Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 – December 17, 1896) was a
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
magicianMagic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats, using purely natural means...
, better known as
Herrmann the Great. He was part of the Herrmann family name that is known as the "first-family of magic". Those that witnessed Herrmann the Great perform considered him the greatest magician they ever saw.
Early years
Alexander Herrmann came from a race of high class conjurers. Herrmann the Great was born in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, youngest of 16 children to Samuel, a German Jew, and Anna Sarah Herrmann, a pure Breton French woman. (More than likely she was not British, but from Hamburg, Germany). It was said that Samuel was a
physicianA physician — also known as medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor — practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury...
who occasionally performed throughout
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
as a conjurer.
Father's Career as magician
According to Herrmann legend, Alexander’s father was a part time magician and full time physician. Samuel Herrmann was a favorite of the Sultan of Turkey and sent for the magician often. The Sultan paid a princely sum for the entertainment. It was said that Samuel even performed for Napoleon Bonaparte. The story goes that he was receiving so much attention from the elite of Paris with his magic shows, that word spread to Napoleon himself. The self crowned emperor wanted Samuel to perform for him. Napoleon reportedly gave Samuel a gold watch for his performance for this august sole. Alexander carried the gold watch on the day of his death. It was passed on to his widow.
Eventually his practice demanded more of his time so he eventually quit magic entirely. With the birth of his oldest son Compars in 1816 in
HanoverHanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, in their dignities as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg Hanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is...
, Germany, he decided to settle down to continue his practice.
This is the myth. Some reports say that Samuel was never a professional magician, but a physician that only did magic as a hobby. Another report says that he was never a physician was a traveling magician never quite reaching fame as his son was soon to reach.
He played small towns around from 1817 in Germany and moved his family to France. He played Institutes and Lyceums of Paris still gave performances until 1855. He taught his skills to his oldest son Compars also known as Carl. There is no record of him performing in well known theatres. But he did play the colleges in Paris and
VersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial center...
. Samuel entertained the pupils of the
Grandes écolesThe grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the mainstream framework of the public universities system...
(founded by
Lazare CarnotLazare Nicolas Marguerite, Comte Carnot , the Organizer of Victory in the French Revolutionary Wars, was a French politician, engineer, and mathematician.-Education and early life:...
) near Versailles. With this performance, his son Carl was admitted to the school tuition free.
Samuel continued in this way even after his son Carl was a famous magician. Samuel retired about 1860 and lived quietly with his wife Anna on a pension set up by Carl.
Kidnapped by brother
Alexander's brother
Compars HerrmannCarl Herrmann was a German illusionist.The Herrmann family name is known as the "first-family of magic". Alexander's father Samuel, a practicing German physician, was the first to enjoy magic as a hobby. Samuel's first son Carl , was born in 1816 and left medical school at an early age to pursue...
born (January 23, 1816 died June 8, 1887) left medical school at an early age to pursue a career as a magician and served as a role model and inspiration for Alexander.
When Carl returned to his parent’s home in Paris in 1853, he was greeted by his fifteen brothers and sisters. He was most taken in with the youngest Alexander. Carl was thrilled to find out that eight year old, Alexander was already showing an interest in magic. So, without the family consent, Carl kidnapped the young man and took him to
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
, Russia to teach him the art of magic. While there, he took his younger brother with him on a tour that started in Russia. Samuel didn’t want Alexander to suffer the same fate as Carl.
Alexander remained with Carl until they arrived in
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
. Their mother came there and insisted upon Alexander's return to Paris. They reached a compromise. Alexander stayed with Carl until the tour was over. Alexander's duties consisted of being suspended in a horizontal position on top of a rod, was a blindfolded medium, and was lifted from an empty portfolio.
Alexander didn’t just learn how to pop out of boxes. Carl was teaching him advanced sleight of hand. Some that he had learned from their father. He also taught him new moves that Carl picked up on his own. Alexander was an eager and willing student. Carl continued with this throughout the excursion through Europe. After touring places like Germany, Austria, Italy, and Portugal, the tour ended in Vienna. Carl liked it so much, he made it his home. As promised, he sent Alexander back home to Paris.
While there, Alexander showed what he had learned from Carl to their father. Samuel was impressed with Alexander’s skill. He decided to let him continue in magic. Carl was to mentor his young brother. Alexander stayed in Paris until he was about 11 years old. Then he returned to Vienna to meet up with Carl. He promised Samuel to teach Alexander things other than magic, and while in Vienna Alexander attended college. But, it was sleight of hand that was to be his main interest.
