Professor William Kohler
It is frustrating to research a magician who spent more than a decade performing with success and praise throughout Australia, and yet to come away knowing little about the person behind the stage persona. Professor William Kohler’s reviews were consistently good, and he clearly made friendships wherever he went; yet he left little information about his personal life history.
Mr R. W. Kohler - Musician
One of the main stumbling blocks in researching the magician, “Professor Kohler”, is the constant presence, around the same time, of a Mr R.W. Kohler. In the early days of preparing this story, it appeared that there was a single Kohler who performed both as a musician and as a magician. However that proves not to be the case, and so Mr R.W. Kohler must be disposed of before we can focus on the conjuror.
Being in the entertainment profession, the American R.W. Kohler appears regularly in the press and social notices, as well as in Shipping News. Of the two ‘Kohlers’ he is the more eminent, being highly feted during his various visits to Australia.
Richard Wildblood Kohler was an accomplished musician, “Professor of the Horn, Cornopean, Cornet-a-Piston, Concertina, French Flageolet, Guitar, Rock Harmonicon, &c.” The Australharmony pages of the University of Sydney (1) summarise his career:
“Richard Kohler played first horn in the band of the Melbourne Philharmonic Society in November and December 1854. He was a leading soloist in the band of the Theatre Royal in 1855, along with Creed Royal. He toured with Lavenu in 1857, and in 1858, he and his brother, J. W. Kohler (arrived 1856), made their first joint appearance. The brothers were still playing together when they appeared in Sydney in 1879, and Richard was active in Adelaide in 1880 and 1881. Richard was in court in New Zealand in 1864 [he had filed for insolvency]. A late documented public appearance was with Compton's Opera Company in Perth in May 1881.”
Richard Wildblood Kohler
Richard Kohler also dabbled in other areas of entertainment in his later years. It is known that he opened the first Roller Skating rink in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1867 (on Gloucester Street). Reporting on his death in late 1888, The Lorgnette (Victoria) of February 23, 1889 noted:
DEATH OF RICHARD KOHLER - News has arrived from San Francisco of the death of "Dick" Kohler, which took place at his residence, Oaklands, in November last. He had been an invalid for some years past from general decline, and passed away so quietly that little mention has been made of the fact. Mr. Kohler visited Australia upon two different occasions, and was for some time connected with the U.S. Minstrels as a solo cornet player and general instrumentalist. On leaving Australia on the last occasion he collected a large number of wax figures and a model of the Strasburg Clock, with which he opened a museum in San Francisco, until his health gave way, when he left the management of the museum in the hands of his brother, who died some time ago. "Dick" left many friends in Australia, who will regret to learn of his death.
William Kohler - Magician
Wilhelm August Kohler was born, according to genealogical sources, on June 14, 1823, in Prenzlau, Preussen, Brandenburg (Germany). His broken English was often mentioned in the press. He frequented the relatively new colony of South Australia perhaps more than other performers, and this is understandable considering the strong population of German settlers in the region. His advertising and press notices generally referred to “Professor Kohler” or “Professor W. Kohler”, though in the German-language press the umlauted form, “Köhler” was always used. Kohler initially used the appellation “Wizard of the North” but quickly dropped that, and became a “Necromancer”. Only on a few occasions did his advertising become a little more bombastic, as “The Great German Necromancer, First Magician to His Majesty the King of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland &c.” which claims, of course, can be taken with due caution.
For the most part, Kohler was modest in his advertising, and content to play in smaller halls or Mechanics’ Institutes of the towns along his route. Given some occasional comments in the press that his performances had been sparsely attended due to lack of advance promotion, it seems likely that he appeared in many other towns than can be located in the newspapers (see tour schedule below).
First Appearances and Tours to 1868
With caution, it is considered likely that Mr and Mrs Kohler’s arrival in Australia was aboard the Columbian, out of Southampton via Cape Town, arriving in Melbourne on March 19, 1857. The Kohlers were reported to be destined for Sydney. Kohler was only thirty-five years old.
Kohler’s first-known press notice appears in the “Empire” newspaper, with a report from Gundagai on November 6, 1857, speaking only of ‘the far-famed Wizard of the North’. He had performed over two nights at the Royal Hotel, and intended progressing East to Yass, Queanbeyan and Goulburn.
