Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly was an American stunt performer who turned flagpole sitting into a national craze during the 1920s. Beginning with a 13-hour publicity stunt, he toured 28 cities, eating, shaving and sleeping on tiny platforms while crowds paid to watch from nearby rooftops. In 1930, he spent 49 days and one hour atop a 225-foot flagpole above Atlantic City’s Steel Pier. Kelly called himself “the luckiest fool in the world.” For a few years, America made him famous for going nowhere at exceptional height.
Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly
