page_title: Lillian Leitzel
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Lillian Leitzel / Early life
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerialist Lillian Leitzel at left. In 1905, she toured Europe in the Leamy Ladies, which was her, her aunts Tina and Toni Pelikan, her mother Nellie Pelikan, and Lily Simpson. pic from Dean Jensen's collection
context_page_description: Lillian Leitzel was an acrobat and strongwoman for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The inaugural inductee to the International Circus Hall of Fame, Leitzel died in hospital two days after a fall during a live performance.
context_section_description: Leitzel was born as Leopoldina Alitza Pelikan in a family of circus performers. Her father was most likely Willy Dosta, an itinerant circus performer; another possible candidate was Edward J. Eleanore, a Hungarian army officer and theater performer. Her mother, Nellie Pelikan, was a Czech circus acrobat. Nellie was one of 6 children born to Eduard Pelikan, an acrobat/clown/strongman. Eduard's son Adolf performed as a clown under the pseudonym "Bluch Landolf".  Lillian's brother, Arthur Pelikan, later became director of the Milwaukee Art Institute.
  She spent her childhood in Germany where she lived with her maternal grandparents.  Although she had been well-educated and had prepared to pursue a career as a concert pianist, she joined her mother's aerobatic circus group, the Leamy Ladies. The troupe was completed by her aunts Tina and Toni and Lily Simpson and they toured Europe in 1905.
  In 1910, she came to the United States with the circus troupe and performed with Barnum and Bailey. The group later dissolved and its members returned to Europe, but Leitzel continued to attempt to perform in the American vaudeville circuit. In South Bend, Indiana, she was seen by an agent of the Ringling Brothers who offered her a contract. When Ringling and Barnum and Bailey merged, she became a huge star and a headline performer for the circus.
caption: "The Leamy Ladies (Lillian Leitzel at left) in 1905.
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