R. D. Chater (1836–1913) most well known as Hercat was a British

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

and writer. His stage name is an anagram of his surname. Chater worked as journalist and actor as a young man, he later became a professional magician and moved to

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He was famous for performing a cremation illusion. He was inventor and sole proprietor of the illusion, "The Mystery of She". In 1888 William Morton of the Greenwich Theatre managed the protection of the copyright. Hercat's British tour in 1889 was organised by Morton. He was described as: HERCAT the American Illusionist, Ventriloquist, and Humorist. His programme was: The Egyptian Hall, Ten Weeks; Olympia, Nine Weeks; Edinburgh, Five Weeks; Belfast, Three Weeks; Birmingham, Four Weeks.''The Era,'' 13 April 1889, p. 14 He authored many books on card tricks.

Publications

*''Card Tricks and Conjuring Up to Date'' (1896) *''Latest Sleights, Illusions, Mind Reading and New Card Effects'' (1903) *''Ventriloquist and Ventriloquial Dialogues'' (1905) *''Conjuring Up to Date'' (1906) *''Hercat's Latest Sleights and Illusions'' (1906) *''Card Tricks With and Without Apparatus Up to Date'' (1906) *''Chapeaugraphy, Shadowgraphy and Paper-Folding'' (1909) *''More Conjuring'' (1912)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chater, R. D. 1836 births 1913 deaths British magicians British sceptics British writers