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Les origines (1859-1895)

Son père Samuel Morgenstern, d'origine polonaise, a émigré aux États-Unis, vers 1849. Carl Hertz - qui est recensé à Sonora (Californie) en juin 1880 - fait l'une de ses premières apparitions aux Woodward's Gardens (San Francisco) :

WOODWARD'S GARDENS
[...]
SUNDAY..... MAY 9
First appearance of Prof. T. W. SCOTT,
The Australian Funambulist, in his Terrific Rope Ascensions.
First appearance of Prof. CARL HERTZ
Necromancer and Prestidigitateur.

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The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, 7 May 1880, p. 2.

En peu de temps, il acquiert une solide réputation dans le monde de la magie et tourne dans différentes villes californiennes et américaines. Surnommé "The King of Cards", il se lance dans l'aventure européenne et la presse londonienne publie de grands placards publicitaires à son nom (The Era, Londres, samedi 2 août 1884, p. 20). Il va se produire dès lors de façon continue, au Royaume Uni et en Irlande, jusqu'en septembre 1888. Il organise alors une tournée européenne :

CARL HERTZ leaves London in a few days for the Continent, opening at Vienna, at Ronacher's Establishment. Subsequently he appears in Berlin and Paris. He will produce his new illusion entitled "The Phoenix," his own invention.

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The Era, London, Saturday 15 September 1888, p. 15.

The Entr'acte, Londres, 16 avril 1887, p. 9.

Il est de retour à la fin de 1888 et reprend ses spectacles à Londres et dans le reste du pays. Désormais, ses tournées vont le conduire ainsi de la Grande-Bretagne au reste de l'Europe pendant des années.

L'achat d'un theatrograph (mars 1896)

Au début de l'année de l'année 1896, Carl Hertz arrive, à bord du Paris, à New York où il accoste le 10 janvier 1896 (New-York Tribune, New York, 11 janvier 1896, p. 3). Dès le surlendemain, il est annoncé sur la scène de l'Hammerstein's Olympia (The Sun, New York, 12 janvier 1896, p. 11). Il va s'y produire jusqu'à la fin du mois de février. Peu après, il quitte les États-Unis et rentre à Londres pour à peine quelques jours :

Carl Hertz leaves New York on the 18th, by the St. Paul, and arrives in London on the 25th. He leaves again on the 28th, by the Norman, for South Africa, after which he makes a complete tour of the world.

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Music Hall and Theatre Review, London, Friday 13 March 1896, p. 10.

Dans la capitale britannique, deux cinématographes, celui des Lumière dont l'opérateur est Félicien Trewey et celui de Paul, viennent à peine de commencer à projeter des vues animées comme il le raconte lui-même dans ses mémoires :

The cinematograph had lately been shown, for the first time in London, at the Polytechnic, by Trewey, formerly a well-known juggler and a relative of the Lumières, who were one of the first makers of cinematograph machines. It was subsequently transferred to the Empire Theatre, where it was shown at matinees only. Shortly afterwards an English machine, made by a man named Paul, was exhibited at the Alhambra. At this time these were the only two types of machine on the market.

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HERTZ, 1924, p. 139.

La découverte du cinématographe lui suggère l'idée d'en acheter un pour l'ajouter à son spectacle. Il va cependant rencontrer quelques difficultés à s'en procurer :

