The Silvesters and Sisters Cambry. At Town Hall, Quorn, Saturday Monday April 8 and 10.

“It has been pointed out in these columns before, that when a talented company such as the one now under review comes to a town to perform, having been heralded by criticisms in various newspapers previous to their arrival, the chief difficulty is to report upon their doings without committing the journalistic offence of "pirating" and tautology, and to do them justice without seeming to reflect upon the abilities of previous troupes. In this instance, however, the latter danger is but slight because of the unique and extraordinary character of the items produced being quite different in every respect to any entertainment that has been presented to a Quorn audience for some considerable time past. The overture was begun by the young lady who acted as pianiste throughout the entire performance, and the hearty and genuine applause that rewarded each number of the programme must have assured the talented company that their efforts were thoroughly appreciated. Miss Osborn's rendition of the overture was so good that the somewhat unusual course of demanding an encore was taken, and - with real good nature - that young lady responded with a lively "break-down" which put the audience en rapport.

The curtain having been raised the stage was found to be hung with dark maroon curtains, in the front of which stood a small table. On the table were two candles burning and two empty glass water-bottles. Professor Alfred Silvester came forward and was well and heartily received. He commenced his performance of some very clever feats of legerdemain by causing a red silk handkerchief to fly from one of the glass bottles that had stood on the table and which he held in his hand - standing at some distance from the table — into the other bottle. This he followed up with a highly interesting performance with some money and a pack of cards. Having borrowed four coins from among the audience, be placed them in a long celery glass. He then walked among the people and got four of them to select one card each and not to let him see what the cards were. These selected cards were then placed in the pack by the people themselves and shuffled. The Professor returned to the stage and placed the pack in an upright card-stand. After waving his magic wand, he made the money in the glass tell what cards had been drawn by the audience and by mesmeric passes over the card-stand, caused the selected card to rise out from among the others; which upon being exhibited to the persons who drew them were declared to be the correct ones. This was most clever, but when the last drawn card rose and was shown to the drawer that gentleman declared that the one he drew was "a spade" whereas the card that rose was a "diamond." However, the Professor maintained that the money was right; and, then, to the utter astonishment of the audience, while the Professor held the card in his hand, well held up to view of all, the colour changed very gradually - just like a dissolving view - and the "spade" appeared on the same card. This extraordinary performance was loudly applauded. The money was made to reply to many questions which caused roars of laughter all over the hall. Professor closed his legerdemain with some very clever manoeuvres and handkerchiefs borrowed from the ladies, previously to which he had borrowed a gentleman's hard felt hat and from it extracted a large ball which fell with a heavy thud upon the platform, evidencing its weight and solidity, and a full suit of baby linen, and finally 15 hand-bags as large as the hat itself, all of which were piled upon the table, so that the owner of the hat received it back if he was not light headed - as the Professor said he would be - the Professor was not to blame.

Miss Ivy Cambry then sang "What does she know about a railway?" This lady, as well as her sister Rose, is a very talented young actress - makes up to her part exactly and does not over-rate it. Her singing, unfortunately, could not be done full justice to, because of the bad acoustic properties of our stage, but she earned the very hearty encore she received — and, more so by the splendid dance she executed in response.

