Hercat

Writing as Hercat, R. D. Chater was a British magician, illusionist, ventriloquist, and author whose books introduced popular entertainment tricks to a wide audience. He also worked as a journalist and actor before becoming a professional magician, and his stage name was an anagram of his surname.

He performed in America and later in Britain, where he became known for large illusion acts as well as for explaining smaller tricks in print. His books include works on conjuring, card magic, ventriloquism, and other theatrical amusements, written in a practical style aimed at readers who wanted to try them for themselves.

Although some library listings give slightly different life dates, reliable sources found here identify him as living in the 19th and early 20th centuries and publishing actively around the turn of the century. Today, Hercat is remembered less as a mysterious magician than as a lively teacher who helped make magic feel learnable and fun.