(1936 - )
John Fabjance became interested in magic as a teen-ager, and performed as an amateur magician in his high school years. During his freshman year of college, John met Harry Blackstone, Sr. and eventually became an assistant on The Blackstone Tour Show.
In the 1970's, John opened a magic store in Chicago, IL, becoming a full time performing magician as well as a magic dealer and owner of Fabjance Studios. From February of 1977 until August of 1981, John edited the magic periodical Legerdermain. Today, he continues to perform magic with his son Gary.
Invented: Airborne Glass, an effect, created and marketed by John Fabjance, where the magician, while pouring liquid from a bottle or can into a glass, lets go of the glass and it remains suspended in mid air. Pink Elephants and Purple Cows (Fabjance Studios).
Wrote: 101 Professional Card Tricks with Trick Cards (1986)
Informative Website: http://www.chicagomagician.com
(1936 - )
Born Richard Roucau in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he named himself Fantasio in 1961, when he joined the Círculo Mágico Argentino in Buenos Aires.
In July 1976, Fantasio -after 17 years on the professional stage- left show business. The second portion of his life then began. It was dedicated to creating, rnanufacturing and selling magic, especially the plastic candles and canes used in so much of his magic.
Wrote: My Canes and Candles
Media: Video Lectures 1 & 2 - Live at the Magic Castle (VHS videotape)
Web site
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLunktosaR4
(c1675 - 1731)
An early English magician, Fawkes was known to have performed the Egg Bag trick and Blooming Bush, effects still performed today.He also built and demonstrated mechanical automations, e.g. a clock, which imitated numerous music instruments and bird voices.
| Fay, Anna Eva
(1851-1927) Born Anna Norman, she demonstrated mediumistic effects, even before she married the spiritualist medium Henry Fay, but it was from him that she learned the rope tie in 1872. Up to the death of Henry Fay she developed her "act", but afterwards had great success on her own as "The High Priestess of the Mysterious Mysteries" around 1910. She is credited with having invented the dancing handkerchief as a spirit apparition for one of her séances. It was upon witnessing Anna's presentation of the dancing handkerchief during a Chicago performance, that inspired Harry Blackstone, Sr. to add the routine to his own repertoire. |
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(1912-1961)
Inventor of Mental Epic (1954), and various rope magic effects, including "Quad Ropelets,(1955)" the pre-cursor of The Professor's Nightmare. Also invented Symbologic, Wallet Wallop, and Silk Epic and Rope Epic.
Wrote: Rope Sessions with Hen Fetsch (1954), Miniature Card Magic (1943), Milk Pitcher Magic(1946), Magic With Canes (1960)
(1933-?)
Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, Fiedler's creations include Gozinta Boxes, the Dental Dam trick, Red Hot Wire and many more. So far he has created five successful effects for Tenyo with more in the pipeline. His most recent Tenyo creation is Blue Crystal. Lubor Fiedler resides in Spittal, Austria.
His inventions also include: Parabox (1993), Invisible Zone (1995), Krazy Keys (1996), Impossible Pen (1997), Antigravity Rock (1998), Phantom Clock (1999), Blue Crystal (2000).
(1915-1994)
Inventor of Invisible Deck, Zodiac Card Miracle, Relaxation Double Turnover and many other tricks and sleights. American mentalist (with partner George Martz), card handling expert, former Coney Island sideshow magician. Also invented a two-man code that bears his name.
(1873-1940)
Born Ottokar Fischer Marteau, he started magic in Vienna at the age of 10. Gave his first puiblic performance at age 18. Starting in 1898 he appeared regularly at the Kratky Baschik theatre in Vienna, a magic theatre with nearly 1000 seats. For 12 years he performed daily with a two and a half-hour show of magic. After the First World War he no longer performed publicly and dedicated his life to the history of magic, in particular to the life of Austrian and European magicians. He wrote The Miracle Book of Magic (1929) and J. N. Hofzinser's Card Conjuring - Kartenkünste (1910), and Illustrated Magic - Zauberkünste (1942).