Carl mentors Alexander
Alexander went with Carl on nearly every tour. At first he returned to his role as assistant. This time though he did not float on a pole. Carl discarded the equipment from his last tour when French magician Robert-Houdin claimed they were his tricks. Robert-Houdin had his trusted mechanic Le Grand arrested for making and selling duplicate illusions. It is not known whether Carl bought the illusions directly from LeGrand or from another source. What is known is that he discarded them in favor of tricks using pure sleight of hand.
When Alexander’s skills increased, he became a real part of Carl’s show. By the time they arrived in the
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1860, Alexander was seventeen. Audiences noticed his adroitness. His dexterity soon rivaled that of his famous brother. Jealously brewed on that tour, but never surfaced.
They appeared at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn during its inaugural season. The Academy of Music is known as a center for progressive and avant garde performances. They generally present operas, but when the two Herrmanns arrived, the music played second fiddle to the wonders the two wizards produced. The posters of the time mentioned that Herrmann’s, "… distinguishing feature is the entire absence of any apparatus, all effects being solely produced by extraordinary manual skill." They still did the Houdin’s
Second SightSecond sight is an extra-sensory vision of future events.Second Sight also refers to:In film and television:* Second Sight , a 1989 comedy movie starring John Larroquette and Bronson Pinchot...
as Alexander assisted Carl on stage. Carl introduced Alexander to the audience as his successor. Then Alexander did his own turn, doing the Card Scaling Act (Card-throwing).
Card throwing finds its origins in Western stage magic. Western card throwing techniques as they are passed among performers today are attributed to stage magicians in the late 19th Century. The exact origins of "flying card" tricks are unknown, but Alexander is usually credited with first including
card throwingCard throwing is the art of throwing standard playing cards. First popularized in the West among stage magicians, the art of throwing cards was called scaling. In 1997, a segment on MTV News:Unfiltered, featuring Jon W and the Fellas from Denver, Pennsylvania, introduced card throwing to a new...
in a major act. Alexander become so skilled, he could place a card in the lap of any spectator that raised their hand. He could also bounce cards off of the rear wall of the largest theatres. He developed a technique that is still copied today which allowed him to be able to scale the cards all the way to the back of the theater. This of course made a big an impact on the people in the cheaper seats!
Five weeks of full houses brought Carl receipts totaling thirty-five thousand dollars that would be about $700,000 in today’s dollars). When the Civil War broke out the Herrmanns headed for Central and South America.
A few years later, they parted company. Alexander appeared on his own until he met up with Carl in Vienna in 1867. They formed their second co-partnership and returned to the U.S. to resume their tour there. According to Walter B. Gibson’s book The Magic Masters, "...and implanted the name Herrmann quite firmly there." The Herrmann name eventually became synonymous with magic. Eventually the two magic brothers would go their separate ways.
Career
With the departure of Carl, Alexander began his own career in 1862. Carl returned to play to the capitals of Europe. Alexander brought his own show to London in 1871 and began his three year stretch at Egyptian Hall that he called his one thousand and one nights. Egyptian Hall was one of the first buildings in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to be influenced by the
EgyptianThe Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations which developed a vast array of diverse structures encompassing ancient Egyptian architecture...
style, inspired by the growth of awareness in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
of the various temples on the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
, the Pyramids and the
SphinxA sphinx is a zoomorphic mythological figure which is depicted as a recumbent lion with a human head. It has its origins in sculpted figures of Old Kingdom Egypt, to which the ancient Greeks applied their own name for a male monster, the "strangler", an archaic figure of Greek mythology...
. By the end of the 19th century, the Hall was also associated with
magicMagic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats, using purely natural means...
and
spiritualismSpiritualism is a monotheistic belief system or religion, postulating a belief in God, but the distinguishing feature is belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted, either by individuals or by gifted or trained "mediums", who can provide information about the afterlife.Spiritualism developed...
as a number of performers and lecturers had hired it for shows. So when Alexander began his run there, it was already the hallmark of a professional magician’s career.
As he got older, he resembled his brother Carl. Carl wore an imperial beard and handlebar moustache. As he got older his hair became thin. Alexander had a full set of curly hair with a thick
goateeIn the traditional taxonomy of facial hair, a goatee is a beard formed by a tuft of hair on the chin. The word probably originated from the tuft of hair seen on an adult goat.-Goatee styles:thumb|right|140px|[[Soviet]] [[premier]] [[Bulganin]], 1955 - 1958...
and moustache with upturned ends. Even though they resembled each other, Alexander developed his own distinct magnetic personality. They were of different generations and saw things differently. Carl’s humor was sly and presented his magic in a mysterious manner. He was from the old school of magic. Alexander broke from tradition. His performance style was to interweave comedy with his magic. He was a humorist that made his performances a joyous occasion.
Herrmann’s philosophy about performing magic was that "The magician depends for the success of his art upon the credulity of the people. Whatever mystifies, excites curiosity; whatever in turn baffles this curiosity, works the marvelous."