Miss Queenie Silvester then appeared, and after giving a very instructive lecture upon moustachious — from the appearance of "the down" to the full growth — kept the attention of the audience well in hand while she, in 15 minutes personated as many different well-known men's faces; loud applause rewarded this lady's clever performance. The Cambry sisters brought the first part of the programme to a close with a duet and dance. The duet was named, "You show me your slate," and was splendidly rendered, thereby adding to the very favourable impression that those ladies had made, and the dance and high-kicking at the end of each verse were much admired by a great many — especially at the back of the hall. After an interval of ten minutes Miss Osborn again played, in a highly satisfactory manner, an overture, and if the old piano had any music left in it, Miss Osborn proved herself the one to bring it out as the instrument acquitted itself well. Miss Rose Cambry then sang "Cast aside," a song full of pathos as the title suggests. She sang clearly and distinctly, and in her gestures illustrated the meaning of the words fully. An encore was promptly responded to and a hearty applause followed. Professor Silvester then gave an exhibition of a very severe test of the rope-tying tricks. Having explained the nature of the exhibition and its difference from that of Anna Eva Fay, that in this the piece of rope used is short, and in the other long, and the ends of this one sewn and tied, he called for some well-known person to come forward and tie him up. Mr John Cahill responded to the invitation with that promptness and courtesy for which all his countrymen are so famous, and no one is better known in Quorn than John Cahill. He proceeded to tie up the Professor, and one could see by the wincing of that gentleman that John had got him in the grip of a "rale Oirish knot." Having satisfied himself and all concerned that the Professor was secure, John stepped aside and the Professor entered the cabinet and immediately his two hands were seen over the top of the cabinet "untied," and he struck a match and lit a candle and then instantly came out but his hands were still tied and Mr Cahill said the cords had not been touched. The next performance was with the bells and tambourine, and the Professor came out with his coat off, and asked Mr Cahill to lend him his. This being done the Professor entered the cabinet coatless, but instantly reappeared with Cahill's coat on, but still his hands were tied — so John said. The security of the tying was proved by the difficulty Mr Cahill had in untying the performer at the close of the seance. Loud applause greeted this really wonderful exhibition.

A duet by the sisters Cambry followed, entitled "I'll tell mamma on you," Miss Rose appearing as a youth, and Miss Ivy as a coy maiden. The singing was good, and the words catching and laughable, and so doubt the attitudes of the pair exceedingly tantalizing to some of the lads. An imperative encore was the result to which the ladies generously responded. The performance was brought to a close by an allegorical, historical, and ethereal marvel, with chromatic limelight effects, in which Miss Queenie Silvester was put into a trance by Professor Alfred Silvester, and while in that state placed in various positions and adorned with suitable draperies by which the following tableaux were placed before the enraptured audience, viz — sleep, skipping, flower girl, Red Riding Hood, girl playing tambourine, prayer, Ireland, United States of America, Britannia, repose. The "entranced" lady was then placed in a horizontal position and Professor Silvester passed a rod all round her body to prove that there were no strings or wires to support her. The effect of the performance was enhanced considerably by the clever manipulation of the chromatic lime-light instrument by Mr J. D. Clarkson, The "National Anthem" brought a much-enjoyed entertainment to a close and repeated wishes for a speedy return of their visit. This criticism would be quite incomplete without a reference to the genial and gallant proprietor and manager, Major Bourke. It is only necessary to be in his society for a very short time indeed to be attracted by his bonhomie and genial presence, and to be assured that one is in the presence of a real gentleman — an ex-English military officer — and one that will always do his utmost to please his numerous patrons by placing before them such entertainments — performed by the best available talent — that will never fail to give entire satisfaction and genuine wholesome pleasure. The same remarks apply to every member of the troupe.”

From this point, with one exception, Alfred and Queenie called a halt to performing. That Alfred had other irons in the fire is shown by a report (16) that he had become the manager of a hotel around October 1899.
“A large number of my readers no doubt remember the best cinematograph that visited the Peninsula and surrounding country under the able guidance and management of Mr. Alfred Silvester, who in his quiet and dry jokes at the exhibition of the pictures created so much amusement – will during the holidays or any other time while in town they can see the noble specimen of dry humour managing the Family Hotel in Currie-Street, where he has been for about two months. Alf is well liked by everybody, and is doing a roaring trade.”

It is known that Alfred took on the operations of a Matrimonial Agency at Globe Chambers in Victoria Square, around 1901-1902. According to historian Harrie Ensor, he also ran a ‘magic manufacturing shop’ at some point, though no physical shopfront is known.

