Quick Facts
- Original name:
- William Henry Palmer
- Born:
- c. 1830, England
- Died:
- Nov. 28, 1878, Philadelphia
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Robert Heller
American magician
Also known as: William Henry Palmer
Robert Heller (born c. 1830, England—died Nov. 28, 1878, Philadelphia) was a British-born magician who popularized conjuring in the United States. Trained as a musician, Heller turned to magic after he saw a performance by the French magician Robert-Houdin in 1848.
Heller settled in the United States, where he found success as a magician in the 1860s. At first an imitator of his more famous contemporaries, Heller eventually emerged as an entertaining and witty performer whose most famous act was a second-sight (mind-reading) presentation.
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