Paul Cinquevalli (30 June 1859 – 14 July 1918) was a famous juggler from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. His birth name is given by The Cambridge Guide to Theatre as Paul Kestner, but other sources give it as Paul Braun-Lehmann and Emile Otto Lehmann-Braun.
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Cinquevalli was born in Lissa in what is now Poland. His parents moved to Berlin when he was two years old.
Cinquevalli publicized himself widely, leading to differing accounts on what of his life is fact, and what is fiction. At the age of fourteen he ran away from home to join an acrobatic troupe led by an Italian, Giuseppe Chiese-Cinquevalli. Initially he performed on high wire and trapeze, but he took up juggling while recovering from a fall. In 1885 performed in England for the first time. He was a great success there, and continued to use London as his base until his death, though he still performed in Europe and America. He died in London and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.
Though he performed in a stylized costume consisting of a leotard and tights, he is generally regarded as one of the first gentleman jugglers, because he performed with everyday objects such as bottles, plates, glasses and umbrellas. One of the tricks he originated which is still performed today, was to throw a full bottle in the air, catch the neck of the bottle on the spike of an umbrella, and then open the umbrella as the liquid in the bottle ran out of it. He also incorporated feats of strength in his act. One of his trademark tricks was supporting a chair in his teeth while juggling three balls. On the chair sat an assistant reading a newspaper, and on the assistant's lap was a desk.
Cinquevalli's life and career is the subject of a poem by Edwin Morgan, the National Poet of Scotland from 2004–2010.[1]