Relying on the public record for information, little is seen of the Silvesters for several years, except that, in May 1900, Alfred wrote a series of six explanatory articles on magic tricks for the Adelaide ‘Express’ (19), which are included in the Appendix to this history. Alfred doubtless would have gone to see his daughter, Violet, when she appeared in Adelaide on several occasions under the direction of the J. C. Williamson organisation.

In late December 1903, however, Alfred and Queenie were suddenly in the spotlight again. Over the Christmas period, Harry Rickards’ Tivoli Theatre presented an “All-Star Specialty and Minstrel Company”, and the pair were featured with the “Sleeping Beauty” illusion, for which ‘Quiz’ reported that they “received unstinted applause, for the performance is a graceful and mystifying one.”

Sliding without interruption into 1904, Queenie now took on a role as a “Handcuff Queen” at the Tivoli, with Alfred acting as the front man. Queenie was shackled hands and ankles with nine regulation handcuffs and, behind a screen, made her escape while Alfred covered the inevitable stage wait. The Silvesters were at the Tivoli all through January, and it seems that entrepreneur Rickards had awoken to the escape act of Harry Houdini overseas, as he engaged not only Miss Silvester, but the escapologist Cirnoc for his theatres. Robert Kudarz, writing for “Magic” magazine in May 1904 said, “Queenie Silvester, a clever lady in illusion business which, as you know, is so closely connected with the Silvesters. I doubt very much if one could find in the Australian Colonies a person who knows so much about magic as the same Prof. Alfred Silvester, or one who could present such a complete illusory entertainment – if he liked.” Kudarz sent portrait photos of the Silvesters to Harry Houdini, jokingly inscribed on the back “Queenie Silvester, Houdini’s first imitator in Australia.” (17) Houdini, doubtless, was not amused.

A brief appearance in 1905, with much the same variety company as had appeared at the Tivoli was advertised to once more feature the “Sleeping Beauty” illusion, and the magical career of the Silvesters came to a close.

At Adelaide Hospital on June 15, 1907, at the age of fifty-four, Alfred Silvester Silvester died following a stroke. He was buried at Adelaide’s West Terrace Cemetery (18) in a service attended by numerous old representatives of the theatre and Tennyson Dickens, son of novelist Charles Dickens. No headstone marked the grave, possibly indicating some financial constraints. In 1911 Alfred’s sister, Daisy Silvester/Ball, paid for a lease on the plot until the year 2010.

‘Quiz’ said, “For geniality of character and bonhomie the deceased was hard to beat. His many kindnesses for the sake of charity and helping his brother professionals was proverbial.”

Robert Kudarz memoralised in The Sphinx magazine [September 1907], “… he gave much of his time and talents to charity, and he became one of the best known of entertainers. Alfred Silvester was both a conjuror and an illusionist, and his knowledge of things magical, optical, mechanical and mystical was very extensive; more so, I believe, than any other magician in the country. His entertainment, as I saw him for the last time produce it in Port Adelaide in 1889, was the best I witnessed while in Australia, and I have not seen it equalled yet by any colonial performer. In private life Prof. Silvester was a genial, good-natured, unaffected man, and there are many amongst us who will regret his end. Vale, Silvester! Sweet and peaceful be thy rest.”

Queenie was only in her thirties and, strange as it may seem, her years with Alfred Silvester would prove to be just the curtain-raiser for her main career. She continued to act on stage after Alfred’s death, playing light comedy roles to good reviews. In 1909 she married George Neville Kensington, who became the stage manager for the Bert Bailey Dramatic Company. Of note is that Queenie’s sister, Minnie, was married to John Fanning, the Touring Manager for the Bailey company; she died in 1925.

Queenie was in it from the start, having reverted to her former title of Queenie Sefton. She created the role of “Mrs. White” (Dave’s mother-in-law) in the debut season, and was seen as late as 1928 in revivals of the play, in the role of Lily (Dave’s sweetheart). She played in other Bailey productions such as “Squaw Man” and “The Squatter’s Daughter.” Queenie Sefton died on August 28, 1953 probably aged 85, and her ashes are interred (as Queenie Kensington) at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park in Sydney.

