Entitled: "Herrmann the Great Co" lithograph poster created by H.C. Miner Lithographing Company. Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 - December 17, 1896) was a French magician, better known as Herrmann the Great, and part of the Herrmann family name which has been called "first family of magic". His brother Compars (Carl) Herrmann left medical school at an early age to pursue a career as a magician and served as a role model and inspiration for Alexander. He accompanied Carl on nearly every tour. His skills increased, he became a more integral part of Carl's show. By the time they arrived in the United States in 1860, Alexander was seventeen. Audiences noticed his adroitness; his dexterity soon rivaled that of his famous brother. Jealousy brewed on that tour, but never surfaced. The Herrmann name eventually became synonymous with magic. Eventually the two magic brothers would go their separate ways. Alexander developed his own distinct, magnetic personality. He was a humorist who aimed to make his performances a joyous occasion. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Alexander and his wife Adelaide Herrmann performed together in elaborate stage shows. The pair adapted Robert Houdin's Aerial Suspension routine and performed their own version of the bullet catch. He was a generous person despite his Mephistophelean appearance. He was the first magician to perform at Sing Sing prison. He suffered a heart attack and died in 1896 at the age of 52.