(?-?)
American born magician and magic dealer (real name Carlo Sommer) who invented the rubber dove as well as Balls of Fire (production of fire from a paper sack) and the Carlo Glass Production, marketing these effects through his Ohio magic shop.
(1906-?)
Real name Lyle Laughlin, he had a successful career performing his sophisticated brand of magic in U.S. theaters and clubs, retiring in 1955. He is credited with inventing Three-To-One Ropes, and authoring a number of effects published in magic magazines.
(? -?)
We really could use some help filling in the blanks for this biography. We know he lived in Macon, Georgia, was known as the “Dean of Slycology" and that he was regarded as the inventor of "The Professor's Nightmare." Any other VERIFIABLE information you can help us add to this biography will be greatly appreciated by all present and future generations of magicians.
The effect which today we call "Equally Unequal Ropes" was invented by Bob Carver in the early '50s, and won the IBM Originality Trophy in 1951. It was based on a rope routine by Hen Fetsch. Later, the effect was marketed by Gene Gordon, who came up with the name "Professor's Nightmare."
Also invented: Progressive Coin Production
(1949- )
Lawyer. Semi-pro mentalist. Co-founder of Psychic Entertainers Association in 1978. Edited Vibrations 1978-81 & 1984. Inventor of several mental magic effects, and author of many books on mental magic. Trustee of Jim Gerrish's Wiz Kids, Inc., in 1982.
Wrote: Bob
Cassidy's Mentalism (e-book), The Art of
Mentalism (1983), The Principia Mentalia
(1994), and The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy (2004).
Media: Mental Miracles with Bob Cassidy DVD
Informative Web site: http://mastermindreader.com/
(1923 - 2007)
Born and lived his entire life in Seattle, WA.
Invented "Bryce's Screen" (c. 1950) a six-fold screen production that can be performed surrounded.
(1908-1997)
Born in the Ukraine, fled to Poland, and finally immigrating to the USA in 1926, Jack began a career as a magician, inventor and magic dealer.He excelled in the art of sleeving, and ran Philadelphia's oldest magic studio (Chanin's Studio of Magic) until 1981, marketing hundreds of effects of his own invention.
Invented: Mesh Egg Bag
A favorite at magic conventions, he also performed an Oriental act as Cha-Nin. Works include: Enyclopedia of Sleeving, 1947; Hello, Sucker! 1934; Cigar Manipulation, 1937; Silks at Your Fngertips.
(?-?)
French amateur magician, a specialist in card magic who invented the Charlier Pass as well as a card-marking system using pin pricks. One of the more famous street magicians in the late 1800s.
| Chefalo (1885-1963) Italian-born stage magician (real name Ralfo Cefalo) credited with inventing the Chefalo Knot, and other rope magic effects as described in the Stewart James' Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks. Also invented: The Girl in the Drum Illusion. |
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(c1890 - c1930)
Chinese stage magician who achieved his greatest success touring the United States and Europe in the first two decades of the 1900s. He is also credited with inventing the Han Ping Chien coin magic move.
(1901-1964)
Australian-born magician (real name Alvin H. Wheatley) who performed as an Oriental, first under under the name the Tung Pin Soo, later under the name Chop Chop.. Appeared many times on American TV, including an appearance on Ed Sullivan Show. Invented the Chop Cup (1954) Don Alan used a cut-down version of the Chop Cup on a national TV show and popularized it among magicians everywhere.
(1903-1972)
American magician who invented the Christ Force, Colour-Changing Deck, Christ Half Pass, Fabulous Four Ace Routine, and Dead Man's Hand. Former advertising executive.
(?-?)
Generally billed as "Magic Christian of Vienna", this Austrian magician's real name is Christian Stelzel. Multiple awards, including FISM First Place (Manipulation) in 1973, 1976 and 1979 plus First Place for Closeup Invention in 1979 as well. Austria has honored him for his research work on the history of magic as well as his talents as a magical entertainer and Goodwill Ambassador. Many appearances on television. Associated with Piatnik, manufacturer of trick decks. Author. Invented Ketten-Zauber and Color Changing Lighter.
