Australian Alberto

Before getting into the subject of this post, I would personally like to thank the many correspondents writing for magic magazines for their diligence and dedication to chronicling the travels, trials and tribulations of conjurors appearing around the world. Without their hard work the threads that make up the fabric of our conjuring profession would be lost. Thank you.

There are no shortage of magicians named Alberto, but our subject is often referred to as “Australian Alberto,” and therein lies the clue to his identity. He was Harold McAuliff and his introduction to magic came from Ellis Stanyon’s “Conjuring for Amateurs” about 1898. His first show was given in a loft in his hometown in Australia and seats could be had for a penny. No one asked for their money back and so Alberto considered this first show a success.

When he started performing professionally, Alberto spent a considerable amount of his time touring Australia and New Zealand where the April 1903 Sphinx reported him performing under the management of “Mr. R.P. Dix.” It notes he was the first magician to present the “Miser’s Dream.” The July Sphinx then reported he was getting out of magic as there was “nothing in it.” Luckily, such was not the case.

In 1904 he was touring Tasmania as part of Bain’s Company. The Magazine of Magic featured him on the cover for Dec. 1915, and according to the article, Alberto came to England in 1904. When asked to what effect, the magician modestly replied, “Just enough to write home about. I did not exactly set the Thames on fire.” Eventually he returned to Australia to play the famous Harry Rickard Circuit.

A Sept. 1908 issue of The Wizard recounts a mishap during one of his shows at the Tivoli theater in Sydney. He produced a fowl from a “steaming pudding” and it was supposed to waddle off into the wings. Instead it made a beeline for the audience. Alberto suggested that the duck saw a woman with a huge feather in her hat and thought it was a relative, and flew up on her shoulder.

Alberto’s act was called “Magical Nonsense” and was comprised of standard effects but with exceptionally witty paper and side comments. This came through in interviews as well. For example, asked how he started in magic, Alberto said, “My paths were the usual ones. Admiration of the achievements of a magician; attempted emulation of them without any knowledge of the principles of magic; abject failure; acquisition of a text book on those principles; study; the beginnings of success.”

He also had a lovely two-color scaling card on thick stock that featured his photo inside of a giant playing card heart and advertised Watson’s “No. 10” Scotch Whiskey.”

 

James Watson and Company were wholesale whisky merchants based in Dundee, Scotland. Historically, they are often remembered for a disastrous two-day fire in 1906, when their warehouse went up in flames.  According to news reports, the six-story building contained nearly a million gallons of spirits, mostly whisky and rum and when it caught fire, “rivers of whisky” flowed through downtown Dundee streets. It even caught another whisky warehouse owned by John Robertson on fire. No. 10 was their principal blend. It was one of the most destructive fires in Dundee and Scotland’s history.

All that remained of the James Watson and Co. warehouse was bricks and ashes.  

Alberto toured India, and the United States including 16 weeks on the Hodkin’s Circuit where the trades had him performing at Beaumont, Texas in Oct. 1911. In 1918, he was back in England performing at the Palace Theater in Oldham with Hymack. Eventually he acquired an assistant Mdlle. Nina while touring through Scotland. In 1921, the Magician’s Club of London presented Alberto with a membership badge to the club. The Magazine of Magic described him as their oldest member at the time. By 1924, he was playing the Keith Time around New York and this time his assistant was “Miss Teria,” an obvious play on words.

Among the last notices we see of Alberto are reported in The Tops of 1937, noting that Alberto (now in Los Angeles) had recently worked on a movie short promoting the Hudson Automobile Corporation. He did tricks while promoting the company and performed the Vanishing Glove, Walking Cane, Three Ropes, and the Candle and Bouquet trick.

I’m uncertain, not having checked, but there may actually be footage of him performing because “H. Alberto” is one of the performers featured in Program No. 3 of the S.A.M. Film Library series. It might be interesting to check out.

I will close this post with an Auckland, New Zealand newspaper account of him that paints a very flattering portrait.

“The Magical Alberto, the gay and amusing deceiver, in more ways than one made his first appearance after a starring tour of the world. As a conjuror, he was neat and quick with various handkerchiefs, balls and other articles vanished into space in a manner that utterly mystified the onlookers. While other material things such as watches and bunches of flowers appeared at the word of command. Not the least interesting part of the performance were the amusing asides of the magician whose speech was as clever as his actions.”

He was immaculate dresser, always full dress with tails and high collar and white bow tie. I have no information on his date of death but it was most likely in the 1940s or early 1950s. If anyone can provide additional information on the creator of “Magical Nonsense” I would be very appreciative.

Tom