# @wqlnpbsnpr on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=bG_4lMZkLqQ
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66037444-wqlnpbsnpr-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/91629f44d3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-05-22T15:40:01.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** WQLN PBS NPR (@wqlnpbsnpr) — https://gondola.cc/wqlnpbsnpr

## Caption

Kellar The Greatest American Magician

Born in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1849, Harry Kellar became the most famous magician in America during the golden age of magic. In this episode, we explore the incredible true story of how a runaway apprentice transformed into the Dean of American Magicians — performing grand illusions, spirit cabinets, levitation acts, and automaton displays that stunned audiences across five continents.
Discover how Harry Kellar:

Rose from poverty to international stardom
Toured Europe, Asia, South America, and beyond
Mastered some of the most daring stage illusions of the 19th century
Outlasted rivals and survived personal tragedy to reach the top
Handpicked Harry Houdini as his chosen successor
Helped transform magic into legitimate theatrical entertainment

Whether you're a fan of magic history, Victorian entertainment, or fascinating forgotten figures from American history, this episode brings one of the greatest showmen who ever lived back into the spotlight.

0:00 Introduction & sponsors
0:32 The magic of wonder
1:18 Meet Harry Kellar — America's greatest magician
2:58 Born Heinrich on the shores of Lake Erie
3:10 Erie childhood & the drugstore explosion
4:14 The Faker of Ava changes everything
4:30 The Miser's Dream explained
5:53 Apprenticing under the Faker — befriending the dog
8:43 The Fox Sisters & the birth of spiritualism
13:10 Kellar joins the Davenport Brothers
14:50 Egyptian Hall, London — the home of mystery
15:23 The Guter Brothers & the Royal Illusionist
17:24 World tour — Australia to the courts of Burma & Siam
17:33 Tragedy — the brothers die, Kellar presses on
18:27 Psycho — the amazing automaton
21:38 Robert Heller controversy & another world tour
23:09 Returning to America — conquering the stage (1884)
25:15 Vaudeville vs. Kellar's full evening show
27:29 Kellar marries Eva Medley
27:42 The great rivalry — Hermann vs. Kellar
28:11 Alexander Hermann: "the magician you see when you close your eyes"
30:27 Kellar's secret weapon: the Strobridge poster art
31:09 Red devils, imps & the birth of magic iconography
33:51 The levitation of Princess Karnak
36:14 Stealing Maskelyne's levitation secret
37:08 Paul Valadon & the quantum leap illusion
38:19 Was Kellar the inspiration for The Wizard of Oz?
40:28 Passing the torch to Howard Thurston
41:41 The "mantle of magic" — myth vs. business deal
42:29 The royal dynasty: Kellar → Thurston → Dante → Grable → Lance Burton
42:53 Lance Burton: "a kid from Kentucky"
45:02 Retirement in Los Angeles — the good life
46:36 Friendship with Harry Houdini
48:33 Letters, secrets & rope ties — their remarkable bond
50:03 Erie remembers: meeting Kellar's niece
51:44 The Magic Castle & Kellar's legacy in Erie
52:26 1917 — one last performance at the Hippodrome
53:42 Kellar passes away, 1922
54:04 The greatest trick in magic
56:54 "There's a lot of wonder out in the world"
58:13 End credits

#HarryKellar #magichistory  #GoldenAgeOfMagic #houdini  #magician  #harryhoudini  #eriepa #houdinitutorial #magic #magician #houdinitutorial #davidcopperfield #davidblaine #LanceBurton #DaiVernon #latestnews

## Stats

- **Views:** 2,372
- **Likes:** 91
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 6

## Tags

harrykellar, houdinitutorial, harryhoudini, magician, eriepa, goldenageofmagic, daivernon, davidcopperfield, lanceburton, magichistory, latestnews, houdini, davidblaine, magic

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