Chung Ling Soo came with a backstage interpreter, who translated his onstage silence into English for the press. Chung Ling Soo was the stage persona of William Ellsworth Robinson, a New York-born magician. From around 1900 he performed across Britain, Europe and Australia as a Chinese conjurer, complete with robes and a queue.
Horrocks and Co. of Ashton-under-Lyne printed the poster.
On the poster
A bald-headed conjurer in pale blue-grey Chinese robes stands centre stage with both arms extended. Three orange-red lantern cartouches glow above him and spell his name across the navy blue ground. To his left a dragon-demon curls up out of the dark. To his right a ghostly robed figure dissolves into the background. The headline reads "A NAME TO CONJURE WITH" in jagged yellow capitals, and flame-styled lettering at the base reads "MARVELLOUS CHINESE CONJURER".
About this print
A digitally restored reproduction, printed on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art paper with pigment inks.





