Harry Kellar

Harry Kellar was a prominent American magician during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Often called the "Dean of American Magicians," he was a pioneer of large-scale stage illusions. Kellar performed his acts on five different continents, bringing wonder to global audiences. He was a major predecessor to the famous Harry Houdini. Kellar was also a successor to magicians like Robert Heller and Isaiah Hughes. His career was defined by massive productions and complex mechanical wonders.

Kellar was a master of misdirection to manage his large stage shows. Misdirection is a technique used to direct the audience's attention away from a secret action. Kellar famously claimed that a loud brass band and a herd of elephants could march behind him without anyone noticing.

This skill allowed him to use mechanical tricks and large sets effectively. He worked closely with the Martinka Magic Company to build his elaborate sets. One such famous set was known as the "Blue Room." These tools helped him maintain the illusion of the impossible.

One of Kellar's most iconic illusions was the "Levitation of Princess Karnac."

In this act, a woman appeared to float while sleeping on a couch. To prove she was not suspended by visible strings, Kellar passed a large hoop around her body.

The mechanism relied on a disguised machine and a hidden support bar. This bar had a rough "S" shape to allow the hoop to pass through. A flat board inside the woman's dress connected her to this metal bar. The bar extended backstage to a machine that raised and lowered her.

Kellar also performed a complex trick known as "The Nested Boxes." He would borrow six rings from audience members and load them into a pistol. He then fired the pistol at a chest hanging on the side of the stage. Inside that chest, the audience would find a smaller chest, and so on. These boxes were nested within each other like a set of dolls. In the smallest box, the five rings were found tied to flowers. The sixth ring would then appear inside a guinea pig that emerged from a broken bottle.

Kellar's journey began as Heinrich Keller in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was born to German immigrants and had a very restless childhood. As a young boy, he worked for a druggist and experimented with chemical mixtures. He once accidentally blew a hole in the floor of the drugstore. At age ten, he stowed away on a train to avoid his parents' anger. He later became an assistant to the magician Isaiah Harris Hughes at age 12. By age 16, he attempted his first solo performance in Michigan, though it was a disaster.

His professional life included significant financial risks and dramatic events. In 1873, Kellar and a performer named Fay toured Central and South America. They earned $10,000 in Mexico and performed for Emperor Dom Pedro II in Brazil. However, their ship sank in the Bay of Biscay while traveling to England. Kellar lost his equipment, his clothes, and all the ship's precious cargo. He was left with only a diamond ring, which he eventually had to sell. He later recovered $3,500 through a complex bank transaction involving mail from Brazil.

Kellar's personal life was deeply connected to his professional success. He married Eva Lydia Medley, a fan who met him in Melbourne in 1882.

Eva played the cornet and provided musical accompaniment for his magic shows. She also participated in his various illusions. Kellar eventually opened his own theaters, naming them the "Egyptian Hall." He even faced legal scrutiny regarding his name to distinguish himself from Robert Heller. Despite these challenges, he remained a central figure in the magic community.

In his later years, Kellar's influence continued through his successors. He retired in 1908 and passed his mantle to Howard Thurston. Even in retirement, he remained a respected figure among his peers. In 1917, Harry Houdini convinced Kellar to perform one last show at the Hippodrome. This performance was a benefit for families affected by the sinking of the USS Antilles. After the show, the Society of American Magicians carried Kellar off in a sedan chair. He died in 1922 in Los Angeles from influenza.