Bertram was born James Bassett in Woolwich, it is suspected that he adopted the name of Charles Bertram (1723-1765).[3][4] He was a favourite of King Edward VII who he performed for 22 times.[1]
Bertram travelled to Australia, Canada, China, India and many other countries. His experiences were recorded in his book A Magician in Many Lands.[1]
Magician P. C. Sorcar has noted that Bertram "was a very accomplished English magician. He coined the famous magical catch-phrase, "Isn't it Wonderful?".[6]
According to L. H. Branson whilst growing up, Bertram had taught him conjuring tricks. Branson wrote that he went to his "house one afternoon a week, and I was duly initiated into the double-handed pass, single-handed pass, palming cards, billiard balls — in short, the gamut of which a conjurer should know."[7]
Bertram wrote about the history of magic in his book Isn't it Wonderful? A History of Magic and Mystery (1896). The book was criticized by Harry Houdini who wrote it was "marred by mis-statements which even the humblest of magicians could refute."[8]
^During, Simon. (2002). Modern Enchantments: The Cultural Power of Secular Magic. Harvard University Press. p. 131. ISBN0-674-00607-0
^Price, David. (1985). Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater. Cornwall Books. p. 125. ISBN0-8453-4738-1
^Room, Adrian. (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. p. 59. ISBN978-0-7864-4373-4
^Townsend, Charles Barry. (2003). The Curious Book of Mind-boggling Teasers, Tricks, Puzzles & Games. Sterling Publishing Co. p. 152. ISBN1-4027-0214-0
^Sorcar, P. C. (1970). History of Magic. Indrajal Publications. p. 54
^Branson, L. H. (1953). A Lifetime of Deception: Reminiscences of a Magician. Hale. p. 8