Throughout the laughter, Alexander still mystified them. Part of it was his intense eyes. His imposing mustache and goatee gave him a satanic appearance. In person Herrmann looked like a magician. According to Burlingame, Alexander Herrmann's personality presented, "...an atmosphere of mystery about the magician." It was also noted by Burlingame that Herrmann was one of the kindest and gentlest of men.
There were rumors that Carl was Alexander’s uncle. Other gossiped that they were not even related. A lawsuit claimed that Alexander's real name was Nieman. It went on to say that Carl adopted young Nieman and used him as an assistant so he could groom him to become his successor. The suit said that Nieman adopted the name Herrmann. In 1895, Alexander printed a statement to a San Francisco newspaper that contradicted everything in the lawsuit. He told the newspaper that he was born in France on February 11, 1843, of German parentage. (His date of birth given here contradicts records that show that he was born February 10, 1844 according to Herrmann expert James Hamilton). He stated that his father was a physician in Germany and moved to Paris before Alexander was born. These rumors persisted even after his death. Alexander’s widow had to disprove this many times.
Carl retired during Alexander’s three year stint at Egyptian Hall. While in America, Alexander learned the value of making the press. So he used that ability during his run in London. While strolling down
Regent StreetRegent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
with a friend, he gathered a crowd. He stepped up to two gentlemen and picked a handkerchief from one. He did this clumsy to get the attention of two policemen that were behind him. As the two Bobbies came towards him, Alexander deftly poached the watch of the second gentlemen.
Alexander's friend offered to vouch for him. As he was telling the virtues of his friend, the second man discovered that his watch was missing. He insisted that Herrmann took it. He professed his innocents and asked the policemen to search him. They did not find the stolen items. Herrmann suggested that the two policemen should search themselves. The handkerchief was found on one of the cops, the missing pocket watch was on the other. Then the cop noticed his badge missing. They searched one of the gentlemen and found the missing badge. Herrmann smiled and said, "It seems that I am the only honest person here."
He tried in vain to tell the police that the entire thing was just a magician's joke. "We will not be deceived in that way," the second cop said. So, they hauled him off to the police station. There he was recognized and set free. The London papers got a hold of it and made it a sensation. The entire town was laughing at the practical joke Herrmann played on London's finest.
Herrmann had an outgoing personality and had no problem making friends. Not only did men find him sociable, but ladies took fancy to him. One in particular was a twenty-two year old dancer from London by the name of Adelaide Scarcez (born August 11, 1854 died February 19, 1932). Most of his acquaintance were from the theatrical world.
Alexander's record breaking run would soon end. He was set to tour Europe after his triumph at Egyptian Hall. Then he returned to the United States and Canada and made several tours. Meanwhile, the financial
panic of 1873The Panic of 1873 was the start of the Long Depression, a severe nationwide economic depression in the United States that lasted until 1879. It was precipitated by the bankruptcy of the Philadelphia banking firm Jay Cooke & Company on September 18, 1873...
wiped out Carl. On May 9, the Vienna Stock Exchange (
Wiener BörseThe Wiener Börse AG is a stock exchange in Vienna, Austria and one of the most established exchanges in Eastern- and Southeastern Europe....
) crashed. They no longer were able to bankroll the corrupt mismanagement of the
Deutsche BankDeutsche Bank AG is an international Universal bank with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. The bank employs more than 81,000 people in 76 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets.Deutsche Bank has offices in major financial centers,...
. A series of Viennese bank failures resulted. This caused a deflation of the money available for business lending.
Carl needed money and the only way to pay his debts was to return to performing.
Herrmann gets married and becomes an American
Meanwhile, in 1874, Alexander returned to America. On the boat, he sees the young dancer Mademoiselle Scarcez that he met in London. The titian-haired bilingual Adelaide had been planning to marry an American actor. Before the ship docked, she changed her mind.
In Manhattan on March 27, 1875, the Mayor of New York performed the ceremony marrying Alexander and Adelaide. Herrmann was known to do spontaneous tricks. Even on his wedding day he could not resist. He produced a roll of bills from the Mayor's beard.
Sometimes his gags backfired on him. He was once having dinner with newspaper journalist and humorist Bill Nye (aka
Edgar Wilson NyeEdgar Wilson "Bill" Nye was a distinguished American journalist, who later became widely known as a humorist...
). Herrmann found a large diamond in the lettuce of Nye’s salad. Nye turned the tables on the great magician. He picked up the diamond and handed it to a passing waitress, "As a little present," Nye said. Herrmann had trouble getting his diamond back from the waitress. The girl refused to give it up. The proprietor of the restaurant had to apply pressure on her.
