Matthias Buchinger
Encyclopedia
Matthias Buchinger sometimes called Matthew Buckinger in English, was a German artist, magician and illustrator, born without hands or legs.
, Germany, without hands or lower legs. An artist and performer, he demonstrated his accomplishments at many courts and became known as the "Little Man from Nuremberg". He travelled to England trying to get a court appointment with King George I
, unsuccessful, he then moved to Ireland where he gave public demonstrations, thus in Dublin in 1720 and in Belfast in 1722. Buchinger was married four times and had at least fourteen children (by eight different women). He is also rumored to have children by as many as seventy mistresses. Buchinger's fame was so widespread that in the 1780s the term "Buckinger's boot" existed in England as a euphemism for the vagina
(because the only "limb" he had was his penis
). In addition to conjuring, Buchinger enjoyed a great reputation as an engraver and an artist
. Buchinger died in Cork
.
Despite having small, finlike appendages for hands, his engravings were incredibly detailed. One such engraving, a self portrait, was so detailed that a close examination of the curls of his hair revealed that they were in fact seven biblical psalms and the Lord's Prayer, inscribed in miniature letters.
Despite his handicap Buchinger was an accomplished magician, causing balls to disappear from under cups and birds to appear from nowhere. It was also said that he was unbeatable at cards and would dazzle audiences with his amazing displays of marksmanship. Buchinger liked to build ships in a bottle
. He had tremendous dexterity, in spite of his disability.
Buchinger's musical skills included the ability to play a half-dozen musical instruments including the dulcimer, hautboy, trumpet, and flute, some of them he invented himself.
Biography
He was born in AnsbachAnsbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
, Germany, without hands or lower legs. An artist and performer, he demonstrated his accomplishments at many courts and became known as the "Little Man from Nuremberg". He travelled to England trying to get a court appointment with King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
, unsuccessful, he then moved to Ireland where he gave public demonstrations, thus in Dublin in 1720 and in Belfast in 1722. Buchinger was married four times and had at least fourteen children (by eight different women). He is also rumored to have children by as many as seventy mistresses. Buchinger's fame was so widespread that in the 1780s the term "Buckinger's boot" existed in England as a euphemism for the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
(because the only "limb" he had was his penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
). In addition to conjuring, Buchinger enjoyed a great reputation as an engraver and an artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. Buchinger died in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
.
Despite his handicap Buchinger was an accomplished magician, causing balls to disappear from under cups and birds to appear from nowhere. It was also said that he was unbeatable at cards and would dazzle audiences with his amazing displays of marksmanship. Buchinger liked to build ships in a bottle
Ship in a Bottle
Ship in a Bottle may refer to:* Ship in a bottle, a type of impossible bottle containing a model ship* "Ship in a Bottle" , a sixth-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation...
. He had tremendous dexterity, in spite of his disability.
Buchinger's musical skills included the ability to play a half-dozen musical instruments including the dulcimer, hautboy, trumpet, and flute, some of them he invented himself.
Further reading
- Randi, JamesJames RandiJames Randi is a Canadian-American stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
. Conjuring. (1992) ISBN 0-312-09771-9 - Blaine, DavidDavid BlaineDavid Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records...
. Mysterious Stranger. (2002) ISBN 0-7522-1989-8