(1914-1984)
Major American magical entertainer, author, inventor and collector. Performed a popular full-evening show for many years. Produced and performed in the first network TV magic special, "The Festival of Magic", broadcast on May 27, 1957 on NBC-TV (a show which also featured Cardini's last television appearance). He wrote a long-running column in Hugard's Magic Monthly under the pen name "Frank Joglar", derived from words meaning "candid magician".
Invented: Telegram to Flowers, Eeire Rabbit and the original Forgetful Freddy
He wrote a number of classic books on magic history, including Panorama of Magic, The Illustrated History of Magic, Milbourne Christopher's Magic Book (1977), and Houdini: The Untold Story.
(1908-1979)
Born Pierre Feyss Cartier in France, he became famous as a cigarette manipulator. He was the author of Encyclopedia of Cigarette Magic(1937), Celebrated Cigarettes, Rope Royale (1942). Many of his magic inventions have something to do with ropes and silks and will be found in Stewart James' Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks and Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic.
(1881-1966 )
Collins was born in London. Affected by the magic performances of Chung Ling Soo , in 1905 he began to perform as "Loo Sing." Collins invented many magic effects, largely based on mechanical and hydraulic principles. Credited with inventing the Jumping Rubber Bands in 1911. He wrote various books: Original Magical Creations (1915), Deceptive Conceptions in Magic (1920), Collin's Card Conceits (1925), A Conjuring Mélange. He also wrote numerous articles in The Sphinx, The Jinx, Hugard's Magic Monthly, Pentagram, and The Linking Ring.
(born Frederick A. Collins, 1919 - 1993)
Magician, magic teacher, mentor, owner of Mecca Magic Shop in Bloomfield, NJ, Ted was also inventor of "The Panama Rope Trick" described in the Tarbell Course of Magic, as well as many packet card effects and improvements to existing effects. He was author of Wax Fax. Ted was one of the founding members of Ring 106 and was also President, 1953-1954. He was a founding member of the Magic Dealer's Association and in 1966 Ted was President of the Magician's Alliance of Eastern States. Ted was also one of the first trustees of Jim Gerrish's Wiz Kids, Inc. from 1980-83.
(1967 - )
Born Fabián Antonio Corradín in Sastre, Santa Fe, Argentina, he earned his degree in Veterinary Science in 1994, the same year he discovered a group of fellow magic enthusiasts in the city of Rosario.He then became a founding partner of the GRIM (Group of Magic Illusionists from Rosario), of which he is still a member. In 1999 he received the first prize in the Inventions category at the Argentinean Congress of Illusionism. In the year 2000 the Congress of the Latin American Federation of Magic Societies (FLASOMA) took place in Mexico DF, and in this event Antón received the second prize in the category Invention and the third prize in Scripted Magic. In the year 2001 he received a prize in the category Invention in the Argentinean Congress of Ilusionism (CADI). In the 2004 FLASOMA, Antón Corradín won the 1st Prize in the categories Invention and Perfection. In the 2005 CADI, Anton Corradín was awarded the 3rd prize in the Invention and Improvement category.
Invented: Antoninus Pius's Box, Corradin Box, Mental Hammer, Money Bag, Ringing Card Case, Fish Kerchief, Prince Anton Racquet, Instant Dove Trick, Corradin's Levitation and many more.
Informative Web site: http://www.antoncorradin.com
(1906-1975)
American comedy magician, magic dealer, Magic Castle guru. He developed seriuously funny routines for the Card Duck and the Cups and Balls.
(1917-1986)
Best known for inventing Out of This World card effect, and the Sliding Knot Curry was the vice-precident of the Blue Cross Insurance Company of New York, and a famous amateur magician. On March 12, 1977, the Academy of Magical Arts at The Magic Castle awarded Paul Curry with a "Creative Fellowship" award. He authored two books: Magician's Magic (2003) and Paul Curry's Worlds Beyond (2002).