In New York, he wanted to purchase a home, but only a citizen of America could buy a home. So, he became a naturalized citizen on July 1876 in Boston. Later, he bought a beautiful dark red mansion in
Whitestone, QueensWhitestone is a large residential neighborhood in the northernmost part of the City of New York borough of Queens. Located between the East River to the north and 25th Avenue to the south. Whitestone is surrounded by College Point, Flushing, Bayside, Auburndale, Linden Hill, and Murray Hill...
in New York. An eight-foot high, spiked wire fence enclosed the property. A herd of cattle and several goats grazing in the pasture can be seen as you walk up the winding tree-lined road. The mansion itself had countless arches and guarded by gables.
When friends would visit from Europe, he would pick them up in his yacht,
Fra Diavolo, which he moored in
Long Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean and various rivers in the United States that lies between the coast of Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound...
. He also had his private rail car waiting at the Whitestone Depot, along with two baggage cars that carried his equipment. The private car cost him forty thousand dollars (about $800,000 in today's figures).
A typical Herrmann show
As Carl Herrmann got older, he reduced the size of his show. Alexander increased it. This is a typical Herrmann show seen by the eyes of the audience.
After much fanfare from the orchestra, Herrmann entered. He was decked out in black velvet evening clothes with britches (
BreechesBreeches are an item of male clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles.The breeches were normally closed and fastened about the leg, along its open seams at varied lengths,...
). He'd wear the typical
top hatA top hat, top-hat, silk hat, cylinder hat, plug hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat worn prior to and including the 19th and early 20th centuries...
of the day with white gloves on his hands. When the audience saw him, they would applaud. He bowed and gave the audience that Herrmann smile.
He took off his gloves and made them vanish between his hands. Herrmann showed two metal cones and a beautifully decorated brass vase. He opened the lid on the vase and showed a bag of rice. All items were examined.
Upon return of the items, Herrmann poured the rice into the vase and places the lid on it. He goes into the audience and walks over to a bearded gentleman and borrows his hat. He reaches over to his whiskers and produces an orange from it, "Thank you. Just what I needed for this trick." The audience chuckles at this. He returns from the stage and places the hat on a chair and the orange on one of the tables.
Herrmann the Great addresses the audience and asks them which cone they would like, "The right one or the left?" He takes the selected cone and places it upon the hat. "I will cause the rice and orange to switch places."
After much by play where he pretends to sneak the orange away from the cone, he decides not to use the cone at all. He leaves the cone on the empty hat and places the orange on the table. After making a magical pass, he lifts up the cone and a pile of rice appears on the crown of the hat. He picks up the orange and makes it disappear in his hands. Then he lifts up the vase that contained the rice and shows the missing orange.
From there, he would casually show his hands empty and produce a fan of cards from behind his knee. With the produced cards, he would go into a series of sleight of hand tricks. He concluded the card act with three people from the audience selecting cards. He placed the pack into a goblet. From the goblet, the selected cards would rise one by one. He would take the pack out of the goblet and toss them and they melted in mid air.
He'd pretend that he was done with cards, but his empty hands were soon filled with them. He'd take each one and scale them into the audience. Herrmann would ask an audience member to call out for one and he'd accurately toss it to him, sometimes as far as the topmost row in the gallery.
Herrmann then picks up the silk topper that he borrowed from an audience member. One by one, he would produce a number of silver dollars from the air. After the shining coin hit the glare of the spotlight, he would toss it into the hat with a definite clink sound. He would produce a large number of dollars until the hat was full. Herrmann poured the coins into a silver tray and showed it to the audience. From there, the coins were dumped into a paper bag. He'd wrap it up and toss it to the owner of the hat. Instead of the silver dollars, it changed to a box of candy.
A piece of paper was left over from the package. Herrmann picked this up and rolled it into a ball. Then proceeded to knock it through his knee. In an instant he tossed the ball of paper into the air where it vanished.
Herrmann picked up the hat and discovered many things inside. Enough to fill a trunk. He'd thank the owner of the hat as he returned it. As he did, he found a white rabbit inside of it. Herrmann stroked the rabbit. He pulled it apart and had two rabbits, one in each hand. He put the rabbits on the table. "If you notice," he'd say in his Parisian accent, "the rabbits are the same size, no?" He scooped them from the table and they melted into one.
"Now, you notice that the rabbit, she is much fatter." He picked up a pistol from the table. The magician tossed the rabbit into the air and shot at it. The rabbit was gone. He quickly went down to the runway into the audience. He pulled the vanished rabbit from the coat tails of a spectator.
As he walked back to the stage, the curtain closed behind him. He stood in front of the curtain and cradled the rabbit like a baby. He proceeded to talk to the rabbit. Apparently the rabbit did not understand broken French because the rabbit turned its head towards Herrmann and cocked up one ear. This caused the audience to laugh followed by applause.