(1890 - 1940)
Caryl Stacy Fleming was born Oct 13, 1890 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Caryl worked as an actor, director, writer and amateur magician in New York and later in Los Angeles. His interest in magic never waned and as a result, in the spring of 1938, he helped charter a new magic club of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, christened "Hollywood RING 21."As fate would have it, at age 49, Caryl Fleming died on September 2, 1940 in Los Angeles while performing a card trick...just one month shy of his 50th birthday.
| Foo, Ching
Ling (1854-1922) A Chinese-born magician (real name Chee Ling Qua) who was the first true Oriental magician to achieve world fame. He is credited with inventing the Foo Can, Laundry Tickets. He studied traditional Chinese magic and became a well-known and well-respected performer there. In 1898, he brought his show to the United States to perform at the Trans-Mississippi Exhibition in Omaha, Nebraska, and continued on to New York for a very successful tour. During his performance, he seemed to breathe smoke and fire, and produced ribbons and a fifteen foot long pole from his mouth. Ching Ling Foo caused a sensation when he took an empty piece of cloth, produced a huge bowl, filled to the brim with water, and then produced a small child (photo right). While Ching Ling Foo was in New York, he offered a reward of $1,000 to anyone who could produce a bowl filled with water like he did. He did it just for the publicity, but American magician William Robinson didn't know that, took up the chal;lenge and this formed the inspiration that was to become Chung Ling Soo. |
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(1888-1960)
Born Augustus Gerald Fowler, he learned magic at the age of 18. When he was 21 years old, J.N. Maskelyne became his mentor. After one year working with Maskelyne at St.George's Hall in London, he began the act known as Gus Fowler the Watch King. Gus Fowler manipulated with clocks with ease as other magicians manipulated coins or cards. He produced clocks, let them disappear and fly around, and ended with the production of 30 ringing bells from a hat.
| Fox, Karrell (1928 - 1998 ) When he was a child, his parents operated a small restaurant in E. Rainelle, West Virginia. A customer sneaked out without paying his bill, but left behind a few small tricks. With these, Karrell began his magic career. He appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show" at the age of 18. He later had his own TV show, performing as Milky the Clown. Invented: Bullseye Card, B.S. Miser's Dream Pail, Magical Assets, Nite-Cap, Take It and Stick It, Two Fisted Book Test, Mene-Tekel Book Test, Knifty Knot, No Not, Baffling Blow-Outs and many more. Wrote: Clever Like a Fox (1976), Another Book by Karrell Fox (1979), Comedy A La Card, Karrell Fox’s The Legend, For My Next Trick (Illustrated by Ed Harris), My Latest Book (Illustrated by Ed Harris), Much Ado About Something (Illustrated by Ed Harris) Media: Karrell Fox, Volume 1 (DVD & VHS); |
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| Freer,
Winston (1910-1981) Winston Freer was born in St. Albans, Vermont on August 21, 1910. In 1926, at the age of 16, Winston saw Howard Thurston perform and became interested in magic. Winston went on to attend college at the University of Vermont from 1928 to 1932. After his college education he moved to the midwest and became a full time magician. In the 30's he worked for Percy Abbott at Abbott's Magic in Colon, Michigan. Winston was a full time magician first using the name Aladdin and later using the name Doc Maxam. In 1939, he wrote a booklet titled the "Alagen Rope" co-authored with U.F. Grant. He also wrote a booklet titled, "25 Rice Bowl Methods". In 1954 he wrote and compiled "The Magic of Doc Maxam". Invented: Winston Freer Tile Deal, The Aladdin Oriental Gimmick , Alagen Rope, Maxam Triple-Cut Rope, Master Muscle Rope Effect, "Tug-of-War" Rope, One-Man Suspension of a Human Being, Be-Deviled Egg, Tantalacto, Transparent Rice Bowls, Wrist Knife, Freezing Ice in the Bare Hand, Maxam Rings, Bowl-Eggs, The First Finger of Fate, Growth of a Real Tree, Half-Wit Deck. |
 Freer presents his one-man suspension to a group of magicians atop a night-club table, circa 1939. |
(1918-2002)
Furst began his professional magic act in 1939 and toured the globe with the USO during World War II, always traveling noticeably with his white rabbit, Oscar. After the war, he worked in vaudeville and had a nightclub act combining magic and hypnotism.
