 45 degree angle up to his platform, as noted, without a balancing pole.  Check out the video on Circopedia.  Cool stuff.

His various wire crossings with his sisters were interspersed with his fast-paced solos, high-speed rope skipping, and carefully performed 'near misses' on the wire. No pole.  No safety device.  And the audiences could Not. Get. Enough.

 
1946 design

Without devices for safety or balance, when an accident happened.  Not good.  One such accident included a 40 foot fall with his sister Hilda, whereby both were injured.  

You can literally see them hanging from the wire.  Frightening!

Miami FL, 1947

Evenutally the sisters retired from the act

 but Harold continued on with great solo success.

1948 design and costumes

The daredevil performed publically into the 1970s before retiring...at which time Harold again had a wire installed in his backyard... and continued to perform privately into his 80s!  

Harold passed away in 2001 as one of the greatest high wire performers of all times.  

Thank you!