The orchestra picked up the pace of the music and Herrmann exited. Madame Herrmann would enter doing her famous fire dance. Alexander Herrmann caught his breath and the rest of the show continued.
To do most of what he did in the first act, Herrmann relied on what is referred to in magic as body loads. Loads are part of the seven principles of
Sleight of handSleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or légèreté des mains , is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly....
. Herrmann carried his loads on his body and inside his coat and placed them where he needed them.
One summer’s evening, Herrmann was sitting backstage in his dressing room after he just packed his jacket a few moments ago. Because it was a balmy evening he draped the
tailcoatA tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms...
over his chair. He was talking to the theatre manager who also had his evening jacket off. When the first bell rang for the beginning of the show to start, the manager got up, put on his coat, and left.
Herrmann too put on his coat. He very carefully slid his arms into the jacket. He swiftly put on his gloves as he walked towards the stage. The music played his march and he entered stage right.
He took his bow and went into his opening act. He took off his gloves in preparation to make them disappear when he realized that something was wrong. He wasn’t wearing his coat! Without his coat, he could not go on with the first act. Herrmann the Great was known for his quick thinking. Instead of panicking, he set his gloves aside and picked up a pack of cards that was on the table.
He did some elegant card flourishes with them causing the individual cards to flow smoothly across each other. As he was closing with some fancy cuts, he was wondering about his coat. Suddenly he had the answer. The theatre manager was also wearing a full dress suit. He must have taken Herrmann’s coat. He gave the deck a final flourish. He snapped his fingers to the wings. One of his assistants came on stage. Herrmann was flinging cards out to the audience. He leaned over to the assistant and whispered, "Find the manager. He’s wearing my coat." He flung a few cards until half of the pack was left. He added, "And bring me more cards." The assistant left.
Herrmann took the next card and gripped it between his first and second finger of his left hand. Then he flicked his wrist sailing the card into the audience. He then scaled two or three more cards in quick succession into the audience. His assistant came back with a few more cards. He told Herrmann that he sent someone to look for the manager. Herrmann took the cards and scaled those. He told his assistant to bring on more cards.
The audience was waving for them. So he flung them with great speed one after another. He flung a few at the balcony in the hands of a waiting spectator. The audience was getting excited over his remarkable aim. More cards were brought on. News was relayed to him that they were still trying to find the manager. Herrmann was scaling cards to the farthest reaches of the gallery with even more accuracy. The audience went wild.
He was down to a few cards. He was exhausted and didn’t know what else to do to stall. He looked over at the wings and saw the surprised manager. Herrmann scaled his last card and bowed. The applause was deafening.
He went offstage and quickly removed the manager’s jacket. Then he carefully pulled off his own from the startled manager. Herrmann checked the contents. Everything was still in its place. He carefully put on his coat and smoothed it up. He strode on stage as before. He bowed as the applause crescendo again. He then went into his original routine.
Herrmann the Great
In 1883, after solidifying his name in the United States, he headed off for another world tour. First stop was South America. Emperor Don
Pedro II of BrazilPedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous" was the second and last Emperor of Brazil, having reigned for 58 years. His name in full was Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga...
was impressed by his entertainment. He attended nineteen performances in Rio de Janeiro. The bewhiskered emperor was so fascinated with the Herrmann's magic, he presented him with the Cross of Brazil.
After touring the rest of South America, he headed to Russia. His tour led him all the way to Siberia. In St. Petersburg, he received a grand reception. He was invited to a banquet for the Spanish Minister. It was attended by the distinguished members of Russian Society. They drank to his health, "From this moment fourth, you will be known as Herrmann the Great."
The newly crowned Herrmann the Great gave a command performance for Czar
Alexander III of RussiaAlexander III Alexandrovich reigned as Emperor of Russia from 13 March 1881 until his death in 1894.-Early life:...
. The czar enjoyed the thought of being of the same rough coarseness as the majority of his subjects. He rather basked in his own straightforward, crude manner. This came off sometimes as being too harsh. And his direct, plain way of expressing himself matched well with his rough features and somewhat sluggish movements.
He was also noted for his immense physical strength. He felt that the ruler of Russia should be more powerful than the toughest rough and most burly peasant. His steel eyes could intimate any aggressor that might come his way. He was indeed a mighty figure.
The czar was impressed by Herrmann's delicate touch. He picked up a deck of cards and walked over to the wizard. He firmly grabbed the deck and tore it in half. He wanted to test Herrmann's mettle. He handed the torn deck to the magician to see if he can outmatch the czars iron grip. Herrmann was always cool under fire. He only hesitated a moment as he proceeded with the challenge presented to him. He placed one half on top of the other and squared them neatly. Then he proceeded to tear both together. Czar Alexander was most impressed. He gave Herrmann the Great a watch with a chain made of heavy twisted strands of gold. As he gave it to him, Herrmann noticed it was extremely heavy. Truly Czar Alexander was a powerful man.
