New York: The Metropolitan Printing Co., ca. 1905. Most likely a representation of a feat of true “black art,” the poster depicts Adelaide Herrmann performing the Decapitation illusion. She holds a sword in her hands while her headless assistant gestures toward a pedestal on which rests her own head. A skeleton floats in the background while a devil flies overhead. 20 ¼ x 30". Margins over-colored significantly; B. Scarce. Adelaide Herrmann (1853 – 1932) began her stage career as a dancer and trick cyclist. After marrying Alexander Herrmann, the great French magician, she became an adept magician in her own right. After Alexander’s unexpected death in 1896, Adelaide took her own magic shows on tour, first with her nephew, Leon Herrmann, and later as the sole star performer. She retired from the stage in 1928.