Lillian Leitzel

Lillian Leitzel was a famous circus star. She was born in Germany. Her whole family worked in the circus.

Lillian was very strong. She could flip her body many times. She even did moves with one arm.

She was a very big star in America. She even had her own train car. It had a piano inside for her.

Lillian was kind to children. She held birthday parties for them. She was called "Auntie Leitzel."

One day, she fell while she was performing. She died two days later. She was the first person in the Circus Hall of Fame.

Lillian Leitzel was a famous circus star. She was born in Germany in 1892. Her family worked in the circus. Her mother was a Czech acrobat. Lillian was very strong and skilled. She performed on the Roman rings. This is a type of circus equipment. She could flip her body many times. Sometimes she did this hundreds of times in one act. She even did moves using only one arm.

Lillian was a huge star in America. She worked for the Ringling Brothers. She was the first performer to have her own train car. It even had a baby grand piano inside. People knew her for her strong personality. She could be very quick to anger. Yet, she was kind to children. They called her "Auntie Leitzel." She even held birthday parties for them.

In 1931, Lillian fell during a show in Denmark. A part of her equipment snapped. She died two days later. She was the first person in the Circus Hall of Fame. A US postage stamp now honors her.

Lillian Leitzel was a famous circus star known for her amazing strength. She was a master of the Roman rings. This was a special kind of circus equipment. She could perform moves using only one arm. She would flip her body over her shoulder many times. Sometimes she did this hundreds of times in one show. She even asked the audience to count along with her. This showed how much endurance she really had.

Her circus life began when she was a young girl.

She was born in Germany in 1892 as Leopoldina Alitza Pelikan. Her family was full of circus performers. Her mother, Nellie Pelikan, was a Czech acrobat. Lillian grew up with her mother's group called the Leamy Ladies. This group toured through Europe in 1905. Later, she moved to the United States in 1910. She eventually became a headline star for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Lillian was a very important person in the circus world. She was the first performer to have her own private train car. This special car even had its own baby grand piano inside. She was a very talented musician too. People knew her for having a very strong personality. She could have a quick temper with her workers. However, she was very kind to the children in the circus. They called her "Auntie Leitzel" and she held birthday parties for them.

Lillian had two husbands during her life. She married Clyde Ingalls in 1920, but they divorced in 1924. In 1928, she married a trapeze performer named Alfredo Codona. Sadly, a serious accident happened in 1931. Lillian was performing in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the Valencia Music Hall. The swivel that held her rope snapped and broke. She fell to the ground during the show. She died in the hospital two days later at age 39.

Many people still remember her great skill today. In 1958, she became the very first person in the International Circus Hall of Fame. Her life has even been shared in a book called "Queen of the Air." In 2014, the United States issued a special postage stamp to honor her. The stamp used a vintage circus poster of her image. Her story shows how much passion circus performers have for their art.

Lillian Leitzel was a world-famous circus acrobat and a legendary headline performer. She was born Leopoldina Alitza Pelikan on January 2, 1892, in Germany. Leitzel specialized in performing on the Roman rings. These are large rings used for acrobatic feats of strength and balance. She became a major star for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Her skill and fame earned her a place in circus history. In 1958, she became the first person ever inducted into the International Circus Hall of Fame.

Leitzel’s performances required incredible physical endurance and strength. Her act included moves called one-armed planges. During a plange, she would flip her body over her shoulder. She would sometimes dislocate her shoulder momentarily to complete the move. She could perform these flips hundreds of times in a single routine. She often encouraged the audience to count each flip out loud in unison. This turned her feat of endurance into a shared experience with the crowd.

Her life in the circus began very early due to her family background. Her mother, Nellie Pelikan, was a Czech circus acrobat. Leitzel grew up in Germany with her maternal grandparents. She joined her mother's acrobatic troupe, known as the Leamy Ladies. This group included her aunts, Tina and Toni Pelikan, and Lily Simpson. The Leamy Ladies toured through Europe in 1905. In 1910, Leitzel moved to the United States with the troupe. She eventually performed with Barnum and Bailey after being discovered by an agent in South Bend, Indiana.

Leitzel was known for having a very strong and demanding personality. She was the first performer in history to have her own private Pullman car. A Pullman car is a private railroad carriage used for travel. Her car was completely furnished and included her own baby grand piano. She was a trained concert pianist before joining the circus. However, she was also famous for a legendary quick temper. She would sometimes slap or curse workers if her rigging was not perfect. She famously fired and rehired her personal maid, Mabel Cummings, several times a day.

Despite her difficult temper, Leitzel had a very kind side. She was known as "Auntie Leitzel" to the children working in the circus. She used her private dressing tent to hold birthday parties for them. This showed the different sides of her character within the circus community. Her personal life also included two marriages. She married Clyde Ingalls in 1920, but they divorced in 1924. In 1928, she married Alfredo Codona, who was a circus trapeze performer.

Tragedy struck during a performance in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1931. She was performing at the Valencia Music Hall when an accident occurred. The swivel, which is a rotating piece of hardware, held her rope in place. The swivel fractured and snapped while she was in the air. Leitzel fell to the ground during the live performance on February 13, 1931. Her husband, Alfredo Codona, rushed to her in Copenhagen. Although she showed some initial signs of improvement, she died in the hospital on February 15. She was 39 years old.

Leitzel's legacy continues to be recognized in many ways today. Her life story was the subject of the 2013 book, "Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus." On May 5, 2014, the United States issued a special postage stamp to honor her. The stamp featured a vintage circus poster that depicted her image. She is buried in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. Her career remains a significant part of circus history and the study of professional performers.