Alexander tells an interesting tale of an incident that took place after the performance. He was playing billiards at the saloon with the attaché of the court when he noticed the Czar was also playing there. Herrmann shot the ball with all of his strength against a plate-glass mirror that extended from the floor to the ceiling. It shattered into fifty pieces. Every person in the room was horrified, none more than Herrmann.
The Czar brushed off Herrmann’s apology and considered the destruction of the mirror trivial. He ordered the game to proceed. With the Czar’s permission, Herrmann examined the mirror to estimate the damage done. He was hoping to have it repaired.
The Czar teased him saying if he was such a good wizard why doesn’t he make the mirror whole? That was the very cue Herrmann was hoping for. He hesitated for an instant, then ordered the mirror to be covered with a cloth concealing it from view. After about ten minutes, he whisked away the cloth and the mirror was completely restored and without a flaw.
Herrmann later told
The North American Review that he will leave it to the reader’s imagination to how it was done.
From Russia, Herrmann the Great returned to the place of his birth, France. At the Eden Theatre in Paris, Herrmann's performance was witnessed by the Prince and Princess of Wales (later to become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of England aka
Alexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of Denmark was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India from 1901 to 1910 as the consort of Edward VII....
).
The two magical brothers met again in 1885 in Paris. Carl was still miffed at Alexander from his triumph at Egyptian Hall. Carl was planning on retiring again and was grooming their nephew Leon to be successor. However, he would not do so until he regained his fortune. So, an agreement was made between the two brothers to split the world. Compars was to returned to Europe and Alexander to the United States.
Alexander leaves Paris to go back to America. He becomes an established institution. Two years later, while in New York, Alexander heard the news of the death of his brother Carl. Professor Herrmann died on July 8, 1887 in Karlsbad in Germany. He was very shocked. Even with the rivalry between them, Alexander could not help but feel that he owed everything to him. "We've always had a warm and brotherly feeling towards each other," he told a newspaper.
Since Alexander was widely known in the States, when news of the death of Professor Herrmann hit the papers, many thought it was Alexander that had died. He was mourned in the papers.
Carl did regain his fortune before he died. Leon took his place and was doing well. Alexander was content to let Leon take over Europe.
Throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s, Alexander and his wife
Adelaide HerrmannAdelaide Herrmann was a noted female magician and vaudeville performer. She began her magic career as assistant to her husband, magician Alexander Herrmann...
performed together in elaborate stage shows. The great American impresario
Michael B. LeavittMicheal B. Leavitt was an American theater entrepreneur, manager, and producer. He entered show business as a blackface minstrel show singer. By the 1860s, Leavitt had made the leap to management and, following the precedent set by others, was touring variety show troupes in rural areas, billing...
handled Herrmann’s American and Mexican contracts. Leavitt always paid all transportation costs as well as advertising, salaries, and other expenses. "Whenever I open a new theatre, " Leavitt once said, "I want to insure of large crowds, I will have Herrmann the Great play the date." He was always a drawing card wherever he played, receiving fifty percent of the gross receipt earning $75,000 a year (about $3 million in today’s figures).
He often squandered his money and would ask Leavitt to advance him $5,000 or more. Leavitt never refused his star. He considered it a safe investment. "The name Herrmann the Great on any marquee was a sure sign of a successful run."
Alexander and Adelaide lugged their show by railcar and kept their travels to the U.S. territories. They presented a full evening program adapting such tricks as Robert Houdin's Aerial Suspension routine in an illusion called
Trilby. A board is set on top of two chairs. Madame Herrmann is placed on top of the board. Both the board and Madame Herrmann rose into the air. The two chairs are removed. After a hoop was passed over, Madame Herrmann descended back to the two chairs.
The Herrmanns presented this and many other fine illusions of the time. Their only rival was
Harry KellarHarry Kellar was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 1800s and early 1900s....
.
Paper Wars
During the Golden Age of Magic, America only allowed one King of Magic at a time.
Robert HellerRobert Heller, also Joseph Heller, , was an English magician, mentalist, and musician...
started it. Then Harry Kellar tried to follow him after his death, but because of the similarities between their names, it was wrongly assumed that he adjusted his name to take advantage of the dead magician’s fame. Even though he tried to prove that his original name was
Keller with an
e and changed years ago so not to be confused with his friend Heller, the public was still cold to him.
So, Kellar toured the world instead and only making occasional trips to his home country. When he did, he found the new King of Magic was Herrmann the Great. He tried to dethrone the reigning monarch. But, the America people loved Alexander and his wit.
