Object of the Day: The Great and Only Hermann

Click image to enlarge.

Let’s see if we can guess what this trade card is advertising by the image on the obverse. Well, we have a child on a daybed. He is…well…

He’s…

At first I thought he was holding a cloth with four looped corners above his head and making it billow out behind him. But, he could be holding a large cushion over his head in much the same way that murderers hold bricks over their heads in order to crush things.

A doll, or a small person, seems to have met its demise at the tot’s feet. The creatures legs stick up rigidly as its head has been buried between the cushions.

Yes, it’s clearly a crime scene.

Or not.

Let’s see what the back says:

OPERA HOUSE!

L.C. Hanna, Manager. 

--------------------------- 

THE GREAT AND ONLY 

HERRMANN 

AND HIS 

SPECIALTY COMPANY! 

---------------------------- 

A TREAT FOR THE LITTLE ONES! 

---------------------------- 

Only Herrmann Matinee! 

SATURDAY, 2 P.M. 

     Each child will be presented with Flag, 

Balloons, &c., with portrait of Prof. Herr- 

mann.         SECURE SEATS EARLY. 

---------------------------- 

Clark & Co. Print. Sheriff St. 

Hmmmm…that’s a lot of exclamation points. Apparently, it’s a treat for the little ones. Once they’ve finished their murderous rampage, they can go see Professor Herrmann and get some flags and balloons and stuff.

What did Professor Herrmann do? Let’s see if we can find out. Carl (Compars) Hermmann (1816-1887) was a German magician. Carl came from a magically-inclined family, but was the first of the clan to make good as a conjurer (after dropping out of medical school). Therefore, Carl is considered the founder of the “First Family of Magic.”

With his carefully-crafted “Demonic” (I kid you not) look, Carl was also an accomplished ventriloquist as well as an illusionist. In 1853, Carl kidnapped one of his brothers (from his fifteen brothers and sisters) and took the boy, Alexander, out of Germany—teaching him all of his illusions.

Eventually, it seems, both men toured as “The Great and Only” Professor Herrmann. The one advertised on this card, I believe to be Alexander. I think this because the card is assuredly from the U.S. and Alexander was the only one of the two who came to the States. This card, therefore, predates Alexander’s 1896 death.

Perhaps the image on the card is a sly nod to Carl kidnapping his own brother. Or not.