From ‘philadelphia’ to Houdini is Line of Jewish Magicians

The first effort to appraise the importance of the Jews in conjuring and sleight-of-hand (with special reference to their talent as showmen) is made in a book just published (surprisingly enough) in Berlin, by Guenther Dammann, a Jewish writer and amateur magician. Mr. Dammann has been industrious in collecting biographical facts, and he tells some interesting stories.

The first great Jewish magician, Mr. Dammann tells us, was “Philadelphus Philadelphia”, an American, born of Galician parents in Philadelphia in 1735. His real name, Jacob Meyer, he exchanged for the more impressive pseudonym when he turned Christian. On the whole, despite his success, he was not an ornament to Judaism; but he had a genius for drama. In showmanship and self-advertising he was a master. He surrounded his performance with breath-taking mystery, and put his smattering of mathematics, physics, and the Cabala to such use that for a century he was remembered in Europe as a rival to Cagliostro. He was court magician to the Duke of Cumberland, and gave performances for the Empress and Emperors of Russia, Austria, and Turkey, not to mention a flock of other potentates. Schiller used him in a poem as a symbol for occult power over life and death.

THE BAMBERG DYNASTY

Philadelphia’s successors, many of them, were less bombastic but more able in their profession. That none of them became quite such a byword is doubtless due to the fact that Philadelphia was first in the field. Surely he did nothing for the art of magic which could compare with the contribution of the Bambergs—a Dutch magical dynasty now in their sixth generation. Okito (David Bamberg) was for years a familiar figure on the American vaudeville stage, and is now a favorite in the varieties of Europe; his son David (Fu Manchu) is one of the leading young professional magicians.

Another Jewish name which arouses memories is Herrmann. The three Herrmanns—Compars, Leo, Alexander—surpassed all their contemporaries in brilliant performance and in success. Compars Herrmann (probably the son of a strolling Galician showman who may have been named Herrmann, or Gumpel, or Cohnburg, or Kombert, or Rind-kopf) wore at least a dozen decorations bestowed on him by crowned heads, and his fame was European; there was scarcely a town of importance in the entire world where he had not performed.

Alexander Herrmann (Compars’ younger brother) in his time was America’s greatest magician. His sleight-of-hand, his audacity, his dramatic ability were marvelous; many people today remember his performances as high spots of their childhood. He, too, had the knack for publicity and showmanship; his appearance and his charm were Mephistophelian.

HOUDINI IN DICTIONARY

Alexander Herrmann was succeeded by his widow, Adelaide (not Jewish), and by his nephew Leon, who worthily carried on the name until his early death in 1909.

Perhaps it is wrong to say that no Jewish magician ever became so famous as Philadelphia; Houdini’s million admirers rise to contradict. Probably no public performer, Cagliostro or Peggy Joyce or anyone else, ever had such a mighty genius for publicity as this brawny little Hungarian, born in Budapest as Ehrich Weiss. To tell of Houdini’s feats is a mockery, for millions still living have seen him; but one thing is worth remark; not even Philadelphia, indeed few men, Jew or Gentile, have ever got their names into the dictionary as verbs. The Funk & Wagnalls dictionary printed houdinize, verb, to release oneself from. It is not rash to guess that Houdini was the greatest showman of all time.