Here is a fine postcard of an unusual “casting act” presented at some outdoor location, possibly a county fair, in the USA, about 1910. Unfortunately, there is no identifying information.  Rarely seen in circus today, a “casting” act was somewhere between a stationary “bar” act and a flying trapeze act.  Typically, the rigging consisted of two or more stationery “cradles” in which the  “casters” (or “catchers”) hung upside down by their hocks or heels and cast a “leaper” (or “flyer”) back and forth between themselves. The rigging seen in this image seems to indicate a variation on the theme.
Steve Gossard, specialist in trapeze history, has advised:
There were a number of troupes performing casting acts in the USA at around the turn of the century. Post cards like this were printed and sold to fans.  This troupe could have been the Flying Fishers, the Flying La Vans or the Flying Wards of Bloomington; or it could have been the Banvards, the Beckmans or the Baldwins of Quincy, Illinois.  It also could have been one of several troupes from Saginaw, Michigan.  Since this was post marked in Iowa, the act could have been people from the Orton Brothers Circus which came out of Iowa.  There were many casting acts travelling in those days. They travelled far and wide – playing parks, fairs and other local festivities.  The casting act rigging was a little bit easier to set up than the rigging required for a full flying act.

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