(1877-1944)
Born Frederick Willis Culpitt , in 1909 he was booked by Chung Ling Soo for an Australian tour. From 1914-1918 he filled in for David Devant in England's famous Home of Mystery, St.George's Hall. Culpitt was well-known during the next thirty years as "The Magical Comedian." He was inventor of the Costume Trunk Illusion and the Doll's House Illusion.
| Del Ray (1925-2003) Born Delbert Raymond Petrosky, Del Ray learned magic from a magic set, which he received at Christmas. When he joined the army at age 17, he met Harry Blackstone, Sr., and later went with Blackstone on tour as his assistant. After two and a half seasons, Del Ray resumed work in night clubs. By the beginning of the 1950's, he had begun work on the electronic magical act for which he was to become famous. Invented: Talking Canary, Master Card Rise, Butch - the mechanical bear, many more, most unpublished and known only by magician's memories of their performance. There is a review of a Del Ray performance written by Walter Zaney Blaney in Volume 29 of Genii Magazine (1964) Page 626. |
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| De Kolta,
Buatier (1845 – 1903) Born Joseph Buatier, De Kolta was a French magician who successfully performed throughout the 1870s and 1880s in England and America. De Kolta was a contemporary of fellow French magician Jean Eugčne Robert-Houdin. Many of De Kolta's illusions, such as Multiplying Billiard Balls (1875), the Expanding Die (1903) and the Vanishing Bird Cage (1875), are still performed by magicians today. De Kolta is famous for his De Kolta Chair or Vanishing Lady illusion (1886) shown in the photo at the right.. Also invented: Ascent to Nowhere Illusion, Cocoon Illusion (1885), Spring Flowers (c.1876), Card Fountain, and many more. |
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(1885-1961)
De Muth began performing magic as an amateur in 1906. He began work at the Corning Glass Works in 1917, continuing there until 1955. In 1932, Fred de Muth presented an effect invented by Edward Massey, but manufactured by himself at the IBM Convention -"Glass Through Glass", described in John Northern Hilliard's Greater Magic (P.844). Later, Fred worked out a way to lock the glass in the frame and it was subsequently produced in plastic and sold by the millions as the "Penetration Frame." Other inventions, all employing his skills as a glass worker, included the Demuth Milk Bottle, Demuth Mirror Glass, Saltrix (1932), Milk Supreme, Milk Miracle, Utility Glass, Super Tumbler, and Master Tumbler.
Beginning in the 1920's, de Muth was a regular contributer to the Sphinx Magic Magazine.
Credit: Information provided by an article about De Muth written by Rev. Gordon W. Mattice of Corning, NY, and published in the December 1971 Linking Ring, sent to us, along with the photo on the left, by Mark Damon.
| Devant, David
(1868-1941) Born in Highgate, London, England. Stage name since 1885 of David Wighton, son of Scottish landscape artist James Wighton. Learned around age 15 from a book. Debut in 1885. Pro illusionist and manipulator. In 1905 taken on as partner by J. N. Maskelyne. First president of The Magic Circle 1905-06. Gave Royal Command Performances 1912 and 1913. Left partnership with Maskelyne in 1915 to go on his own. In 1920, he retired from stage because of illness (paralysis agitans) but continued as writer and teacher. Prolific inventor, including Artist's Dream (1893), Color Change (1893), the Vest Servante (around 1893), Birth of Flora (1895), Mascot Moth (1905), the New Page (1906) and Vanishing Motorcycle (1913). Wrote: Hand Shadows (1901), Magic Made Easy (1911), Lessons in Conjuring (1922), Tricks for Everyone: Clever Conjuring with Common Objects (1925), My Magic Life (1931), Secrets of My Magic (1936) Coauthored: Our Magic with J. Nevil Maskelyne (1911) |
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(1843 - 1931)
Born Herbert Shakespeare Gardiner Williams, De Vere, as he later came to be known, described himself simply as a Conjurer and Humorist.He became interested in magic after seeing a performance of Professor Anderson, "The Wizard of the North." De Vere receives a great deal of mention in Hoffmann's books for inventions and original adaptations of conventional tricks of the period, primarily because he contributed information to Hoffmann, as well as apparatus for the illusrtations of "Modern Magic" and other books.
De Vere was the husband of Okita (Julia Ferrett), who performed magic in a Japanese style act preceding the debut of Okito, and the father of Ionia (Clementine DeVere) who also performed magic on the stage as the Goddess of Mystery." By 1873, De Vere had a magic shop in London known simply as "De Vere's". In 1878, he opened his shop/factory in Paris, France, aided by his sons Cyrille and Camille.
Invented a version of the Black Art Table after Hofzinser and described by Hoffmann in Later Magic as the Hellar De Vere Table, also invented a version of the Locked and Corded Boxes (ibid). Also invented the De Vere Ace Trick.
