Charles Bertram (magician)

Charles Bertram (26 April 1853 – 28 February 1907) was a British magician known as "The Royal Conjurer" as he performed for royalty.[1][2]

Charles Bertram
Born26 April 1853
Died28 February 1907 (1907-03-01) (aged 53)
OccupationMagician

Career

Bertram was born James Bassett in Woolwich, it is suspected that he adopted the name of Charles Bertram (1723-1765).[3][4] He was a favourite of King Edward VII who he performed for 22 times.[1]

He also performed many times at Maskelyne and Cooke's entertainment shows at the Egyptian Hall.[1][5]

Bertram travelled to Australia, Canada, China, India and many other countries. His experiences were recorded in his book A Magician in Many Lands.[1]

Magician P. C. Sorcar has noted that Bertram "was a very accomplished English magician. He coined the famous magical catch-phrase, "Isn't it Wonderful?".[6]

According to L. H. Branson whilst growing up, Bertram had taught him conjuring tricks. Branson wrote that he went to his "house one afternoon a week, and I was duly initiated into the double-handed pass, single-handed pass, palming cards, billiard balls — in short, the gamut of which a conjurer should know."[7]

Bertram wrote about the history of magic in his book Isn't it Wonderful? A History of Magic and Mystery (1896). The book was criticized by Harry Houdini who wrote it was "marred by mis-statements which even the humblest of magicians could refute."[8]

He died of cancer at Streatham in 1907.[9]

Publications

References
  1. Christopher, Milbourne. (1990 edition, originally published in 1962). Magic: A Picture History. Dover Publications. pp. 160-162. ISBN 0-486-26373-8
  2. During, Simon. (2002). Modern Enchantments: The Cultural Power of Secular Magic. Harvard University Press. p. 131. ISBN 0-674-00607-0
  3. Price, David. (1985). Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater. Cornwall Books. p. 125. ISBN 0-8453-4738-1
  4. Room, Adrian. (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-7864-4373-4
  5. Townsend, Charles Barry. (2003). The Curious Book of Mind-boggling Teasers, Tricks, Puzzles & Games. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 152. ISBN 1-4027-0214-0
  6. Sorcar, P. C. (1970). History of Magic. Indrajal Publications. p. 54
  7. Branson, L. H. (1953). A Lifetime of Deception: Reminiscences of a Magician. Hale. p. 8
  8. Houdini, Harry. (1908). The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin. New York: Publishers Printing Co. p. 16
  9. Branson, L. H. (1953). A Lifetime of Deception: Reminiscences of a Magician. Hale. p. 11

Further reading
  • Edwin A. Dawes. (1997). Charles Bertram: The Court Conjurer. Kaufman and Company.


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