The importance of Silvester’s career cannot be measured by his public performances alone. While he had a disjointed professional career, there is a story to be told about his influence on other Australian magicians, and some intriguing clues about where his illusion props ended up. Will Alma’s statement that the Silvesters “aided immensely the stabilising of many of our early Australian magicians” is accurate; for over thirty years the Silvester brand was a constant feature of theatrical life and, through their teaching, mentoring and prop building we can trace the Silvester legacy across a number of Australian magicians, both amateur and professional, extending well into the 1900s. As writer Robert Kudarz said, Alfred Silvester bridged the period between the old “glass and trapdoors” era of illusion and the newer style of stage magic which evolved into the deceptive creations of P.T. Selbit, Charles Morritt, and today’s modern illusionists.
We are indebted to several magicians who left notes about Alfred2’s behind-the-scenes work in magic. (19)

Percy Verto (George Jacob Haussmann 1870-1936) was a New-Zealand born magician touring under the name “Prof. Haussmann” until he became “George Percy Verto”, best known for his escapology.

His potted biography in “The Imp” magazine says “When a lad I was assistant to Prof. Haselmeyer, Prof. Anderson [mentioned as the Wizard of the North, but must have been the later Anderson], and Prof. Alfred Sylvester [presumably Alfred2], all when in New Zealand … In my early days I carried as much as two tons and a half of magic and illusions. I was always scared when once I carried the Pepper’s Ghost illusion of having the plate glass smashed, but I got through … had lots of worries with large plate glass illusions such as Vanity Fair and Protean Cabinets, and many others.”

Steve Barrington was a magician from Broken Hill, an important accumulator of notes about visiting magicians, whose collection of ephemera was shared with historian Harrie Ensor and formed a central part of 'The Ensor Scrapbooks'.

Barrington performed professionally as 'Du Barrie' and 'Carlbert'. In December 1901 he received a letter from Alfred Silvester (headed from the Matrimonial Agency in Globe Chambers) saying “Dear Sir, Hearing that you are in the magical business, I beg to inform you that I am a manufacturer in that line, and have supplied many professional and amateur conjurers – if I can do any business with you, I shall be most happy… ” From that letter, Barrington became a pupil and friend of Silvester, continuing as a performer into the 1940s. South Australian magician Ephraim Ernest ‘Jim’ Bennier (“Louis Bretto”) and Kirkham Evans were also pupils of Silvester, and Lewis Cohen the Mayor of Adelaide learned coin magic with him.

Thomas “Anglo” Horton, according to Steve Barrington “was a pupil of Sil’s who taught him conjuring and magic in conjunction with his juggling which he excelled at. Anglo leased the Adelaide Tivoli – under Silvester’s management [1902] and got a lot of publicity so he could use same in London. He failed to click in London, although he managed along at the ‘second’ theatres."
Sadly, Horton ran off the rails – he shot his wife in the main street of Adelaide and was executed in May 1904. His story has been told in the book “Unbalanced – The Rise and Fall of Anglo the Juggler” 2023 by Barry Thorson / Niels Duinker.

The “Entranced Lady” illusion, otherwise known as “The Aerialist’s Dream” or “Sleeping Beauty”, was the mainstay of Alfred1, Alfred2 and Charles Silvester, and later of Alfred3. It is difficult to trace the ownership of the original mechanism, and certainly there must have been several mechanisms made, but the possibility exists that the first prop, obtained second-hand in America in the 1860s, might have been obtained by Alfred2 after the death of his father in 1886. Additional confusion is caused by the references over the years to improvements to the illusion, which allowed the assistant to firstly rise in the air by herself, and secondly to have her feet follow the magician as he walked around the stage. These ‘extras’ were not always performed but their mechanics remain a mystery. Alfred Silvester’s great claim to fame was, of course, the removal of the second supporting pole beneath the assistant’s elbow, leaving her apparently floating unsupported – and it is certain that this effect was produced with a “black art” background and a removable metal shell over the pole.

