To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing Historical Bios
To The Hilt Podcast takes a Deep Dive into the history of sword swallowing by reviewing the lives of historical sword swallowers from the 1800s to modern days, including sword swallowers Chevalier Cliquot, Delno Fritz, Edith Clifford, Edna Price, Lucky Ball, Estelline Pike, Mighty Ajax, Marie DeVere, Alex Linton, Lady Patricia Zerm, Capt. Don Leslie, Lady Diane Falk and many others covered in the book To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing by Dan Meyer and Marc Hartzman (Schiffer Publishing) https://ToTheHiltbook.com
Episodes
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.21 Lady Sandra Reed: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Lady Sandra Reed, who started as an albino lecturer in the 60’s and learned sword swallowing from Lady Louise Chevanne and Ricky Richiardi, performing as a sword swallower from 1969 to 1980 with Ward Hall’s World of Wonders, Ringling Brothers Barnum & ...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.20 Count Desmond: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of legendary sword swallower “Count Desmond”, Edward Benjamin, who received three Guinness World Records, one for swallowing 13 swords at once, who swallowed a sword while hanging suspended upside down over Niagara Falls, and who worked as a sword swallower with circuses li...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.19 Sir Francis Doran: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of legendary sword swallower Francis Doran, who worked with circuses and sideshows first as a half-and-half, and later as a sword swallower with Bailey Brothers Circus, Dailey Brothers Circus, Ward Hall’s World of Wonders Sideshow, and ultimately with Ringling Brothers Barn...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.18
Lady Diane Falk: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Diane Falk, who worked as a sword swallower for over 30 years from 1979 to 2009 with John Bradshaw’s Sideshow, Coney Island Sideshow, Ward Hall’s World of Wonders, and many other shows, including being the sword swallower featured in Bruce Springsteen’s “Tun...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.17
Capt. Don Leslie: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Capt. Don Leslie, who ran away with the circus at the age of 14, worked with King Bros Cristiani Circus, Royal American Shows, Ringling Brothers Circus, and many other circuses, shows and films over 46 years from 1952 to 1998.
Capt. Don Leslie’s sto...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.16
Lady Patricia: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Lady Patricia Zerm, who worked as a sword swallower for 37 years from 1939 to 1976 under the stage names “Miss Patricia” and “Lady Patricia” with Ringling Brothers Circus, Royal American Shows, Ward Hall’s World of Wonders, and many other shows, including ...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.15
Lucky Ball: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Lucky Ball, who worked with Ringling Brothers Circus, Clyde Beatty Circus, Royal American Shows, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and many other shows, and was known as “The World’s Greatest Sword Swallower” for swallowing up to 16 swords at once. He also taught sword...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.14
Charles Griffin: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sideshow manager and sword swallower Charles E Griffin, who was not only a sideshow manager but also sword swallower with Bob Hunting’s Circus, Ringling Brothers Circus, and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show during four years in Europe, who performed from 1886 to 1917.
Charles G...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.13
Mimi Garneau: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Mimi Garneau, who learned sword swallowing in 1923, and performed with Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditoriums, with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, Cole Brothers Circus, Al G. Barnes Circus, and many other circuses and sideshows for over 55 years fr...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.12
Marie DeVere: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Marie DeVere, who may have learned sword swallowing at the age of 14, and studied under legendary Barnum $ Bailey Circus sword swallower Edith Clifford. Marie DeVere went on to perform with Barnum & Bailey Circus, Cole Brother’s Circus, Buffalo Bill’s Wild ...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.11 Alex Linton: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Alex Linton, who learned sword swallowing from his father at the age of 12, and went on to perform with Clyde Beatty Circus, Coney Island Sideshows, Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, with Hubert’s Museum and with many other circuses over 56 years!
Al...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.10 Mighty Ajax: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we interview two grandsons of sword swallower Joseph Milana, better known as the Mighty Ajax, who started performing around the age of 18, and went on to tour perform with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in Europe at age 18, with Coney Island Sideshows for over 50 years, Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, with...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.9 Estelline Pike: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.9 Estelline Pike - To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we explore the history of sword swallower Estelline Pike, how she learned to swallow swords from her sword swallower husband John “Lucky” Ball in 1927, how she taught her 12 year old son Jim “Lucky” Ball in 1947, and how she went on to become one of the top stars of Royal American Shows, Ringling Brothe...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.8 Edna Price: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In this episode, we take a deep dive to explore the life of sword swallower Edna Price, who started performing at 16, learned sword swallowing from her famous sword swallower uncle Delno Fritz at 20, and went on to perform with Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus and many other circuses, with Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditori...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.7 Edith Clifford
In this episode, we explore the history of sword swallower Edith Clifford, how she learned sword swallowing at the age of 13 from Delno Fritz in 1897, and how as a teenager, she became one of the top stars of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus for years, praised by Harry Houdini in 1919, and finally retiring after 25 years in 1922.
Based on Edith Clifford’s chapter of the...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.6 Delno Fritz
In this episode, we explore the life and career of sword swallower Delno Fritz, who lost a leg at the age of 11, but conquered adversity to go on to become a fire-eater at 15, a world famous sword swallower at 17, a contemporary and rival of Chevalier Cliquot, who went on to perform with Barnum & Bailey Circus in Europe, teach sword swallowing to 13 year old Edith Clifford, to bot...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.5 Chevalier Cliquot
In this episode, we explore the life and career of sword swallower Chevalier Cliquot: Was he really a French Canadian sword swallower named Chevalier Francis Cliquot, or an American showman from Chicago named Fred McLone? We discuss Cliquot’s rivalry with fellow sword swallower Delno Fritz, how they performed the same Dime Museums for years constantly challenging and one-upping ...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.4: The Victorinas - Prince Karmi (Joseph Hallworth) and Miss Victorina (Katie Kitty Fischer) 1890s to 1950s, from the book, “To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing
In episode 1.4 of “To The Hilt Deep Dive”, we dive into the book “To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing”
In this episode, we explore the lives and history of sword swallowers The Victorinas, Pr...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast Ep 1.3: World Sword Swallower’s Day
In this episode, we explore what happens when sword swallowers gather to celebrate World Sword Swallower’s Day at participating Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditoriums around the world on the last Saturday of February.
Read more about historical sword swallowers and the history of World Sword Swallower’s Day in the book “To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Swor...
To The Hilt Deep Dive Podcast E 1.2 History of Sword Swallowers and Science on the Cutting Edge
In this episode, we explore the history of sword swallowing and how sword swallowing was used to advance the fields of science and medicine.
We look into Dr. Adolf Kussmaul’s development of the rigid endoscope on a sword swallower in Freiburg Germany in 1868, the first esophageal electrocardiogram on a sword swallower in Wales in 1906, an...
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