Wrote: De Vere's Book of Magic (1876)
Additional material is from The Linking Ring (June 1974)
Web sites of Interest: Postcard of De Vere; Posters of De Vere; Posters of Okita and Iona
Special thanks to Mark Damon for his Linking Ring research and contribuitions to this article.
(1945 - )
Discovered as a prodigy card magician by Dai Vernon, Diaconis dropped out of school at the age of 14 and went on tour with Vernon. By the age of 16, he struck out on his own as a magician. His need to know more about mathematics to solve certain magic problems convinced him to go back to N.Y. City College. He graduated with a degree in mathematics, was accepted at Harvard and earned his Ph.D. in 1974. He then joined the faculty of the Statistics Department at Stanford, and has remained there to this day.
In 1978, he identified what he calls "the bundle of sticks" phenomenon in magic; a magician's entire performance, like a bundle of sticks, is much stronger than the individual tricks it comprises.
Wrote: Some Tauberian Theorems Related to Coin Tossing
(with C. Stein), 1978
Statistical Problems in ESP Research.,1978
The Mathematics of Perfect Shuffles (with R. L. Graham
and W. M. Kantor), 1983
Trailing the Dovetail Shuffle to its Lair (with D. Bayer)
which is his famous paper on the need to shuffle a deck
seven times before it becomes truly random., 1992
Came up with the original idea for the Linking Finger Ring effect, which was produced by Richard Himber and made famous as the "Himber Ring." Also invented: Persi’s Collectors, The Red-Black Location (with Harry Lorrayne and Roberto Giobbi - Card College Volume 1).
Media: Appears on the Video, Dai Vernon’s The Spirit Of Magic
(1937-2004)
Derek Dingle was born south of London. His interest in magic began when he was eight years old, and by the beginning of the 1960's he was learning much from Ross Bertram and Eddie Fechter. At the end of the sixies, he moved to New Jersey where he became a card and coin specialist on the NY Magic scene. Invented: Derek Dingle's Sympathetic Cards, Derek Dingle's Rainbow Deck, Derek Dingle's Australian Poker, Derek Dingle's Super Card Rise.
In 1971, he published with Harry Lorayne the book Dingle's Deceptions. In 1982, Richard Kaufman published The Complete Works of Derek Dingle.
Media: Stars Of Magic #4: Derek Dingle DVD; Derek Dingle's Deceptions And Delights 2-Volume DVD Set
(1801-1864)
An Austrian magician whose most famous tricks were the lighting of 200 candles on the stage with one shot of a pistol, and the Flora's Flower Bouquet Production, in which he produced a seemingly endless number of flowers out of an empty felt hat. The candle trick was actually performed using electricity, a rarely seen and mysterious commodity when he began performing this trick in 1840. He retired from magic in 1848.
(1897-1974)
Born Douglas Robert Smith in Aberdeen, Scotland, Bert became interested in magic at the age of 12. As a young magician, he took the name "Mr. Smith - The Uncanny Aberdonian." Later, when he began writing for magicians,he transposed his two Christian names and became "Bert Douglas." His first magic writing was a contribution to The Magic Wand in 1912.
In 1920, Bert emigrated to Toronto, Canada. He was author of sixteen books and hundreds of articles to UK and USA Magic magazines.
Invented: Cut and Restored Jump Rope, and many original silk magic effects in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic.
Wrote: Original Magic For All, Magic For Men, Masonic Magical Creations.(c 1927), Master Club Tricks (1934), Patter in Rhyme (1939)
Magic Café member Mark Damon has provided much helpful information about Douglas' life and works culled from The Linking Ring.
Informative Web Site: Magicana.com
(1867-1938)
Born in Garwin, Iowa. Raised in Montour and Marshalltown, Iowa. Pro manipulator and card and coin worker since 1883. World-famous 'King of Koins'. Elected to the SAM Hall of Fame.
Prolific innovator in coin magic. Invented Back-and-Front Palm (1884), Click Pass (c 1900), Eureka Pass (c 1900), Downs Palm (c 1902), Edge Palm, Coins to Glass (c 1909), Coin Star, Coin Wand, Downs Change (1909), possibly Estimation (c 1909), Dime and Penny Trick (c 1917).
