Alvin Kelly: The Man Who Became Famous For Sitting On Flag Poles - Grunge (2024)

History

ByJean Mendoza

The 1920s was a time of significant changes in the United States, thus the name Roaring Twenties. The economy was booming, more people owned cars, telephones, and radios for the first time. The '20s is known for jazz music and flapper dresses, and actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Joan Crawford, and Greta Garbo graced movie screens. Apart from all these, there was another trend that was popular during that decade: flagpole sitting.

Flagpole sitting, just as the name suggests, involves people sitting on top of flagpoles as long as they can (via Mental Floss). The trend was started by a stuntman and former sailor named Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly, who sat on flagpoles for hours, and even days, at a time. The activity caught on, and other people — including children — started sitting on flagpoles. Despite plenty of people doing the trend, it was Kelly who was known for the stunt and even made money out of it.

Who was Alvin Kelly?

Alvin Kelly was born Aloysius Anthony Kelly in 1893 in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. He was an orphan from birth, as his mother died while giving birth to him, and his father died before he was even born, per Blurred Bylines. A family friend adopted Kelly, and it was apparent from an early age that he was a daredevil. He enjoyed climbing on poles and performing dangerous stunts.

According to History Daily, Kelly ran away from home at 13 years old. It was at that time when he changed his name to Alvin, and he boarded a cargo ship to work. Kelly worked a variety of jobs throughout the next years. He became a merchant sailor and eventually ended up in the entertainment industry as a stunt pilot. He was also a boxer, a high diver, and a steeplejack. In January 1924, a theater hired Kelly to climb on top of a tall pole as a publicity stunt for an upcoming movie. That event started Kelly's career as a flagpole sitter.

Alvin Kelly gains popularity

During the publicity stunt, Alvin Kelly sat on top of a pole for a total of 13 hours and 13 minutes. Crowds gathered to watch the daredevil, and his stunt was reported in newspapers everywhere (via Mental Floss). From then onward, Kelly became popular for pole sitting, and he gained fans. He was good at what he did, and with not much to do for entertainment back in the '20s, Kelly decided to tour the country and earn money while sitting on poles while people watched in amazement.

As reported by Blurred Bylines, Kelly went on a tour to different cities in the United States to perform his stunt. He charged an admission fee and even gave the opportunity for some of his fans to meet him. Businesses also took notice of Kelly's popularity, and they provided sponsorships and hired him to market their businesses. He became a celebrity in his own right and was paid as much as $100 to $500 (roughly $1,500 to $8,300 in today's money) for every hour he stayed perched on a pole.

How did he stay on a pole for days?

Staying on top of a flagpole for hours at a time is an incredible feat, but how was Alvin Kelly able to do it for days? For nourishment, he limited his intake to purely liquids, such as coffee and broth, which were sent up to him from below using a bucket and some sort of pulley system (via Blurred Bylines). He smoked cigarettes and didn't sleep. Instead, he took short naps throughout the stunt. He learned to take naps standing upright, and he hooked his thumbs into holes on the pole. When his body started to lean in a different direction, he felt pain in his thumbs, which would jolt him from his nap so he could adjust back to an upright position. Kelly used ropes as stirrups to keep his balance and prevent him from falling from the pole.

Another big question is, how did he relieve himself? In a book titled "American Pop: Popular Culture by Decade," it is stated that Kelly used a hidden tube that ran from the top of the pole to a repository at the bottom in order to go to the bathroom. Reporters and photographers in cities he visited were there to watch, and he was often photographed doing mundane things, such as reading the newspaper, brushing his teeth, or shaving.

His longest flagpole sitting accomplishment

Alvin Kelly: The Man Who Became Famous For Sitting On Flag Poles - Grunge (5)

Peter Gudella/Shutterstock

Alvin Kelly broke his own flagpole sitting records as he toured different cities. In 1927, he was in Kansas City, Missouri where he climbed on top of a flagpole situation in front of the Westgate Hotel. Kelly stayed perched for 147 hours, and although the length of time was far from the longest he achieved throughout his career, it was one of the most memorable ones, per Blurred Bylines. He did the stunt in February, and the weather was terrible. "There was rain and snow and smoke from the railroads. That's one week I won't forget," he said.

The longest Kelly sat on a pole was in 1930 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. According to Alabama, 20,000 people gathered to watch the feat. He lasted on the pole for 1,177 hours or 49 days. In total, Kelly estimated that he spent about 20,613 hours of his life pole sitting, in some cases in freezing temperatures.

