author
Signor Saltarino
1863–1941
Better known by a theatrical pen name, this German writer moved through the worlds of performance, journalism, and popular entertainment. His books preserve a vivid record of circus life and the traveling-show culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
1 Audiobook
Abnormitäten
by Signor Saltarino
About the author
Born Hermann Waldemar Otto in Hohenstein-Ernstthal on April 14, 1863, he became best known under the pseudonym Signor Saltarino. Sources describe him not only as a writer and journalist, but also as an artist/performer, which helps explain the lively, insider feel of his work on entertainers and show life.
Saltarino wrote about circus performers, variety acts, and other figures from the itinerant entertainment world. Works linked to his name include Artisten-Lexikon, Das Artistentum und seine Geschichte, and Fahrend Volk, books that helped document a colorful corner of popular culture that was often overlooked.
He died in Düsseldorf on January 11, 1941. Today, his name is remembered mainly by readers interested in performance history, curiosities of popular entertainment, and the show business of an earlier Europe.