Sigmund Neuberger
Encyclopedia
Sigmund Neuberger, or Sigmund Newburger, was born on 25 February 1871 in Munich
, Germany
and died on 9 May 1911 in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. He was otherwise known as famous illusionist The Great Lafayette and was the highest paid magician
of his time.
In 1890 he immigrated, with his family, to the United States
at the age of nineteen and Neuberger began his career as an imitator of Ching Ling Foo
. He became, however, one of the highest-paid performers in vaudeville
. His excellent quick-change routines, as well as dramatic illusions, such as his own "Lion's Bride" (lady to lion) illusion, made him very popular with audiences.
The pampered object of The Great Lafayette's affection was his dog Beauty, a perky terrier
given to him as a pup by fellow conjurer and admirer Harry Houdini
. Beauty had her own suite of brocaded rooms, ate five course meals, and wore a diamond studded collar.
Beauty died four days before the opening of a show at the Empire Palace Theatre in Edinburgh. After initial resistance from Edinburgh City Council, Neuberger arranged for the dog to be buried in Piershill Cemetery. The Council agreed to provide a plot on the condition that Lafayette himself would be buried there upon his own death. Four days later in a freak accident, Lafayette was performing his signature illusion "The Lion's Bride", when a fault in a lamp above the performer caused a fire. The elaborate set went up in flames within minutes. The audience, thinking that this was all part of the illusion, did not evacuate until the theatre manager signalled for the orchestra to play God Save the King. Many of the company, however, were trapped on stage when the safety curtain
was lowered and jammed, leaving only a small gap at the bottom, through which a strong draught of air fanned the flames into an inferno. Lafayette himself had ensured that the side-doors
to the stage had been secured, both to exclude unwanted interlopers and in case of an escape by the lion.
Lafayette escaped but returned in a vain attempt to rescue his horse. He became trapped in the burning building and perished. Ten of his fellow players from the company were also killed in the fire. The theatre burned to the ground. The body of Lafayette was apparently soon found and sent to Glasgow
for cremation. Two days after the fire, however, workers clearing the understage area found another body identically dressed as Lafayette. It transpired that the body at the crematorium was that of the illusionist's body double
. On 14 May the urn containing the Great Lafayette's ashes was taken through Edinburgh, witnessed by a crowd estimated to number over 250,000, before being laid to rest in the paws of his beloved (and now stuffed) Beauty, at Piershill Cemetery.
In May 2011 Edinburgh Festival Theatre
, built on the site of the Empire Palace, hosted the "Great Lafayette Festival", featuring magician Paul Daniels
, to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Neuberger's death.
The event included, on 9 May, a live webcast seance
held by the "Edinburgh Secret Society", led by co-founders Professor Richard Wiseman
and Dr. Peter Lamond
.
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and died on 9 May 1911 in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was otherwise known as famous illusionist The Great Lafayette and was the highest paid magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
of his time.
In 1890 he immigrated, with his family, to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the age of nineteen and Neuberger began his career as an imitator of Ching Ling Foo
Ching Ling Foo
Ching Ling Foo , born Chee Ling Qua , is credited with being the first modern East Asian magician to achieve world fame.- Biography :Born in Beijing, Foo studied traditional Chinese magic and was a well-respected performer in his homeland....
. He became, however, one of the highest-paid performers in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. His excellent quick-change routines, as well as dramatic illusions, such as his own "Lion's Bride" (lady to lion) illusion, made him very popular with audiences.
The pampered object of The Great Lafayette's affection was his dog Beauty, a perky terrier
Terrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
given to him as a pup by fellow conjurer and admirer Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
. Beauty had her own suite of brocaded rooms, ate five course meals, and wore a diamond studded collar.
Beauty died four days before the opening of a show at the Empire Palace Theatre in Edinburgh. After initial resistance from Edinburgh City Council, Neuberger arranged for the dog to be buried in Piershill Cemetery. The Council agreed to provide a plot on the condition that Lafayette himself would be buried there upon his own death. Four days later in a freak accident, Lafayette was performing his signature illusion "The Lion's Bride", when a fault in a lamp above the performer caused a fire. The elaborate set went up in flames within minutes. The audience, thinking that this was all part of the illusion, did not evacuate until the theatre manager signalled for the orchestra to play God Save the King. Many of the company, however, were trapped on stage when the safety curtain
Safety curtain
A safety curtain is a fire safety precaution used in large proscenium theatres. It is usually a heavy fibreglass or iron curtain located immediately behind the proscenium arch. Asbestos-based materials were originally used to manufacture the curtain, before the dangers of asbestos were discovered...
was lowered and jammed, leaving only a small gap at the bottom, through which a strong draught of air fanned the flames into an inferno. Lafayette himself had ensured that the side-doors
Flats (theatre)
Flats, short for Scenery Flats, are flat pieces of theatrical scenery which are painted and positioned on stage so as to give the appearance of buildings or other background. They are also called backdrops or backcloths....
to the stage had been secured, both to exclude unwanted interlopers and in case of an escape by the lion.
Lafayette escaped but returned in a vain attempt to rescue his horse. He became trapped in the burning building and perished. Ten of his fellow players from the company were also killed in the fire. The theatre burned to the ground. The body of Lafayette was apparently soon found and sent to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
for cremation. Two days after the fire, however, workers clearing the understage area found another body identically dressed as Lafayette. It transpired that the body at the crematorium was that of the illusionist's body double
Body double
A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, in shots where the character's body is shown but the face is either not visible or shown indistinctly, or in shots where the image of the credited actor's face is joined,...
. On 14 May the urn containing the Great Lafayette's ashes was taken through Edinburgh, witnessed by a crowd estimated to number over 250,000, before being laid to rest in the paws of his beloved (and now stuffed) Beauty, at Piershill Cemetery.
In May 2011 Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
The Edinburgh Festival Theatre is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh Scotland used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, large-scale musical events, and touring groups. After its most recent renovation in 1994, it seats 1,915...
, built on the site of the Empire Palace, hosted the "Great Lafayette Festival", featuring magician Paul Daniels
Paul Daniels
Paul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer. He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.-Early life:...
, to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Neuberger's death.
The event included, on 9 May, a live webcast seance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
held by the "Edinburgh Secret Society", led by co-founders Professor Richard Wiseman
Richard Wiseman
Richard Wiseman is Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.Wiseman started his professional life as a magician, before graduating in Psychology from University College London and obtaining a Ph.D...
and Dr. Peter Lamond
Peter Lamont (historian)
Dr. Peter Lamont is a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, working on the history, theory and performance of magic. He is an award-winning magician and a former president of the Edinburgh Magic Circle...
.
Further reading
Setterington, Arthur (1991), The Life and Times of the Great Lafayette, (illustrated: Scott McLelland), Abracadabra Show Productions, Inc., Abraxas Publications. ISBN 0-968-61051-X.External links
- Parting Glances: Beauty & The Great Lafayette
- The magician whose greatest illusion was death
- The Death of James Edwin Baines
- Lafayette (Sigmund Neuburger), and his dog, Beauty (picture)
- Funeral of the Great Lafayette at Edinburgh, May 14, 1911, BFIBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
catalogue