Magician John Henry Anderson died in 1874, the same year Harry Houdini was born – yet despite the two never meeting, Anderson was reputedly among the legendary escapologist's greatest inspirations.
Anderson – who was born in 1814 in Aberdeenshire's Kincardine O'Neil area – is thought to have been among the first magicians to pull a live rabbit out of a top hat.
He became known as "The Great Wizard of the North" as his status grew around the world.
After Anderson's death, famed illusionist Houdini travelled to Aberdeen, visited his fellow entertainer's grave, and even started to pay for its upkeep.
As the 100th anniversary of the Aberdeen Magical Society approaches, Anderson's story is being retold for a new generation.
Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland are famed for such things as the oil and gas industry, the Northern Lights, and the humble local food delicacy the buttery.
The area's links to the world of magic, however, are far less well known.
John Henry Anderson became one of the biggest names in the entertainment world in the mid 19th Century.
As a boy, he had joined a travelling theatre company.
It is not known who introduced him to magic or indeed taught him.
But as his expertise grew he ultimately took his act to audiences around the world.
Dave Goulding is a magic historian, escapologist, and Aberdeen Magical Society's vice-president.
"He was the most famous variety act in the UK for a while," he told BBC Scotland News of Anderson.
"He took magic off the streets and legitimised it."
Anderson opened a theatre in Glasgow, but it was later destroyed by fire.
He would then travel as far as Australia in the 1860s, and even performed for Queen Victoria.