Furst was best known to magicians as the inventor of the classic "Fresh Fish" paper tear where a strip of paper with the words "Fresh Fish Sold Here Today" is torn into pieces using a comical presentation and then restored. His biggest success however, came in the field of Hypnotism where he wrote a number of very successful books about using hypnosis for therapy.
Also invented: The Arnold Furst Blendo, The Arnold Furst Sympathetic Silks Routine, Card Stabbing Under Newspaper, Chosen, Card Impaled on Dinner Knife, Impromptu Version of The Zena Card Trick.
The magic books he wrote include: Famous Magicians of the World (1957), Magic for Monsters (aka Kid Stuff 6 – 1960), Mightier Than The Bullet (1961), Great Magic Shows (1968), How to Get Publicity in Newspaper ... and Other Media (1975), Lecture Notes of Shigeo Takagi.
| Futagawa,
Shigeo (?-?) Born in Yokohama, Japan. He was inspired at age 15 by a TV magic show. Began performing professional close-up magic in 1972, specializing in card and coin magic. He invented several packet tricks and coin routines. He has lectured in USA. In 1983, he won the Tenkai Prize. Inventions include: 3-Rope Card Trick, Four Tell On Dice, Upon Reflection, 3D Reflection Wrote: Introduction to Coin Magic (1978) |
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(1913-1980)
Wrote more than sixty books on magic, among them Routined Manipulation (three volumes, 1951-54), Dai Vernon's Symphony of the Rings, The Dai Vernon Book of Magic (1957), Cy Endfield's Entertaining Card Magic (1959), The Magic of Slydini, Magic with Faucett Ross,The Art of Close-up Magic (1972), and The Ganson Book (1982). Co-published The Gen with Harry Stanley from 1945 until 1970.
| Garcia, Frank (1927-1993) Son of Spanish immigrants. He decided to become a magician after seeing a performance of Fu Manchu (David Bamberg). Frank Garcia was a very popular magician who was known to magicians and gamblers as "The Man With The Million Dollar Hands." One of his specialties was gambling scams and cheating. As "The Gambling Investigator", he demonstrated and exposed cheating methods at tradeshows and to law enforcement organizations throughout the United States. His best-known books about gambling include: Marked Cards and Loaded Dice (1962) which was later released as How to Detect Crooked Gambling (1977), All in a Nutshell (1974) and Don't Bet on It (1978). Garcia also wrote many other books on magic: Million Dollar Card Secrets, Super Subtle Card Miracles, The Very Best of Cups and Balls, and Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic. |
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(1914 - )
Wrote: Martin Gardner's Table Magic, Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic, 12 Tricks with a Borrowed Deck, After the Dessert, Die of Another Color, Martin Gardner Presents, Mathematics, Magic, and Mystery, Mental Magic: Surefire Tricks to Amaze Your Friends, and many more books of a mathematical, scientific or puzzle nature.
He has been a regular contributor to Scientific American and is so respected by scientists, that he has had an asteroid (2587 - Gardner) named after him. His first non-magic and non-puzzle book, In the Name of Science (1952), began his exposure of cults, fads, and fallacies in the sciences. He also wrote Philosophical Foundations of Physics (1966), and a novel, The Flight of Peter Fromm (1973).
(1878 - 1960)
Germain, Karl (born Charles Mattmueller), began working with magic at the age of 8 years. Between 14 and 16 he learned muscle vintages, which he demonstrated however only with private appearances. At the age of 18 he began working the Lyceum Circuit as a professional magician, and demonstrated a mind reading program with his sister, Ida, as a medium. In 1906 he traveled to London, where he came to know and work with David Devant and John Neville Maskelyne.
Germain presented stage magic like the Visible Flower Growth; large illusions including levitations, appearances, and transpositions; mysterious spirit effects; and very clever mentalism. It was said that he could fool expert magicians with his close-up magic.
