Being a magician in the old west isn’t an easy gig. Just ask Anton Zamloch - he was considered the best of his time, but even he had his share of close calls. In Mexico, he was robbed by customs agents. While performing, he saw his fellow performers, the bullfighters, tragically killed one after another. Back in the States, Zamloch's attempts at publicity once nearly backfired spectacularly. He made whiskey and cigars vanish in a newspaper office, which almost got him shot for what they called banditry.

Over his 40-year career, his acts included everything from spiritualism and sleight of hand to humorous tricks. He wowed audiences with 'the spirit-rapping table and goblin drum' and famously made omelettes in borrowed top hats, always returning them without a hint of egg.