Carter the Great Weird Wonderful Wizard
Buy this print on Etsy →A dazzling relic from the golden age of stage magic, this is a vintage poster for Charles Carter - 'Carter the Great' - one of the most flamboyant magicians of the early twentieth century. Billed here as the 'Weird Wonderful Wizard,' Carter is conjured in the bold colours, dramatic lettering and theatrical flair of the great lithographed magic posters that once plastered theatre walls and promised audiences an evening of mystery, illusion and the impossible.
Carter the Great (1874-1936) was a genuine showman who toured the world with a vast production of illusions, escapes and grand stage spectacles, styling himself as a rival to Houdini. To fill theatres he commissioned enormous, gorgeously coloured stone-lithograph posters - among the most striking advertising art ever produced - crowded with devils, spirits, playing cards and supernatural imagery designed to lure the curious inside. Today these magic posters are highly collectable, prized for their vivid colour and their wonderful sense of old-time theatrical drama.
Part of the charm is that atmosphere of Jazz-Age mystery and spectacle: a lost world of vaudeville, sawn-in-half assistants and vanishing elephants, captured in glorious print. It is pure, irresistible showmanship.
As wall art it is a fantastic statement piece. The bold colours and theatrical energy make it a natural for a home bar or games room, a media room or home cinema, a study or an eclectic gallery wall, and it brings instant drama and vintage fun to any space. It is a brilliant gift for magicians, magic and history enthusiasts, lovers of vaudeville and vintage theatre, and anyone who enjoys bold retro poster art, and it pairs beautifully with other vintage magic and circus prints.
Because the original dates to the early twentieth century, it is now in the public domain, which is why we can reproduce it at full museum quality.
Each print is produced on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper, faithfully capturing the vivid colour, bold lettering and warm vintage tones of the original lithograph - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
