Origins of balloon twisting or balloon modelling

The origins of balloon twisting are unknown. Ryan Murphy claimed that it is likely that some one inflated and twisted animals intestines for the first balloon model, but this claim is unsubstantiated. The 1975 book by "Jolly the Clown" Petri credits "Herman Bonnert from Pennsylvania at a magician's convention in 1939" as being the first balloontwister.

Val Andrews, credits H.J. Bonnert of Scranton, Pennsylvania as being the "daddy of them all." Jim Church III states, "Frank Zacone from Youngstown, Ohio was doing a balloon act during the 1940s and had been doing the act for some time."

And some people claim that Henry Maar as the first balloon twister.

It is possible that one, none, or all of the above was the first balloon twister or balloon modeller