Adelaide Herrmann

Adelaide Herrmann (1853–1932) was an English-American magician and vaudeville performer billed as "the Queen of Magic". She was married to Alexander Herrmann, another magician.

Early career Adelaide Herrmann was born Adelaide Scarcez (also spelled Scarsia) in 1853 in London. Her father, who was born in Belgium, helped establish the Egyptian Hall. In 1874, she came to New York City as a dancer for Imre Kiralfy. Solo career When Alexander died in 1896, Adelaide Herrmann decided to continue the show. She initially worked with her husband's nephew, Leon Herrmann, but a clash of personalities led them to part ways after only three seasons. In 1903, she made her Broadway debut at the Circle Theater. She performed often with other vaudeville acts and was frequently mentioned in the New York Times. In a November 2, 1899 article for Broadway Magazine entitled "The World’s Only Woman Magician," Herrmann stated, "I shall not be content until I am recognized by the public as a leader in my profession, and entirely irrespective of the question of sex." Surviving publicity material describes her as catching six bullets fired at her by local militiamen. She rebounded briefly with a pared-down show called "Magic, Grace and Music," highlighting the three elements at which she'd excelled in her career. The National Vaudeville Artists’ Year Book from 1928 shows Herrmann in her final performing year.