A single mention is made of Mrs. Kohler, who thereafter is not visible in any of Mr. Kohler’s travels:
Goulburn Herald December 12, 1857 - ESCAPE OF THREE PERSONS AT MARULAN - "This district was visited by another thunderstorm on Wednesday last, which, though not of long duration, was of greater violence than any that have preceded it this season. Whilst the storm was raging, three females were in the kitchen of Mr. Wade's Inn, Marulan, where some cookery operation was going on. The party comprised Mrs. Wade, Mrs. Kohler (the wife of the Wizard of the North), and another female. They were standing in a group round the fire-place, when the lightning, descending the chimney, struck Mrs. Wade, and killed a dog at her feet. The whole party were thrown to the ground, some yards from the spot where they had been standing. Mrs. Wade's arm was temporarily paralysed, but beyond this, and a very great fright, the ladies escaped unhurt."
It is not certain that this "Mrs. Kohler" is the same Antoinette Alexandra Bedat (1840-1930), of Russian birth, who married Wilhelm at Castlemaine on July 10, 1858. They had four daughters. (3)
On January 4, 1858 John Wyatt, proprietor of the Prince of Wales Theatre, Sydney, announced, “These artists arrive with the highest prestige from the chief theatres of Europe and America – the public Press of all the leading cities being unanimous in bearing the warmest testimony to the merits of their skilful and attractive performances…" Sadly, his Sydney season was one of Kohler’s few failures.
In the years between 1857 and his death in 1868, Professor Kohler travelled extensively, as shown in the touring schedule at the end of this article. Several times he moved through the Eastern States, from Melbourne as far north as Toowoomba, with much time spent in the Goulburn region of New South Wales. He then travelled throughout Tasmania and South Australia, finally moving across to Western Australia which was rarely visited by magicians.
Kohler and Miss Flora, Bathurst March 17, 1858
Between January 1862 and September 1864 no mention can be found of Professor Kohler. It is not known whether he might have returned home, or simply suspended his performing.
From March to April, 1867, Kohler made a rather puzzling diversion across to New Zealand, where he made a very limited number of appearances in Nelson, Greymouth, Auckland and Onehunga. Quite why he travelled such a distance is not known; perhaps he was sounding out new possibilities and decided against touring the whole country. Kohler returned from New Zealand to Hobart on May 25, on the Bella Mary from Auckland, with a business partner Mr Louis Peter.
Having toured for almost eleven years, Prof. Kohler met an unexpected death in Perth, Western Australia on October 23, 1868. He had been suffering from a sore throat which did not seem serious, but he died at the Freemason’s Hotel. An announcement declared he had died of an ulcerated throat at the age of 46. Other sources speculated a fever or typhoid as the cause of death.
His travelling companion and assistant, Mr. Louis Peter, applied to have Prof. Kohler’s (intestate) goods turned over to him, and on August 13, 1869 Kohler’s props were offered for sale, including the Magic Punchbowl, Inexhaustible Bottle, Blind Tailor, Water Fountains and Egg Bag. Mr. Peter then went on to establish a boarding house in Murray Street.
Professor Rivere
As a side note, Kohler was travelling in the same region as a Professor Rivere in early 1861. We can only assume that Rivere was the target of these unhappy newspaper jibes:
Guichen Bay, March 15, 1861 - ‘On Monday evening he [Kohler] gave his first entertainment at the Criterion Hotel before a highly delighted though not so numerous an assembly as the merits of his performance might justify. This may be account for by the fact of our townsmen having been so often duped of late by imposters.”
S.A. Advertiser, May 20, 1861 [Willunga] – “As it was, [Kohler] laboured under two disadvantages – the one of his coming not being advertised in the weekly papers; the second, that very recently a professor of the same art, who issued programmes of astounding tricks, fell so much short of his pretensions as to cause indifference amongst those who had not the opportunity of judging the real artist from the assumed one.”
January 17, 1859, Beechworth
Repertoire
From a multitude of newspaper reviews, some of Professor Kohler’s repertoire can be determined. Occasionally the press stated that he was performing well-known tricks, though cleverly staged; others claimed he was showing the very latest in novelties:
- Turning watches into turtle doves, producing plum pudding and packs of cards from the empty hats of gentlemen in the side boxes.
- The breaking up of a watch in a small covered box, and the firing of the pistol, while, at the same time, the watch appeared whole in the background, with a pigeon flying about.
- The distribution of “rum punch” produced from handfuls of cotton, amongst the audience in ‘endless abundance’.
- “His parasol trick of itself is well worth witnessing.” [a trick with a parasol and four borrowed handkerchiefs].