Herrmann knew Kellar wasn’t serious competition, but he was condescending of him nonetheless. He was judgmental of Kellar’s lack of sleight of hand skills, preferring to use mechanical methods instead. Even on such favorites as the
Miser’s Dream, Kellar chose to use a secret device he created. Herrmann’s handling of this trick was a thing of beauty.
Kellar’s
misdirectionMisdirection is a form of deception in which the attention of an audience is focused on one thing in order to distract its attention from another.-Misdirection in magic:...
was excellent in tricks like the
Flower Growth. Two flower pots were covered by a cone and a full bouquet of flowers produced by Kellar as if they had grown magically. No false moves were ever detected by the audience. Herrmann too was a master at misdirection which was his forte. And as a pure entertainer, he had no equal.
Leavitt handled both magicians. There was never any problem until 1888 when Kellar learned of Herrmann’s proposed tour of Mexico. Kellar asked Leavitt to cancel his American tour so he could play the Mexican tour before Herrmann’s arrival date. At first Leavitt objected, but Kellar had a strong personality and would not take no for an answer. Leavitt regretfully conceded. However, instead of letting Kellar win, he used Herrmann as a spoiler.
When Herrmann returned to the United States, he presented his expenses to Leavitt as usual. This time he refused to pay them. He claimed that much of the expense for transportation costs was for sending antique furniture and other curios back to Herrmann’s home in Long Island. A litigation ensued which strained their relations.
Whenever Herrmann or Kellar would play a town, they would hang paper banners heralding their arrival. Who ever got there first won that battle. So, they started their paper wars. Herrmann would put up his posters showing his devilish smile. Then Kellar’s people would follow along and put up Kellar’s posters with the little imps. Then Herrmann’s people would follow suit and cover Kellar’s making a third layer. This kept up until the day of the show until the last poster standing was the victor.
After years of this bickering, they decided to hold a ceasefire. They felt the country was big enough to have two Kings of Magic. Even with this truce, the public still favored Alexander.
The Bullet Catch
The most dangerous trick in magic is the
Bullet catchThe bullet catch is a conjuring illusion in which a magician appears to catch a bullet fired directly at him—often in his mouth, sometimes in his hand or caught with other items such as a dinner plate...
. The bullet catch is a trick in which a magician has a spectator mark a bullet then load it into a gun. Then the spectator would fire directly at the magician where he appeared to catch the bullet– often in his mouth, sometimes in his hand. Magicians use in their patter the legend of twelve magicians that have died doing the trick. "Would I be number thirteen?" Even though most things magicians utter is hyperbole, the danger of the bullet catch cannot be overstated.
A version was designed with the help of his assistant Billy Robinson. (Years later, Billy as
Chung Ling SooChung Ling Soo was the stage name of American stage magician William Ellsworth Robinson . He is famous for dying when his bullet catch trick went wrong.- Biography :...
would be killed with the same style gun.)
Muzzle loaders were used then. The bullet was actually a lead ball rammed into the gun with gunpowder. When the firing mechanism was activated, the gunpowder made an explosion and caused the lead ball to project forward like a miniature cannon. Most versions of the trick had either a fake bullet inserted, or the ball itself secretly removed. What came forward was just a flash of fire giving the illusion of gunfire.
Herrmann the Great performed his own version of the Bullet Catch. The bullet was still marked, but the danger of trick was avoided. The gunpowder never came near the firing mechanism with the result is the bullet never left the gun. The trick was safe. Or so Herrmann the Great thought. He would never live long enough to see his one time assistant die from it.
But, he did make the most of the trick. Not a normal part of his act, he would present it on special occasions. Herrmann announced on May 1896 he would attempt the Bullet Catch for the seventh time on the stage of the Olympia Theatre. He did the dangerous feat for the Sick Babies Fund.
A female reporter was dispatched to interview Madame Herrmann. She went to the Herrmann Manor at Whitestone Landing for the interview. As she walked in she was greeted with a voice that said, "What do you want?" She turned around and saw a black bird sitting on a perch. Just then an animated skeleton sprung out at her. She shrieked which brought a maid from down the hall. She found the Herrmanns waiting for her.
Madam Herrmann said, "I lock myself into my dressing room whenever Alexander faces a firing squad."
"Nonsense," Herrmann the Great said, "I have already caught bullets successfully six times. Seven, you know, is a lucky number." He mentioned that he applied for life insurance plan with Connecticut Indemnity Association, but was not into effect for the trick. Apparently he had not mentioned the bullet catching stunt when he applied for it.
On the day of the performance, Herrmann looked somber. He wore a white shirt with frills on the sleeves. He had five muzzle loaders marked and loaded. They aimed their rifles at him. Madame Herrmann as stated was nowhere to be seen. Herrmann the Great held a china plate in front of him like a target. When he gave the orders, the gun was fired and he caught the bullets on the plate. Life insurance policies weren't needed that day to deflect the bullets. Calmly he handed the bullets out for examination. They are the very same bullets.