It occurred to me that it would be good speculation if I could get one of these machines to take to South Africa with me and introduce into my entertainment. I accordingly went to see Trewey, whom I knew very well, to try either to purchase or hire a machine, but he would not let me have one. So I went to see Paul, in the hope that he would prove more accommodating.
Paul agreed to sell me a machine for £50, but said that he could not deliver it for two or three months. I told him that I was leaving for South Africa on the following Saturday- it was then Wednesday-and that I would like to take the machine with me. But he said that he only had two machines, and that these were on the stage at the Alhambra, where he was fulfilling six months' engagement at £100 a week. I asked him whether he would not let me have one of these machines, to which he replied that that was impossible, as he had to have a spare machine in readiness, in case the other got out of order. I offered him £80, but he would not listen to me, and I went away much disappointed.
The next night I called to see him again, took him out to my club to supper and did all I could to induce him to sell me one of his machines. But it was no use; he would not do so.
However, on the Friday night, the night before I was to sail for South Africa, I determined to make a last attempt, and accordingly took him out to supper again and offered him £100 for one of his machines. He repeated, however, that he could not risk parting with one; he must have a machine in reserve in case of accidents.
'Well ,' said I, 'you had better take me over to the Alhambra and explain to me the working of the machine and all about it, so that I shall understand how to use it when one is sent out to me.'
So we went back to the Alhambra, where he took me on to the stage and showed me the whole working of the machine-how to fix the films in and everything concerning it. We were there for over an hour, during which I kept on pressing him to let me have one of the machines. Finally, I said:
'Look here! I am going to take one of these machines with me now.'
With that, I took out £100 in notes, put them into his hand, got a screw-driver, and almost before he knew it, I had one of the machines unscrewed from the floor of the stage and on to a four wheeler.
The next day I sailed for South Africa on the Norman with the first cinematograph which had ever left England.

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HERTZ, 1924, p. 139-140

Grâce à sa détermination, Carl Hertz parvient donc à embarquer avec lui un theatrograph (ou animatographe) sur le navire qui le conduit en Afrique du Sud :

Mr Carl Hertz, who has just arrived from America, sails to-day on board the Norman with his contingent of artistes engaged by Messrs Hyman and Alexander for Johannesburg. Mr Hertz takes out with him an Animatographe, the invention of Mr R.W. Paul, of Hatton-garden, an apparatus for exhibiting 'living photographs' similar to that now to be seen at the Alhambra.

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The Era, London, Saturday 28 March 1896, p. 19.

L'Afrique du Sud (>28 mars-18 juillet 1896)

Carl Hertz, qui voyage avec son épouse, l'actrice "Mlle d'Alton" arrive quelques jours plus tard en Afrique du Sud. Il donne des représentations à Johannesburg (mai-juin 1896), avant d'entreprendre une tournée dans le pays : Pretoria (juin 1896, Maritzburg (juin 1896)...

Mdelle d'Alton (Mrs. Carl Hertz)
Music Hall and Theatre Review, Londres, 10 avril 1896, p. 1.

Il quitte Le Cap pour Melbourne, le 18 juillet 1896 :

Carl Hertz sailed from Cape Town for the Tivoli, Melbourne, on the 18th. He speaks in high terms of his reception in South Africa, but complains bitterly of the travelling. His success has everywhere been phenomenal.

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Music Hall and Theatre Review, London, Friday 31 July 1896, p. 10.

L'Australie (22 août->19 septembre 1896)

Annoncé depuis plusieurs semaines, Carl Herz arrive finalement à Melbourne à la mi-août pour plusieurs soirées au Tivoli, établissement dont Harry Rickards est le propriétaire. Dans une interview à la presse locale, il évoque le cinématographe :

I can tell you something, however, about another illusion I have brought out. It is a scientific intervention known as the "Cinematogaphe". It is the invention of a Frenchman, and has been perfected by me. It reproduces street scenes, with moving people life size, and shows all other objects on a screen on the darkened stage with even or than ordinary photographic fidelity. It has been such a success in London that the people could not be accommodated. and that is saying much for London, and so extra matinees had to be given. Amongst other scenes, I have brought out two from Trilby. One of these shoes Svengall mesmerising the heroine, and the other shows his death. Then there are dancing girls, who, in answer to a 'call' from the front, com out and make their bows: a London street scene, depleting moving people and objects in the streets, such as omnibuses and other vehicles stopping to pick up, and allow passengers to alight: sea scenes, and others."
-"Then, it is like the kinetoscope ?" was asked.
-"Well, it shows all the moving figures with the fidelity of the kinetoscope, but they are all life-size, and can be seen by the whole audience of a theatre, whereas only one person at a time can look into the kinetoscope."

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The Herald, Melbourne, jeudi 13 août 1896, p. 2.

L'inauguration a lieu à l'Opera House le samedi 22 août 1896. Les séances se prolongent jusqu'à la mi-septembre. Carl Hertz se rend à Sydney où les séances commencent le 19 septembre.

...

Sources

HERTZ Carl, A Modern Mystery Merchant, Londres, Hutchinson & Co. 1924, 306 p.

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