- “The Professor in his magic robe looked like some brother of the Rosy Cross or alchymist of the middle ages disporting with the secrets discovered in the ‘never ending still beginning.’ “
- Eggs and pancakes, tea and hot punch, were produced by the slightest touch of the magic wand. A hat, borrowed from a gentleman in the room, was made to produce a perfect outfit of baby linen, and last, but not least, the baby itself. A ribbon manufactory was also established, when ribbons of various colours and many yards in length were drawn from the Professor’s mouth, followed by a shower of pins.
- [at Torquay, September 1867] One of his best tricks was with a ladies keeper ring, which he tied with a piece of ribbon and gave to a young man, one of the audience, to place in a little box which lay on his table, desiring the party at the same time to watch that no one touched it. He then borrowed a hat and a half-crown piece, and ask[ed] whether he would put the coin beneath the hat, through the crown or from beneath the table; on being answered through the crown, he touch the crown of the had with the coin which vanished, and upon the astonished young man lifting the hat, the half-crown was not to be seen, but in its place a pretty little pigeon with the ring attached by the ribbon to its neck. He then to the intense delight of the audience extracted the vanished half-crown from the young man’s nose, much to his amazement.
Reviews
A notable feature of Kohler’s performances is the degree to which his act was praised. Other magicians had poor nights or minor criticisms, but even allowing for the cozy relationship between newspaper editors and their paying customers, Kohler’s reviews are universally positive and enthusiastic. The only negative comments to be found relate to his arriving in a town without sufficient advance notice. His audience numbers were usually strong, except where bad weather prevailed.
A sampling of his reviews:-
- the magician is really deserving of a liberal patronage.
- Many of the tricks which he performs are entirely new, and he executes them with a skill and quickness which we have seldom seen surpassed, in every illusion he was highly successful, and was warmly applauded at the conclusion of it.”
- We thought that after having seen Professor Anderson’s performances, there was nothing left in the conjuring art to be seen; but we were agreeably disappointed on attending the theatre on Saturday and Monday nights, and in plain honesty must say that Mr. Kohler’s tricks will bear comparison with those of Mr. Anderson and in many instances the adroitness with which the deceptions were performed far surpassed the experiments of the Great Wizard of the North … Mr. Kohler has with him an excellent brass band…”
- As we have been so often disappointed here I have great pleasure in informing you that we have not been disappointed in a performance given by Professor Kohler. His tricks are performed with such ease and grace that we fairly may pronounce them ne plus ultra.
- the entertainment is a very good one; the tricks are all very cleverly done, and so are the audience. There is one point alone which renders the performance amusing, and that is the Professor’s easy style and mode of address. It is but imperfectly acquainted with the language, and consequently speaks broken English, and his manner is extremely good. He doesn’t wear a long-tailed coat full of big pockets and with tremendous wide sleeves, into which of course people generally suppose everything that disappears is popped, but he comes out in a black velvet tunic fitting tightly to the figure, and the arms bare nearly to the shoulder. (2)
- We are glad to say that he was fully supported by a full and most fashionable audience… each [trick] was received with enthusiastic applause.
- Although this entertainment [Hamburg Hotel, Adelaide] takes place at the request of numerous countrymen of the Professor, we hear that the English language will be used on the occasion, and consequently the entertainment will be equally attractive to everyone.
- The Professor certainly astonished his audience; with his mild and quiet manner and cleverness the tricks he performs are really wonderful.
- ... the audience testifying their approbation of Herr Kohler’s cleverness by repeated rounds of applause.
- So anxious were the people to witness the performance that even the window sills were crowded with anxious lookers on.
- Adelaide Observer - March 28, 1868 - Professor Kohler's Entertainment.—On March
20th, Herr Kohler gave his first entertainment at the Hotel Europe to a
moderate audience. At the commencement the Professor of Magic craved the
indulgence of his auditors and onlookers, for in the latter capacity those
present had most to do, because of his imperfect knowledge of English. Any
defect of this sort is readily overlooked as the proceedings go forward, and
the sharpest faculties are called into exercise to discover the modus operandi
of the performer. There was of necessity, as with all the necromancers and magicians
who visit Adelaide, a superabundance of burnished vessels and the usual
liberality of light on the platform or tier of scarlet-covered shelving whereon
the mystic goblets and intricate cabinetware are arranged and displayed. The
whole was in unison with the Professor's garb, a black velvet doublet. The
opening trick, a somewhat familiar, and, to the uninitiated, inexplicable card one,
was succeeded by handkerchief, ring, coin, watch, and other puzzling
conjurations, in which the whole tribe of warlocks, witches, brownies, &c.,
might fairly have been supposed to be accessories, so eye-deceiving were they.
