|
|
The Great Lafayette
by John Alexander
and Christopher Brinson
Some facts and some questions on the life and fate of the
flamboyant showman
Reviewed by Ian Keable
The
Great Lafayette died in a fire on 12th May, 1911; and to commemorate this tragic
event, John Alexander and Chris Brinson have put together a number of essays and
articles relating to his life and, of course, his death. Interspersed are
photographs and poster reproductions from the collection of Peter Lane.
Lafayette is one of those characters who it’s difficult for magicians to
directly learn from. By all accounts he wasn’t a great magician: he was, though,
clearly a superb showman, a shrewd businessman and a creator of spectacular
story-themed illusions, many involving large animals. I suspect the nearest
modern-day equivalent was the Siegfried & Roy show; although Lafayette was
continuously touring his show, rather than having the luxury of a permanent
venue.
However for anyone interested in a magical eccentrics, the golden era of magic
performing and conspiracy theories, then you can’t do much better than
Lafayette. Whether it’s his obsession with his pet dog Beauty (given to him by
Houdini), intrigue about his sexuality (was his glamorous assistant, Lalla
Selbini, his lover?), confusion (in death) between himself and his double, the
incredible turnout at his funeral in Glasgow (which his brother failed to pay
for until High Court action was taken) and Will Goldston’s preposterous
contention that he was the ‘most hated magician in the world’, you don’t get
better tabloid copy than this.
This little booklet (just over A5 size of 60 pages) doesn’t add much to our
overall knowledge of Lafayette – indeed some of the articles are reprints (with
permission) from previous published sources. But it brings the disparate parts
together well, addressing the questions that most certainly fascinate us about
the man: and this, along with the illustrations, certainly justifies its
production.
For Lafayette completists this is a must. But also for anybody else interested
in dipping their toes into the fascinating world of magic history, this is one
magician – both in life and death - you can’t go wrong with. Step aside Chung
Ling Soo, bring on The Great Lafayette!
£12 (including p & p) from Arcady Press
www.arcadypress.co.uk.
©
Ian Keable, May 2011