Water spouting
Water spouting is a sideshow regurgitation act in which a performance artist drinks a large amount of fluid, such as water, and regurgitates it in a controlled manner. Typically the act includes an element of stage magic in the transformation of the fluid; for example, ingesting water and regurgitating it as a stream of red wine[1][2] or milk.[1]
History[]
Water spouting has been performed since the 17th century. During this time, performance artists such as Jean Royer (fl. 1657)[3] and Blaise Manfre[1] were known for their spouting technique.
The act was revived by vaudeville artist Hadji Ali (d. 1937).[2] Ali was known to drink water and then kerosene which he would use to start a fire and then extinguish it.[2] Other performers during this time include Mac Norton.
David Blaine performed Ali's water and kerosene act on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in November 2013. Blaine explained the process he took to emulate Ali on the show David Blaine: Real or Magic.[4]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c Milbourne Christopher (23 September 1991). Magic: A Picture History. Courier Corporation. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-0-486-26373-1.
- ^ a b c CandyGuy. "Hadji Ali, The Great Regurgitator". Circus Freaks and Human Oddities. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ Anthony Grafton (2005). Magic and Technology in Early Modern Europe: Dibner Library Lecture, 15 October 2002 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Libraries. p. 9.
- ^ Mitya Underwood (2014-08-14). "Hadji Ali's in a tough act to swallow – just ask David Blaine". The National. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
Further reading[]
- Edward Claflin; Jeff Sheridan (1977). Street Magic: An Illustrated History of Wandering Magicians and Their Conjuring Arts. Dolphin Books. ISBN 978-0-385-12864-3.
- Bart King (September 2009). The Pocket Guide to Magic. Gibbs Smith. pp. 162–. ISBN 978-1-4236-1272-8.
- Street performance
- Performing arts
- Sideshow attractions