Apart from a handful of exotic-and almost completely unreliable-tales surrounding his life, Richard Potter is almost unknown today.
His.
Working as a magician and ventriloquist, he personified for an entire generation what a popular performer was and made an invaluable contribution to establishing popular entertainment as a major part of American life.
Two hundred years ago, however, he was the most popular entertainer in America-the First showman, in fact, to win truly nationwide fame.
Apart from a handful of exotic-and almost completely unreliable-tales surrounding his life, Richard Potter is almost unknown today