A first-rate visual presentation accompanies a fascinating
biography of the first dean of the Society of American
Magicians, a man Houdini regarded as a mentor. The son of German
immigrant parents, Harry Keller (later Kellar) lived in his
hometown of Erie, Penn., only until he was 10, when he hopped
aboard a train bound for Cleveland, Ohio, in 1859. He
apprenticed to a performing magician a couple of years later.
Kellar’s career in magic and illusion led him to South America,
England and Australia before he achieved recognition and success
in the United States. Kellar’s meticulous attention to detail in
the building of his illusions and in the staging of his
performances led to his success. Traveling magic shows and
established theatrical illusionists were a widespread
entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
incorporating aspects of spiritualism (Kellar demonstrated that
he could replicate anything a medium could do) and mechanical
wonders like automatons in their performances. Kellar and his