In 1885 Herrmann the Great returned to America receiving the best terms given to any star on the road. He lost a lot of money to outside investments. He was always generous to other actors. He always felt that he could recoup his loses. For the upcoming season, he estimated he would make $85,000 to $95,000 profit from the next tour. (That's about $2 million in today's money.)
Death
Herrmann the Great was a generous person despite his Mephistophelean appearance. He was the first magician to perform at Sing Sing prison. He lost lots of money helping other actors who invested in bad theatrical venues. When the manager of the Chicago Opera House needed three thousand dollars, he met the debt by sending him a check. He was generous to a fault. These losses didn’t bother him. He felt that he could always recoup them. He was only fifty-two years old. His best years were still ahead of him.
On December 16, 1896, Herrmann was finishing a week engagement at the
LyceumA Lyceum can be*an educational institution , or*a public hall used for cultural events like concerts.*Mount Lyceum...
in
Rochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. The Rochester metropolitan area is the second largest economy in New York State, behind the New York City metropolitan area. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and...
. He invited an entire school to his matinee performance. That afternoon, the house was packed. Because the throng was so enthusiastic and gave him many ovations, Herrmann extended the length of the performance.
Between shows, an agent pleaded with him to meet the overdue hotel bills of a theatrical company that was stranded in Rochester. Herrmann was moved by this request. Then the agent asked to buy railway tickets for them. Herrmann paid for their train tickets to Manhattan and paid their expenses. He also invited them to his evening show before they left.
After the show, he was guest of honor at a banquet given by the Genesee Valley Club. The group from the party was to occupy his special train. The train for
Bradford, PennsylvaniaBradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 1800s...
was to leave early in the morning. The festivities lasted until after midnight. He performed for the group doing card tricks and telling amusing stories about his adventures around the world. "My nephew Leon, who is in Paris, will be my successor when I retire."
The next day, he located the train and waved goodbye to his friends who had ridden with him from his private carriage to the railroad station. One of them was a young drama critic of the Rochester newspaper. His name was
John Northern HilliardJohn Northern Hilliard was the author of a best-selling book on on magic, Greater Magic....
. (Hilliard later became America’s foremost author on magic.) The trip would be three hours.
While on board a train to next performance, Herrmann the Great suffered a heart attack. The train stopped in Ellicottville, New York. Alexander whispered to Adelaide, "Make sure all in the company get back to New York." The local doctor arrived a few moments later, but it was too late. He failed to recover. On December 17, 1896, at the age of 52, Herrmann the Great was pronounced dead.
The Herrmann legacy
Alexander Herrmann, known to the world as Herrmann the Great was mourned the next day. The obituary that announced his death was the most extensive ever for a magician. There was a commotion in the little town of Ellicottville. Herrmann’s company sent wires to New York theatrical agents seeking new jobs. Herrmann’s body was taken to New York for burial services. Thousands attended and tried unsuccessfully to get close to the coffin. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.
When Herrmann died from
heart failureHeart failure is a condition in which a problem with the structure or function of the heart impairs its ability to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs...
in 1896, Adelaide continued performing her husband's illusions. She had to. Her husband’s failed investment left her in dire straits. He left her with little money. His extravagances had matched his income. And the well publicized life insurance policy was just publicity.
She cabled Leon to come to the United States at once. On January 11, 1897, she was joined by Alexander's
nephewNephew is a term referring to the son of one's sibling or spouse's sibling, and niece to the daughter of one's sibling or spouse's sibling. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also informally referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation...
, Leon Herrmann born (March 13, 1867, died May 6, 1909). He gave a press conference at the Hoyt’s Theatre in New York. He had the same Herrmann goatee, but lacked Alexander’s charm.
The Herrmann name still drew crowds, but because of clash of temperament, they parted company after three seasons. He further annoyed his aunt by billing his own show as "Herrmann the Great". Even with the famous name, the public still missed their star. The show failed to draw audiences. This decline in the show lead to Kellar taking over the mantle of the leading magician in America. Leon later trimmed the show to a short vaudeville act. While on a holiday trip to Paris Leon died on May 16, 1909.
Even after Leon's death, Madame Herrmann continued to perform. Even though she would never watch her husband when he presented the bullet catch, she too did this dangerous trick.
Madame Herrmann ventured on her own in vaudeville billed as
The Queen of Magic. She condensed her show calling it
A Night in Japan. Madame Herrmann continued performing for twenty five years with dramatic and lavish shows which had become the hallmark of the Herrmann name. She did this until the age of seventy-five when she retired after a fire burned her tricks. Thus closes the chapter of the Herrmann legacy.
External links