Karl Germain, born Charles Mattmueller, (February 12, 1878 – August 9, 1959) was an American magician and

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

. He performed under the stage name Germain the Wizard.

Early history

At the age of 8, young Charles Mattmueller presented an impromptu version of the Spirit Cabinet for two schoolmates. Charles was tied with ropes and locked inside a bread cabinet. A short time later, knocks and raps were heard coming from the cabinet frightening the onlookers. It is unknown how Charles with no knowledge of magical principles figured out how to do this, but it began an interest in magic that would last throughout his life. As a teen, he performed under his

last name In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

Mattmueller, and then later changed it to Germaine, and eventually Germain. He was a popular artist who worked in the

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and

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

circuits.

Performing career

Karl Germain performed many classic popular magic effects of his day. What made his performances different from others were his artistic and elegant presentations of these tricks. In time Germain would add his own creations. His flower growth illusion was praised by audiences and magicians alike.

Harry Kellar Harry Kellar (born Heinrich Keller; July 11, 1849 – March 10, 1922) was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kellar was a predecessor of Harry Houdini and a successor of Robert ...

made the trick of magically growing flowers popular, but Germain developed a different method which many claimed was better than the original. Germain was one of the early presenters of mind reading effects in his show. One of his most original creations and the highlight of his show was called Germain's Egyptian Water Jars. Five metal jars were shown empty and then they all miraculously filled with water which was then poured into an aquarium. Since Germain's retirement no magician has ever gained the success or notoriety with this trick.Magic-A Pictorial History, pg 409

References

Sources

* Price, David (1985), ''Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater'', Cornwall Books, * Christopher, Milbourne & Christopher, Maurine (2005), ''The Illustrated History of Magic'', fwd. David Copperfield, Running Press, * Cramer, Stuart (1966), ''Germain the Wizard and his Legerdemain'', Buffum Pub. Corp., {{DEFAULTSORT:Germain, Karl 1878 births 1959 deaths American magicians