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Henry Roltair

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Henry Roltair
BornJuly 10, 1853
London
DiedJanuary 14, 1910 (age 56)

Henry Roltair (1853-1910), born in London, began his career working for Alexander Herrmann and became a vaudeville illusionist in the United States. He was famous for creating "set location" illusions he did for places such as Coney Island amusements parks and Barnum and Bailey's Circus.

Biography

Roltair is credited with the Spider Girl (Spidora illusion), an elaboration on the living-head illusion or Sphinx Illusion.

For the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Roltair designed "Creation" (opened by May 10). The ride could take up to two hours and included a "boat trip" illustrating the works of God and climaxed with a display in a great dome representing the six days in the "Creation of the World".

References

  • Roltair "Genius of Illusions" by John Alexander McKinven (1980)
  • Secrets of the sideshows by Joe Nickell (2005)
  • Coney Island: the people's playground By Michael Immerso (2002)