Many of his sleights and routines are described in J.B. Bobo's Modern Coin Magic.
Wrote: The Art of Magic, Modern Coin Manipulation
(1872-1939)
Born T. Francis Fritz, he spent many years touring the United States as a Chautauqua performer. His performance featured hand shadows, chalk talk, Punch and Judy shows, chapeaugraphy (the art of making many different hats with one small circle of felt) and many other markers of the variety performer's trade. He is known in magic circles for inventing the classic trick called the Twentieth Century Handkerchief (in 1900 - the beginning of the 20th Century) and as inventor of the original Blendo, known as The Perfection Flag Trick and the version of the Chinese Rice Bowls used by many magicians today. During his long ownership of the Martinka company, Ducrot was very successful as a society entertainer. Many of his original silk magic effects can be found in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic.
Informative article from Modern Mechanix, January, 1931 - online: http://tinyurl.com/4a2y7k
(?-?)
Inventor of the Multum in Parvo effect, in which a large glass of milk is poured into a small glass, without overflowing.
(?-?)
Invented: Wunderbar, Waltzing Matilda, Coin/Card, Surprise, Dusheck's Dollar, The oin and Cord, Half-a-Buck, Dusheck's Diminshing Cards, Dollar Punch, E.S.Pen,Dusheck's Copper/Silver Transpo,Pad-I-Add, Case of Identity, By the Handful, Great Pretender, Half Back, Poly-Gripped, Confounding Coffer, Quick Change, Lethal Tender, Gung Ho Deck Vanish, Funky, Shell-A-Bration, Washout, Touché, Ringer (2005) and the list keeps growing.
Wrote: Dusheck's Thumbtip Magic (1991), Dusheck's Coin Magic (1992), Dusheck's Card Magic (1992), Dusheck's Mental Magic (1993), Dusheck's Close Up Magic (1994), Dusheck's Force Fields,
Media: The 1982 Lecture DVD
Web site: http://www.stevedusheck.com
| Dunninger,Joseph (1892 - 1975) Joseph Dunninger was born in New York and took to magic at the age of five.His first professional show was performed when he was at the age of seven, before a Masonic Club in New York. He billed himself as "Master Joseph Dunninger, Child Magician." By the time he was sixteen, Dunninger was an adult magician with an enviable reputation and appeared for a year at Eden Musee in New York City. Even at this age, Dunninger ranked as one of the most prominent magicians of the time and he took to a vaudeville tour with the Keith-Orpheum Circuit. During this tour, Dunninger developed the act of reading the minds of members of his audiences. This type of act had been done for years before Dunninger came along and used verbal coded messages sent from an assistant to the "mind-reader". Dunninger used no assistants. In an act of inspired marketing, Dunninger offered $10,000 to anyone who could prove that he used stooges, confederates, or assistants of any kind. Invented: One Hand Production Cabinet, Oriental Tubes, Drop Model Cabinet, |
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1898-1965
Born Adolph Albert Amrein he became interested in magic at age 16, when he and his brotherbegan performing under the name "Duval Brothers." After his brother gave up magic, Ade continued alone and in 1928 developed "The Rhapsody in Silk", on which his later success was based. Assisted by his wife, he filled the whole stage with silks. After each performance, he needed four hours in order to prepare for the next performance. You find many of his silk magic effects in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic.
| Elliott,
James William (1874-1920) Born in Rumford, Maine. Learned at age 10 from amateur father. Retired as physician to be a pro cardman. Toured as 'Bosco' with the 'Le Roy-Talma-Bosco' troupe 1913-17. Invented the Spelling Trick (1910) and a variety of card tricks and sleights that bear his name.. |
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(1929-2006)
Elmsley was a Scottish amateur magician, magic inventor and magic author. He was inventor of the Elmsley Count, also known as the Ghost Count. He wrote three sets of lecture notes: Low Cunning (1957). He then revamped these notes with changes to content for the USA to Low Cunning (1959). His final set of notes was Cardwork (1975).
He also has a two volume work Collected Works of Alex Elmsley.
His video series, "The Magic of Alex Elmsley: The Tahoe Sessions," features four videos of Alex, and includes his Torn And Restored Newspaper and Cups And Balls routines, both of which are well known among magicians.