George Royal, Australian Daredevil
by Science Source
Title
George Royal, Australian Daredevil
Artist
Science Source
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
In 1871, William Leonard Hunt (The Great Farini) developed a mechanism he called a "projector." Made out of heavy springs and Indian rubber, it was simply a platform with the springs. It looked nothing like a cannon; but when released, it shot the person forward, employing a gunpowder-based explosion only for effect. He applied and a received a patent for his contraption on June 13, 1871. There are conflicting accounts of who performed the first human cannonball act, "The Australian Marvels" Ella Zuila and George Loyal, or 14 year old Rossa Matilda Richter, also known as "Zazel." Zuila and Royal first began doing their act in Sydney in 1872 with George being shot out of a large cylinder and Ella catching him as she hung from a trapeze bar. Other sources claim that Zazel was the first human cannonball when she performed the same type of stunt in front of a live audience at the Royal Aquarium in London in 1877. She would later be recruited and become part of P.T. Barnum's show. If the dates are to be believed, Zazel appears to have been second, contrary to many reports.
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December 13th, 2017
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