There was no time for reminiscing. She had a date with a firing squad.

July 17, 2019 8:55 AM

She Caught Bullets with Her Bare Hands — and Made Magic’s Glass Ceiling Disappear: When her husband died and left her penniless, audacious Adelaide Hermann transformed from lowly assistant to "the Queen of Magic."
posted by Etrigan (4 comments total)

Magic's Golden Age has fascinated me since I was a kid. Thanks for the post.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:48 AM on July 17, 2019

Wow! What a story! What a woman!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:11 AM on July 17, 2019

On February 19, 1932, Adelaide Herrmann died of pneumonia. In Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, a stately granite monument topped by an urn marks the Herrmann plot. Alexander and Adelaide each have a headstone with their names. His is carved with “HERRMANN THE GREAT,” hers simply “WIFE.”

I knew this was coming but FOR CHRISSAKE PEOPLE
posted by q*ben at 11:12 AM on July 17, 2019 [12 favorites]

Her story is also a really excellent picture book (which also works in story time, unlike most picture biographies that are too long and boring.)
posted by blnkfrnk at 1:17 PM on July 17, 2019 [1 favorite]