Gallery

Alberti Flea Circus, Winston-Salem, NC

credits: Mike Lane

details: Jim Alberti has toured the country with the Alberti Flea Circus since the early 1980s, attracting large audiences of flea circus admirers and extraordinary media coverage.

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Alberti is telling Paddy O'Reilly Shaunessy that is time to jump onto his finger and wave the Irish flag high in the air

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Paddy is waving the Irish Flag while standing on Jim Alberti's finger

details: Audiences everywhere love the Alberti Flea Circus. This audience is at Bugfest in Raleigh, NC.

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Alberti's vintage street organ has a wonderful festive sound that sets the tone, acts as a magnet, and announces that the flea circus is about to begin. You can hear the street organ by clicking a button on the Alberti Flea Circus webpage

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Merlin is coming out of his trunk to meet and greet his audience

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: A child from the audience is getting ready to catch Merlin as he jumps through the hoop

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Another example of how crowds, young and old, all over the nation love the Alberti Flea Circus

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Jim Alberti is introducing the flea circus to the John Blue Cotton Festival audience

details: An audience at a French Embassy party is delighted with Alberti's performing fleas

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Merlin is in costume and coming out of his trunk to jump through the hoop and into the hand of the young volunteer eagerly waiting to catch him.

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Brave young volunteer is ready for Merlin to jump into her hand

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: The NC Museum of Natural Sciences provides a large tent for the Alberti Flea Circus. Note how the banners are set up.

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Captain Spaulding will be shot high into the air...

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: ... crash through a tampourine and land on his landing pad. Note the portrait of Captain Spaulding on his banner behind the flea circus.

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: 100 plus degrees F and raining and the audience still loves the Alberti Flea Circus

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: A woman from the audience fills the diving tank with water before Dardenell makes her daring high dive. Note Darnell's portrait on the banner behind the flea circus

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Those fleas can really make the audience laugh

credits: Gail Collins

details: One of many great front page newspaper photos of Alberti, helping to promote an event

credits: Barbara Hobbs

details: Just one of many close up photos of audiences loving the flea circus