1920s Original Carter the Great Poster

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POSTER OF "CARTER THE GREAT" ADVERTISING HIS "CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR WITCHCRAFT, CHEATS THE GALLOWS" ILLUSION MAGICIAN ACT 1920s This … Read more POSTER OF "CARTER THE GREAT" ADVERTISING HIS "CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR WITCHCRAFT, CHEATS THE GALLOWS" ILLUSION MAGICIAN ACT 1920s This vintage promotional poster advertises Charles Joseph Carter (1874-1936), the acclaimed American stage magician known as "Carter the Great," specifically his dramatic "Condemned to Death for Witchcraft, Cheats the Gallows" illusion. A large color stone lithograph produced in four sheets, it was printed in Cleveland, Ohio by the Otis Lithograph Co. Carter performed during magic's golden age and was considered one of the greatest magicians of his era, standing alongside legendary names such as Houdini, Herrmann, Kellar, and Thurston. He toured extensively across Europe and the United States, and striking posters like this one were created to advertise his appearances, with his imagery often reflecting the thrilling escape stunts that put him in direct competition with the great Harry Houdini himself.

Charles Joseph Carter (1874?1936), famously known as Carter the Great, was a preeminent American stage magician who rose to international stardom by performing grand illusions across the globe. Beginning his career as "Master Charles Carter the Original Boy Magician" in Baltimore at age ten, he eventually moved his act abroad to escape the crowded American magic scene, eventually completing seven world tours. His performances were legendary for their scale and theatricality, featuring elaborate acts like "cheating the gallows," disappearing elephants, and a surgical-themed "sawing a woman in half" illusion. Carter?s shows were often massive logistical undertakings, requiring up to 31 tons of equipment?a burden so significant it purportedly cost him a ticket on the ill-fated RMS Titanic in 1912. Beyond the stage, Carter was a man of diverse and often risky ambitions. During a brief hiatus from touring in Chicago, he graduated from law school and managed various business ventures, including a theatrical agency and a trade magazine. In 1917, he purchased the famous Martinka Magic Palace, later selling it to a group of investors that included Harry Houdini. His career was also marked by colorful anecdotes and financial gambles, such as keeping a lion in his magic shop and losing a fortune on a self-produced film in South Africa titled The Lion?s Bride. Despite these setbacks, he continued to tour successfully with his wife, Corrine, and stage psychic Evelyn Maxwell until his death from a heart attack in 1936 while en route to Bombay. See less