For posterity, if nothing else, these notes concern the later history of the apparatus, or at least one version of it. The ultimate fate of the prop is not known.

Adelaide magician Harold Watson wrote to historian Will Alma (20) “Alfred Sylvester ‘popped’ his Aerial Suspension to McDonald, theatrical outfitter, for £5 some time before his death. In 1915 “Orlando” (Fred W. Buik) purchased it for £5 and used it for several years appearing on old Star Circuit. (23) I purchased it from Buik for £4 in 1931, but never used it. The platform and masking cover were very heavy. During World War II Buik borrowed it for a patriotic concert party tour. The harness was not returned to me. “Queenie Sylvester” was written in indelible pencil on leatherwork. I still have poles (solid pole with half shell and wooden pole), socket to receive support and 4 turned legs to isolate platform from stage. I have a photograph of the body frame and will try to locate it. Sylvester advertised to teach mindreading act and Steve Barrington used it to teach Jim Bennier the act about 1905. [Bennier/Bretto appeared with Barrington/Carlbert as “The Boy Marvel”]

The last of the magicians known to have directly been mentored by Silvester was Charles Stutley, who performed initially as “Alberto” and later as “Breton”. While performing at Hudson’s Waxworks in Adelaide, he met Alfred Silvester probably around 1901.

On the reverse side of an old “Alberto” handbill, Steve Barrington wrote:

“Old program of Charles Breton now resident of Melbourne. ‘Sil’ [Alfred Silvester] taught Stutley (his real name) & myself in 1900 & at that time we were the only magis [ie, professionals in South Australia] – No am wrong, Emil Ruch was also in the business. Stutley adopted the name of Alberto but when Alberto [Harold McAuliffe] (now in U.SA) came to Adelaide to play Rickards Circuit, Stutley changed to Charles Breton.

I got this program from a Mrs [Stalley], customer of the HS Store. She is a sister to Stutley & used to work in his Queen of the Air which was as you know Sil’s main illusion [ie, the Entranced Lady]. This show was Stutley’s first all night program & really a rehearsal prior to going on tour. He is the only S.Aus magi to travel his own “all night” show. Sil was the master brain behind it all & supervised & planned the manufacture of all the illusions. // Since writing the above Mrs Stalley …. tells me that she only worked in rehearsals at home & that Miss Knight, now Mrs. Emil Ruch worked for Alberto in all his public performances.”

Harrie Ensor wrote (20) that Breton bought a number of illusions from Silvester including the Production of a Lady from a Hat (which was originally introduced to Australia by Robert Heller and shown by Breton under the title The Woman in Red – see (21) ), the Enchanted Canopy (which Ensor incorrectly states was from Charles Morritt; but the Silvesters had used the trick since the 1860s), The Chevalier Thorn Double Table Vanish of Lady in Cabinet, and what Ensor describes as a “self-rising and revolving suspension built for Alfred Sylvester in 1904 … this piece of apparatus is now my [Ensor] property”. Whether Ensor was describing the Aerial Suspension illusion or some other levitation is not known; but Breton’s illusion titled the ‘Queen of the Air’ was the Aerial Suspension.

Charles ‘Breton’ Stutley was performing a Milk Can escape in 1909. He continued to perform until 1934, when rheumatoid arthritis forced his retirement from the stage. He became a cinema projectionist; but his own experience would have been shared with his friends in magic, who included Louis Nikola, George Waldo Heller, and Les Levante – and so the knowledge is passed along.

The perennial correspondent for American magic magazines was Robert Kudarz, or Tom Driver of New Zealand, himself a capable magician. We conclude this chapter with Kudarz’s recollections and estimation of Alfred Silvester Silvester.

