| Charles Bertram | |
| Occupation: | Magician |
| Birth Date: | 26 April 1853 |
Charles Bertram (26 April 1853 – 28 February 1907) was a British magician known as "The Royal Conjurer" as he performed for royalty.[1] [2]
Bertram was born James Bassett in Woolwich, it is suspected that he adopted the name of Charles Bertram (1723-1765).[3] [4] He was a favourite of King Edward VII who he performed for 22 times.[1]
He also performed many times at Maskelyne and Cooke's entertainment shows at the Egyptian Hall.[1] [5]
Bertram travelled to Australia, Canada, China, India and many other countries. His experiences were recorded in his book A Magician in Many Lands.[1]
Magician P. C. Sorcar has noted that Bertram "was a very accomplished English magician. He coined the famous magical catch-phrase, "Isn't it Wonderful?".[6]
According to L. H. Branson whilst growing up, Bertram had taught him conjuring tricks. Branson wrote that he went to his "house one afternoon a week, and I was duly initiated into the double-handed pass, single-handed pass, palming cards, billiard balls — in short, the gamut of which a conjurer should know."[7]
Bertram wrote about the history of magic in his book Isn't it Wonderful? A History of Magic and Mystery (1896). The book was criticized by Harry Houdini who wrote it was "marred by mis-statements which even the humblest of magicians could refute."[8]
He died of cancer at Streatham in 1907.[9]