Harry Kellar was one of America’s greatest magicians. He was famous for his Levitation of Princess Karnac considered a “marvel of the 20th century.” According to his contemporaries, Kellar got to the top of our profession not because he was considered a great magical talent but due mostly to his dogged resolve.

 His tenaciousness appeared early. At 18 years old Harry arrived in South Bend, Indiana with a his prop filled suitcase. There he met a man named Baily who offered to “manage” Harry’s budding career. Together they booked a hall and Harry packed the house and made a killing. Unfortunately, before the final performance ended, Baily skipped town with the entire receipts.

Penniless, Kellar boarded a freight train to Chicago. Once there, he hopped aboard a Chicago and Northwestern train bound for Milwaukee on a cold and snowy evening. He was hoping that he could "work" the conductor for a free ride. The conductor wasn't interested and kicked Kellar off the train right in front of The Rose Hill Cemetery just north of Andersonville. Stranded, broke and cold, the ever determined Kellar trudged along the snowy tracks on foot 40 miles to Waukegan.

Kellar recounts this story in his autobiography and notes that being dumped off right in front of the cemetery had a most depressing effect but that he had no intention of laying his magical ambition in the grave just then. This past winter while I was performing at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, I visited Todd Karr who took me down the street to the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery where we paid our respects at Kellar’s grave.

Harry Kellar was one of America’s greatest magicians.

Rosehill Cemetry (located on Rowe’s hill a local tavern owner).

Chicago & Northwestern Train Depot.

the ever determined Kellar trudged along the snowy tracks on foot 40 miles to Waukegan.

Rosehill Cemetery opened in 1864.

Chicago & Northwestern train station

Chicago & Northwestern Train.

Frances Pearce and child 1864 Rosehill Cemetery.

Kellar was famous for his Levitation of Princess Karnac considered a “marvel of the 20th century.” 

At the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery with Todd Karr.

Kellar recounts that being dumped off right in front of the cemetery had a most depressing effect.

via sobadsogood.com

He might not be a household name like say David Copperfield or Criss Angel, but in his day Harry Kellar was one of the more popular magicians of his era.

Aside from baffling audiences with smoke and mirrors and a well timed sleight of hand, magicians had to promote and market themselves heavily in order to bring the crowds in. Once you reach a certain level, where your show was so utterly compelling that everyone was talking about you, then you could ease up and let your name sell the tickets for you - until that turning point, it was all about the marketing.

One particular element that always captured the attention of the general public was the occult. Kellar was well-aware of the power of suggestion and ensured all of his promotional posters featured himself commanding or conjuring up devils and wicked imps. Buy a ticket to one of his shows and you too could have an audience with demonic and supernatural.

So successful were the designs of the posters in promoting his show that when he retired his successor Howard Thurston continued to use the same elements. A different magician, but with the same talents and unique gifts to communicate with the underworld. The posters themselves date back the early 1900's - Kellar retired in 1908, presumably to kick back, have a drink with Lucifer and count all his money.