Black Richard Ring 166
Manchester, NH

		Richard Potter (1783 - 1835) and lived 52-years. He was married to Sally and they had three children together. Potter is said to be the first black magician in the United States. One of the earliest records of Potter advertising a show was in Boston, on November 2, 1811 at the Columbian Museum. The show featured ventriloquism and magic. For the following 22-years Richard Potter continued to perform in Boston, New England and Canada. The list of effects Richard Potter performed throughout his career was a mix of close-up and stage illusions, among his most notable tricks were: Crawling through a log Frying eggs within a hat Hindu rope trick (he was believed to be the first to perform this in the USA) Breaking borrowed watches and restoring them Handled and swallowed molten lead Got into an oven with raw meat and remained in oven until meat was cooked Danced on eggs and didn’t break them Potter has been credited as America’s first successful stage magician, hypnotist and ventriloquist. Richard Potter lived on a 175-acre farm in Andover, NH that he purchased in 1814. Potter’s estate consisted of several rooms on the first floor, but the second floor was said to be one big room. He often would have lavish dinner parties at his home where he would entertain with magic and/or ventriloquism. Potter was very successful and it is said that he made $4800 for a 20-day engagement in Alabama in the early 1800s.d Sometime after his death, and the death of his wife Sally (1836), the Potter house burned to the ground. Potter and his wife Sally were buried on their estate in what was once their front yard. Then in 1849 the Town of Andover moved their graves to where they now rest to make room for the new railroad coming through the town. What remains to this day is a small plot with the gravestones of Richard Potter and his wife Sally. Inscribed on Richard's Stone is "In Memory of Richard Potter the celebrated Ventriloquist, Aged 52 years. Died September 20, 1835" IBM Ring 166 is proud to share the name of Richard Potter. And we continue a long history of magic within New Hampshire and celebrate the life of one of America’s first black and finest magicians.