Queensland cotton changed into passable punch, which even teetotallers were
disposed to taste, as. the source appeared so pure; eggs, taken apparently ad
libitum, either by the audience or the Professor, out of an empty bag; a baby's
wardrobe from an orthodox black hat, and guinea-pigs, as the product of the materials
for a pancake, made all admit that the sleight of hand by which the whole was accomplished
was indeed astonishing. Throughout the performance, which is very pleasing, and
free from the start-and-strut so often noticed in these matters, the attention
is maintained, Herr Kohler's good humoured banter and quiet drollery tending in
no small degree to success.
Madame Flora, Fire Queen
From January 1858 to February 1859, the early years of his tour, Kohler shared the bill with ‘Miss’ or ‘Madame’ Flora, Fire Queen. She is not to be found anywhere outside this timeframe, and we are left to speculate who she was; indeed, whether she might have been the magician’s own wife. Given their marriage in July 1858, it seems likely.
Sydney Morning Herald, January 11, 1858 – “Mons. W. Kholer [sic], the Wizard of the North, commenced an engagement, assisted by a stout young lady in a white muslin dress, which would have touched the boards of the stage, had the garment been extended some twelve or fourteen inches … She took off her shoes and danced upon a sheet of hot iron; and with a large spoon ate flames of fire, with an avidity and appetite as great as that which attends the demolition of a lolly by a ravenous infant. Mons. Kholer’s performances, if not very original, were certainly clever, and his skill in the art of legerdemain is considerable.”
In an ominous remark on his first season, the ‘Empire’ said, “The audiences hitherto have not been so numerous as might have been expected; but so soon as Mr. Kohler’s ability as a magician becomes better known, no doubt he will be patronised in proportion thereto.” It was not to be; by January 16 it was reported that “Mons. Kohler having failed to draw paying houses, the management have closed the theatre until the arrival of Mr. Coppin with his English company.”
Sydney Morning Herald, August 24, 1858 – “His [Kohler’s] tricks are performed in the usual way, but the performances of the lady who accompanies him, and who is y’clept the “Fire Queen,” is to my mind disgusting. The idea of a woman coming forward and applying her tongue to a red-hot iron, and placing her naked feet upon a red-hot plat, is revolting, and carries the mind back to the old Roman period – a dark degenerate age.”
Having toured with Kohler for over a year, Madame Flora was seen no more after February 1859 at Castlemaine, but during his Castlemaine stay, Mr. Kohler joined forces briefly with Mr. Devani and Professor Risley & Son. Risley’s claim to fame was the development of the acrobatic tumbling routine where the performer lay on his back and ‘juggled’ a second performer with his feet. In this instance the focus was on his son who, alongside the India-Rubber Man, Mr. Devani, tied themselves “in the most incomprehensible knots, apparently dislocating their limbs and re-uniting them at pleasure…”
August 13, 1869 Auction of estate
KNOWN TOUR DATES FOR PROFESSOR KOHLER
1857
November 28, 29 Royal Hotel, Gundagai. Stated to be proceeding to Yass, Queanbeyan, Goulburn
December 2-5 Commercial Hotel, Goulburn
1858
January 4-11 Prince of Wales Theatre, Sydney with Madame Flora
January 23, 25 Red Cow Hotel, Parramatta with Miss Flora
February 20 Prince of Wales’ Theatre, Bathurst
February 24-26 Orange
March 1 Prince of Wales’ Theatre, Bathurst
March (3?) Carcoar with Miss Flora and German Band
March 17, 20, 23 Prince of Wales Theatre, Bathurst
March 30 Shearer’s Arms Ball Room, Peel
June 26 Armidale ‘last appearance’ - "Professor Kohler and Miss Flora are very successful in their feats"
August 17 Advertisement in ‘North Australian’, Ipswich, but no dates
August 24 Noted as having been in Warwick, Drayton and Toowoomba in ‘last few days’
October 25 Mr. Cohen’s Chequers’ Inn, Goulburn
October 27 Goulburn, ‘last entertainment’
October 30 Announced for Gunning
Nov 2 Globe Hotel, Yass
1859
January 8 Britannia Hotel Upper Woolshed, Beechworth
January 10 Free Masons Arms Hotel, Reid’s Creek
January 17, 22 Star Theatre, Beechworth
February 23 Theatre Royal, Castlemaine. Appears to be last appearance with Madame Flora
1860
July 21, 23, 26 Lyceum Theatre, Bathurst
August <18 Tuena
August 28 Bathurst. ‘En route for the Snowy via Goulburn’
December 8 School of Arts, Brisbane “Saturdays and Mondays”
1861
January 25,26,28 Tasmanian Assembly Rooms, Portland
March 11 Criterion Hotel, Guichen Bay
March 18 Crown Hotel, Mount Barker
March 26 Private performance in Adelaide
March 28, 30 White’s Assembly Rooms, Adelaide
April 2 Port Theatre, Adelaide
April 3 Town Hall, Norwood
April 6, 8 Oddfellows’ Hall, Gawler
April 9, 10 Tanunda Hotel, Tanunda. “Proceeding Northward, and intends to visit the principal townships between here and the Burra”
April 12 Crase’s Large Room, Kapunda
April 18-20 Burra Hotel, Kooringa
April 24 Smith’s Hotel, Clare with Mr. F. Linden at the piano
May 3 Town Hall, Norwood
May ? Riverton
May 6 Masonic Hall, North Adelaide
May 10 Hamburg Hotel, Adelaide
May 16 Willunga
May 17 Noarlunga – performance deferred.