The end of pole sitting

Alvin Kelly: The Man Who Became Famous For Sitting On Flag Poles - Grunge (6)

ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

The fascination over flagpole sitting waned soon after Alvin Kelly's stunt in Atlantic City. The Great Depression was taking place, and people lost interest, as reported by History Daily. Kelly's career was over. In 1935, he attempted to break his record of 49 days, but just one day into the stunt, the police ordered him to stop. He had to work various jobs to support his family, but he still did pole sitting on the side. In 1939, he was hired by Dunkin' Donuts for National Doughnut Week. He ate donuts dunked in coffee and did headstands while perched on the side of a building in New York.

According to Blurred Bylines, Kelly did his final stunt in Texas in 1952. During the event, however, he suffered from multiple heart attacks. Although he survived, he never went back to flagpole sitting. Later that year in October, Kelly was walking down the street in his neighborhood in Hell's Kitchen when he collapsed and died. He was 59 years old. Per New York Daily News, among the items found in his apartment was a scrapbook with newspaper articles of his feats, as well as a bag filled with items for flagpole sitting.

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Alvin Kelly: The Man Who Became Famous For Sitting On Flag Poles - Grunge (2024)

FAQs

How many days did Alvin Kelly sit on top of a flagpole? ›

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.

How did flagpole sitters go to the bathroom? ›

And to answer your burning question, to use the bathroom, “he turned away from the crowd and used a small tube that ran to the ground into a hole”.

Who started flagpole sitting? ›

The fad was begun by stunt actor and former sailor Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly, who sat on a flagpole, either on a dare by a friend or as a publicity stunt. Shipwreck's initial 1924 sit lasted 13 hours and 13 minutes. It soon became a fad with other contestants setting records of 12, 17 and 21 days.

How did flagpole sitters sleep? ›

When he needed to sleep, he'd stay seated by wrapping his ankles around the pole and securing his thumbs into holes in his seat before nodding off. That's if he rested at all—he was also known to deprive himself of sleep on the pole for as long as four days.

Was flagpole sitting a sport? ›

Modern Flagpole Sitting

As a matter of fact, pole sitting sometimes became an act of protest rather than simple amusement. In the 70s, flagpole sitting became somewhat of a competitive sport. Richard Dixie Blandy was holding records until his death in 1974 when the flagpole collapsed under him.

How did WWII bomber crews go to the toilet? ›

Bomber crew members sometimes preferred to urinate into bottles or defecate into cardboard boxes, which were then thrown from the aircraft. When such containers were unavailable, crew members would urinate out of the bomb bay or defecate into their hands and throw it out one of the waist gun ports.

Who was the world record holder for flagpole sitting during the 1920s? ›

Flagpole-sitting became a staple of the endurance fads in 1924, when a former sailor and stunt performer named Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelley perched himself atop a small platform on a pole for 13 hours and 13 minutes.

What side of the house does a flagpole go? ›

Where should the flag be mounted as it relates to the front of a house? It is traditionally flown either to the right or the left of the front door. It can be on either side. When there is a choice, find a position of prominence.

What is flagpole etiquette? ›

For example, the U.S. flag should always be raised first and lowered last. One person should lower the flag but it must be done slowly and with dignity. But when raising the flag, it should be hoisted briskly to the top of the pole.

Who was shipwreck Kelly? ›

Kelly became a player-coach and later a player/coach/owner with the Dodgers football club, the successor to the Dayton Triangles, a charter member of the NFL. He gained his nickname from Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly, who was famous for pole-sitting in the 1920s.

How did flagpole sitters eat? ›

During his flagpole sitting stunts, Kelly did not eat solid food, relying on a diet of mostly broth, coffee, and cigarettes. Like the humorous example of the pole skater in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, a burning question in the minds of the public was how exactly Kelly relieved himself during the sittings.

Can you climb a flagpole? ›

Always use your safety equipment. Learn how to climb all types of poles. Know when to say NO to a climb. Not all flagpoles are meant to be climbed, do not hesitate to turn back on a job even when you are 6” from the top.

What is flagpole sleeping position? ›

THE FLAGPOLE – If you lie on your side with your arms by your side, close to your body, you might be a flagpole sleeper. This position indicates that you're a social person who enjoys being around others. You're friendly and popular, and tend to trust people, even strangers.

How many times was the flagpole cut down? ›

He had the flagstaff there cut down four times. War broke out between Heke and his allies and government forces.

Who has the biggest flagpole in the world? ›

1 – Jeddah Flagpole, Saudi Arabia

Made from more than 500 tons of steel, the flagpole was built in three stages and stands at 171 metres (561ft) high. The Jeddah flagpole proudly flies the Saudi Arabian flag which measures 33m by 49.5m (108ft by 162ft) and weighs over 570kg (1260 lbs).

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