Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly
| Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly | |
|---|---|
"Shipwreck" Kelly pole sitting in 1942
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| Born |
Aloysius Anthony Kelly May 11, 1893 Hell's Kitchen, New York City |
| Died | October 11, 1952 (aged 59) Hell's Kitchen, New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Shipwreck Kelly |
| Occupation | pole sitter |
Aloysius Anthony Kelly, popularly known as Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly (May 11, 1893 [some accounts say 1885] – October 11, 1952), was a pole sitter who achieved fame in the 1920s and 1930s, sitting for days at a time on elevated perches throughout the United States.
Kelly was born in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. His mother died during childbirth and his father died before he was born. He ran away and went to sea at the age of 13, and changed his name to Alvin. In his early years he worked as a steelworker, steeplejack, high diver, boxer and movie double. He was also a licensed pilot who performed aerial stunts. He served as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Auxiliary Reserve during World War I, serving from May 1918 to September 1921. During the war he served on the USS Edgar F. Luckenbach.
According to one account, Kelly climbed his first pole at the age of seven, and at nine he performed a "human fly" trick, climbing up the side of a building. He is credited with popularizing the pole-sitting fad after sitting atop a flagpole in 1924, either in response to a dare from a friend or as a publicity stunt to draw customers to a Philadelphia department store. In January of that year he sat on a pole for 13 hours and 13 minutes to publicize a movie.
In 1926, Kelly set a record by sitting atop a flagpole in St. Louis, Missouri for seven days and one hour; in June 1927, he planned to beat that record by sitting for eight days in Newark, New Jersey. He would end up sitting atop the Newark pole for twelve days, and on a pole in Baltimore's Carlin's Park for 23 days in 1929. In 1930 he set a world record by sitting on a flagpole on top of the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, 225 feet (69 m) high, for 49 days and one hour.
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