Richard Potter
was a magician, one of the first Black illusionist in America.
Potter was born in New Hampshire, the son of an English baronet and
an African servant woman. He was educated in Europe before beginning his
25-year career as a performer in post-Revolutionary America. He lived
with his father in Hopkinton, NH, until he married his wife, Sally, and
had three children.
Potter has been credited as America’s first successful stage
magician, hypnotist, and ventriloquist. One of the earliest records of
Potter advertising his shows was on November 2, 1811, in Boston at the
Columbian Museum. The performance featured ventriloquism and magic.
Additional information is available here.
Source: African-American Registry
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