Joseph J. Kolar (1884
-1949) born in Chicago, Illinois. His father performed throughout Europe before
young Kolar was born. In 1908, he was billed as Kolar, King of Locks and
Chains. Kolar claimed to have the only iron bound bag escape of its
kind in the world. He was a close friend of Harry Houdini. They both appeared
at the Clark Street Museum. His wife joined her husband on the Western
Vaudeville circuit and others. Hazel was billed as the world's greatest mind
reader during her contract at the Oriental Theater in Chicago in 1914.
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| Can you remove this card from the string as easy as Kolar? |
His act and show
includes magic and escape work, as well as juggling and slack
wire walking. In 1921, Kolar was strapped in, and escaped from an insane jacket by
an attendant from the Dunning Insane Asylum. He was good friends with A.M. Wilson. Kolar
had a monthly column for The Sphinx called "Chats
by Kolar."
Among his magic effects he developed and marketed were the "Original Kolar Tag Trick"(advertised in National Magic Company's catalog as M182), and "Straw and String Trick," and "Kolar's Card Effect."
