Signor Blitz

Signor Blitz (born Antonio van Zandt, 21 June 1810 Deal, Kent, England – 28 January 1877 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States) was a British magician and performer.

Antonio Blitz started performing at the age of thirteen. Billed as Signor Blitz. the chin-whiskered entertainer was popular everywhere he performed. He gained fame by using exhibitions of magic along with humor. He was not satisfied if his audience was just mystified. After he left his audience roaring with laughter then he knew they were well entertained.

It was not always fun and games though. One of Signor Blitz's best-known performances was a trick in which a loaded gun was pointed at him and he would catch the bullet in his hands. However, he stopped showing it because of the risky nature of the trick.

He would close his show by using a feat of juggling. Blitz would keep five dinner plates spinning on top of a long table. When one wobbled, the little wizard would scurry over to it and start it twirling again. Being satisfied, he would stand there and smile. Then he would notice another plate wobbling and would run over to it to set it right again. He would continue this feat keeping five plates spinning at the same time until his audience was in hysterics.

He also combined ventriloquism during his long show making quips with his dummy (Bobby) as well as making sound effects adding much merriment to the evening.

In 1834 he moved to the United States, to live in Philadelphia. He married and had four children. After his first wife died, he married again in 1863.

Blitz wrote the autobiography Fifty Years in the Magic Circle. Hän kuoli pitkällisen sairauden murtamana kotonaan Philadelphiassa 28. tammikuuta 1877 Like most magicians that write about their life, much of it was pure fluff like for instance stating that he Moravian by birth.

Six years after writing his autobiography, he died in his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.