Publicity Poster of Harry Kellar.

Harry Keller (1849 - 1922) was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Kellar was arguably the predecessor of Harry Houdini and the successor of Robert Heller. He was often referred to as the Dean of American Magicians and performed extensively on five continents. One of his most memorable stage illusions is the levitation of a girl. Image File history File links Kellar. ... Image File history File links Kellar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Harry Houdini (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was the stage name of Ehrich Weiss (born Weisz Erik in the native Hungarian), one of the most famous magicians, escapologists, and stunt performers of all time as well as an investigator of spiritualists. ... Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended against gravity, in a stable position, by a force without physical contact. ...

His real name was Heinrich Keller, born to German immigrants in Erie, Pennsylvania and constantly experimented in adolescence with games of chicken and with the production of various chemical concoctions. On one occasion, young Heinrich reportedly blew a hole in the floor of his employer's drugstore and rather than confront parental wrath, he stowed away on a train and continued life as a vagabond. It was on the road that he encountered a fakir, which inspired his direction into conjuring. Erie is the name of several places in the United States of America: Erie, Colorado Erie, Kansas Erie Township, Michigan Erie, Pennsylvania Erie County, New York There are also Lake Erie and the Erie Canal. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... American teenagers in a high school Adolescence is the transitional stage of development between childhood and full adulthood, representing the period of time during which a person is biologically adult but emotionally not at full maturity. ... A vagabond is a generally poor itinerant person. ... According to Herbert Ponting, who took this photograph in 1907, this is a fakir in Benares (Varanasi), India. ... Magician redirects here. ...

Kellar was probably one of the most meticulous performers of his day, focusing on both his presentation and on his array of magic tricks. Aside from The Kellar Rope Tie, another highlight was The Vanishing Birdcage, an effect which he originally purchased from it's inventor, Buatier de Kolta during the late 1870s, for the incredible reported sum of $750. Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ...

The Vanishing Lamp in Kellar's hands was another memorable effect. Still lit, the lamp would be covered, standing upon a glass-topped table. As the light glowed through the thin cloth, Kellar spoke of the lamp, telling the audience it was a gift from a Brahmin High Priest from India. Each evening, the lamp would be returned to it's original owner at a specific time, which was approaching. A bell chimed the current hours of the day as Kellar loaded a pistol and aimed it towards the lamp. At the last chime the pistol was fired. The lamp simply melted away to nothing and vanished, the cloth falling to the stage. Kellar's automaton "Psycho", which was a version of the John Algernon Clark idea used in Maskelyne's original card-playing robot, was a popular sensation wherever it played. Perhaps one of Kellar's least known advancements in magic would be his modification to the levitation illusion, which as was later purchased by Blackstone from the Kellar estate. Blackstone successfully used the illusion for many years. The term High Priest may refer to particular individuals who hold the office of ruler-priest in local regional or ethnic contexts. ... A drummer automaton An automaton (plural: automata) is a self-operating machine. ... There are people and places named Blackstone. ...

Harry Kellar retired in 1908, and handed over the mantle of America's Greatest Magician to Howard Thurston. In 1918, Harry Houdini arranged for Kellar to perform once more for a show benefitting families of the men who died when the troop transport vessel Antilles was sunk by a German U-boat. Never one for understatement, Houdini arranged for Kellar to be carried off stage in triumph as six thousand spectators sang Auld Lang Syne. 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Howard Thurston (1869-1936) was a magician. ... USS John Land (AP-167) in San Francisco Bay sometime in 1945-46; soldiers crowd the decks in anticipation of homecoming. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... Auld Lang Syne is one of the best known songs in English-speaking countries. ...

This would end up being Harry Kellar's final public performance.