May 25 Port Elliot Hotel, Port Elliot
May 28-29 Gosling’s Lodge Room, Strathalbyn
June (?) Mentioned as having been in Adelaide but no date.
June 13 Hagen Arms, Echunga. Poor attendance due weather.
June <15 Macclesfield
June 28 Hagen Arms, Echunga
August 5 Masonic Hall, North Adelaide
August 15 Governor MacDonnell Hotel, Salisbury
August 24 White Lion Hotel, Kadina
September 29 Hahndorf
October 5 Tanunda Hotel, Tanunda
November 18-19 Mitchell’s Assembly Room, Mount Gambier
December 11-13 Hogan’s Lyceum, Portland
1864
October 3 Bendemeer. ‘En route to Queensland’
October ? Uralla
October 10,11 Wellington Inn, Armidale
1865
January 10 Maryborough
February ? Gladstone
February 20 ‘Left the diggings [heading] for Rockhampton’
March 2-4 New Concert Hall adjoining Cornstalk Hotel, Rockhampton
March 7 School of Arts, Rockhampton
1866
April 5 Toowoomba
November 24,26 Theatre Royal, Toowoomba
December 17-19 Victoria Music Hall, Brisbane
December 26 Victoria Concert Hall, Brisbane
December 31 Victoria Concert Hall, Brisbane
1867
March 18, 19, 20 Harris’ Star Hotel, Greymouth
April 4, 5, (8?) Odd-Fellows’ Hall, Nelson, New Zealand (late arrival?)
April 20,22,23, 24 Prince of Wales Theatre, Auckland
April 29, 30 Onehunga Institute, Onehunga
May 29-30 Theatre Royal, Hobart, Tasmania
June 4 Theatre Royal, Hobart
June 10 Public Library, New Norfolk
June 13 Hamilton
June 15 Crown Hotel, Bothwell - ‘crowded to excess’
June 28 Asylum, New Norfolk
July 1 Advertised for Brighton
July 3 Advertised for Green ponds
July 5 Advertised for Oatlands
July 8 Mr. Bacon’s large room, Ross Hotel
July 10 Advertised for Campbell Town
July 13 Advertised for Perth
July 15 Advertised for Longford
July 22, 23 Theatre Royal, Launceston
July 29 Town Hall, Launceston, Tasmania
August 12 Town Hall, Launceston
September 3, 4? Torquay
September 14 Announced to perform at Latrobe
November 3 Ship ‘Teazer’ nearly beached at Torquay after landing Prof.Kohler
December 20 Evandale
December 23 Nile
1868
January 21, 25 Varieties, Melbourne
February 6 Varieties, Melbourne
February 20 Mag’s Hotel, Portland
March 2, and 5? Mount Gambier
March 20, 21 Assembly Room, Hotel Europe, Adelaide
March 23 Town Hall, Port Adelaide
< April 13 Port Lincoln en route to return visit to Adelaide then W.A.
May 27, 29 Odd Fellows’ Fremantle
June 8-10 Mechanics’ Hall, Perth, WA
July 25, 27? Newcastle WA (now Toodyay)
July 25 Advertised to appear soon at Perth, Guildford, York, Northam and Newcastle
August 15 Mention that he had departed Bunbury WA
August 31 Mechanics’ Institute, Guildford
September 3 York
September 4 Northam
September 7 Newcastle WA
September 10 York
September 25 Perth, then ‘Eastern Districts Fairs’ (York, Northam, Newcastle)
September 29 Odd Fellows’ Hall, Fremantle
REFERENCES
(2) South Australian Advertiser, March 29, 1861
(3) Ancestry.com under Antoinette Alexandra Bedat and Wilhelm August Kohler