M-U-M magazine (Society of American Magicians) April 1920 –
“[Silvester] settled for a while in Melbourne, and imparted his knowledge of magic to quite a number of budding Australian magicians, among the number being Dr. Russell (22), Hector Lacie, the ventriloquist who afterwards travelled with S. S. Baldwin, and “Tregaski”, who gave up the occupation of ‘drummer’ [ie, agent] to become a “Magic Gift King.” Alfred Silvester was perhaps the first professional to teach magic and build illusions in Australia, and he was quite capable of doing so. He afterwards went to Sydney and presented quite a number of illusions in Solomon’s Museum, an unusually elaborate place of amusement at that period of the late 1800s – a kind of New York Eden Musee.”

“Alfred Silvester was the first magician I met when I landed in Australia, as he was also the last man I shook hands with in Adelaide when I left for New Zealand. He had made his home in Adelaide and had presented his “Mysteria” in every nook and corner of South Australia. It was in the Port Adelaide Town Hall I had the pleasure of seeing him put on a show worthy of his illustrious father. Indeed it was the best magic show I saw in Australia. The Entranced Lady, Masks and Faces, the Protean Cabinet [probably the Enchanted Canopy] and the Prismatic Fountain were features of the entertainment which brought back pleasant recollections of the Fakir surrounded as it was with many of the original effects and appurtenances of the Doctor.

Alfred Silvester was the first showman in Australia to project an animated picture the full size of the proscenium with the aid of an improved Lumiere Cinematograph. He called it the “Biolograph”. Charles Morritt, the well-known English illusionist came to Australia with the [Biograph] and he was much surprised on opening in Adelaide [January 1898] to find the local “Biolograph” playing in opposition to the imported [Biograph]. He was not inclined to pay much attention to what local people told him about Silvester’s Biolograph being the equal of the [Biograph] but when Professor T. Kennedy, the hypnotist, who was also then in Adelaide [February 1898], corroborated the story, adding that in some respects it was superior, it made him concerned in the matter, and he went and “saw for himself”, with the result that he frankly admitted the invention of his countryman and brother conjuror was a “cute idea” and worthy of all the praise given to it, giving the tip that London was the place for it.

As I write these words of Alfred Silvester, his son – also named Alfred – is in New Zealand, having come over from Australia under the Fuller management, and is about to present some of the tricks his father and grandfather showed us in the ‘70s!”

Kudarz was correct – another generation of Silvesters was embarking on a magical career of an altogether different style. His story will be told in Chapter 11.

(1) The various ‘Cunards’ in Harry Kellar’s troupe are detailed in “Kellar’s Wonders”, by Mike Caveney and Bill Miesel (2003, Mike Caveney’s Magic Words). John Hodgkins was with Kellar in the early 1880s. The Indian Daily News does list Mr. A. Litherland Cunard along with Harry Kellar at Bengal on Feb.6, 1882.

(2) The connection between Solomon the auctioneer and the theatrical operator is confirmed by the Sydney Morning Herald, November 25, 1880 p.6
In September 1890 Solomon had a court case brought against him by the Royal Hotel, next door to his auction house. Solomon was alleged to have been shouting loudly, ringing a bell, and having a brass band play in order to attract customers! In other reports, he was stated to be more of a “cheap jack” than an auctioneer; in other words he sold cheap goods with a very high starting price which he gradually lowered to a quarter or less of the original asking bid.

(3) See https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/such-was-life/the-marvellous-and-macabre-waxworks-part-one-the-more-murderers-the-more-it-thrives/ parts 1 and 2.

(4) The origins of Amphitrite are mentioned in H.J. Burlingame’s “Leaves from Conjurer’s Scrapbooks” and in The Sphinx magazine Volume 27, January 1929. Oscar S. Teale “The Evolution of Levitation” – Amphitrite was worked in several, different ways, but the best was said to have been that patented in the United States of America by Gustave Castan, September 11th, 1888, under number 389,198. It was also covered by letters patent in Europe, by Louis Castan and Gustave Castan, of Berlin. Amphitrite was also exhibited under the name of "MAGNETA."

(5) Lawsuit papers from Public Record Office Victoria,
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/B8629FC8-FA1C-11E9-AE98-A3DAB81671B1?image=1