Brindamoor – The King of Wonder Workers

Possibly the sign of the times, Brindamoor saved money by gluing his photo to a playing card.

George W. Brindamoor was born on April 5, 1870 in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Brindamoor’s interests included photography and magic. He owned his own studio when he was only twenty-two years old. On stage, he performed under the name Professor G.W. Brown in local venues and in a short time as he gained experience he left the photography business and took to the road. He dropped the stage name of Prof. Brown and began performing under his given last name. As the 1900’s approached, he toured the New England area, entertaining audiences with magic and escapes. He performed between the acts of plays, which brought him acclaim from the theatergoers of the day. Brindamoor expanded his show with more magic and illusions including the effect known as the levitation.

Brindamoor kept up with the changing times and magic performers. When Houdini’s fame became world news, Brindamoor jumped on the bandwagon. He stored his illusions and began performing an all escape act that eventually included jumping off bridges, lakes, or streams while in handcuffs or shackles. He filled the houses in every town he visited. He traveled from state to state and even performed at the Barbee's Loop Moving Picture House in Chicago, Illinois in the 1920’s. Although his performance was a close second to Houdini, the audiences still enjoyed what The Great Brindamoor could do from start to finish to enthuse them.

As time past, Brindamoor and his wife left the hustle and bustle of touring and moved to Southern California just as The Great Depression hit the United States. Brindamoor continued performing magic shows (when he could find work). As opportunity would have it, he became a part of a theater company and was able to perform a small portion of his show. Brindamoor, the man who was credited with originating the “Beer Barrel Act Escape” and many other ideas escape artists are still using today, passed away September 11, 1941.