Adelaide Herrmann

Adelaide Herrmann (1853–1932) was a noted magician and vaudeville performer. She began her magic career as assistant to her husband, magician Alexander Herrmann (1844–1896). When he died she continued the show and later became a major star in her own right.

Following Alexander's death she initially worked with his nephew Leon Herrmann, but a clash of personalities led them to part ways after three seasons, each continuing with their own show. Adelaide was one of the few magicians to perform the infamous "bullet catch" trick, which had been an occasional feature of her husband's act. It was said that, because of the trick's reputation, she could not bear to watch her husband when he performed it. However, on January 19, 1897, a month after his death, she stood in his place in front of a firing squad at the Metropolitan Opera House in Chicago. Surviving publicity material describes her as catching six bullets fired at her by local militiamen.

Adelaide continued performing until she was 75. She died at the age of 79 and is buried, along with her husband, at the Woodlawn Cemetery, New York.

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