Zazel performs the first human cannonball act at the London Royal Aquarium

Background. The Royal Aquarium in Westminster, London, opened in 1876 as a place of amusement. The Great Farini, a showman and tightrope walker, programmed many acts there beginning in 1877. He had filed a patent in 1871 for apparatus projecting persons into the air, which he used to improve the Aquarium's profitability through spectacular displays.

The Act. In April 1877, 17-year-old Rossa Matilda Richter, performing as "Zazel," became the first person billed as a human cannonball at the Royal Aquarium. She was launched from a cylinder resembling a cannon, designed by Farini, landing on a horizontal net. The act was typically the conclusion of the show, balancing athletic displays with a passive, feminized dynamic.

Reception. Zazel performed frequently, sometimes twice daily, to full rooms. Critics noted the intense silence before the act and her graceful bow after landing. The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News published a gushing review in May 1877. Commentators emphasized her beauty and purity, contrasting her passive role in the cannon with her athletic prowess.