Invented: A Silk to Egg variation, The Expanding Card, a Visible Servante, The Mystery of Malabar, Dove to Candy, The Wizard Gardener, Witch's Hat Production., The Flower Growth, The Giant Silken Butterfly Production, The Cabinet of Cagliostro, Rabbit to Candy Tray, Magical Mocha, Tip-Up Tabletop, Bride of the Nile Illusion. The Dancing Table, The Mysterious Water Faucet, The Monkey's Paw, and many more.
(1942 - )
Magic author and inventor, Founder of the original Wiz Kids, Inc. in 1980; co-founder of The Magic Nook with Phineas Spellbinder (Victor Grimes) in 2003. Inventor of many magic tricks and illusions including The Utility Cabinet a variation of Edmund Spreer's "Little Stinkhouse", The O.O.P.S! Machine (burnt shoe trick), Die-A-Bolical, The Litter Vanish (with Frederick Goode), Parallel Universe, Eisenheim's Ghost and many others.
Author of PVC Pipe Illusions for the REALLY, REALLY Cheap Illusionist! and many articles in Genii Magazine and The Wizards' Journals. Also wrote Hardboard & Duct Tape Magic Show (2007),
(1897-1985)
Gibson, already interested in magic as a child, joined the Society of American Magicians at the age of 22. He knew a great many celebrated magicians personally,such as Thurston, Houdini, Blackstone, Dunninger, and Kreskin for whom he worked as a Ghost writer. He also wrote: The Complete Illustrated Book of Card Magic (1969), Popular Card Tricks (1972), Secrets of Magic (1973), New Magician's Manual (1975), The Book of Magic (1978), Walter Gibson's Big Book of Magic (1980), The Complete Illustrated Book of Divination and Prophecy.
More than just a magic writer, Gibson authored hundreds of other types of books and novels, including "The Shadow" (both in book form and in comic book form), novellettes about "Norgil the Magician," true crime stores for mystery and detective magazines.
Invented: Thumb Cuffs,
In 1971 The Academy of Magical Arts awarded Walter a Literary Fellowship. In 1979 he was awarded the Masters Fellowship.
(1874-1939)
This Polish-born world-famous illusionist (real name Hyman Goldstein) was noted for his lightning-fast style. He is credited with inventing his own version of the Sawing a Woman In Two Illusion and the Buzz Saw illusion. In Goldin's "Sawing", the head, hands, and feet of his assistant were in full view throughout the operation. Later Goldin discarded the covering box, and, using a power-driven saw, performed the sawing-through and restoration in full view.
By Royal Command he played four times before King Edward VII of England, earning the name "Royal Illusionist." Goldin also appeared before the Kings of Saxony, Portugal, Sweden and Siam, and Presidents Harding and Wilson.
Invented: Mystic Papyrus Papers, the Canon Illusion (with Walter Jeans)
His autobiography is It's Fun To Be Fooled (1937).
| Goldston,Will
(1878-1948) Born in Liverpool, England as Wolf Goldstone. Inspired at the age 11 or 12 by a box of tricks, he began learning magic. He also learned from visits with Prof. Alexander in 1892, and from reading Hoffmann's Modern Magic. His first publ;ic performance was at age 20, in 1898, as 'Carl Devo' c1898-1907, initially with a Black Art show. He managed the Conjuring, Theatrical, and Entertainment Departments at Gamage's 1905-14. Founded The Magicians' Club in 1911, serving as Treasurer throughout ,but running it as a one-man self-serving club, until it passed into limbo in WW II. He was the owner-manager of Aladdin House (Will Goldston Ltd) 1914-48 in London. He compiled and edited the Magician's Annual magazine from 1908 to 1916. Wrote: Tricks of the Masters and Will Goldstons Exclusive Magical Secrets. |
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| Goode,
Frederick (1970- ) Former member of The Wiz Kids, Inc, Wiz Kid Fred "starred" as an imitator of Michael Jackson, doing dove and candle magic as he danced to Jackson's music and in his style. Fred became an MC for the group, and at 18, was elected to the board of trustees and finally became Director of the Non-Profit Corporation in 1991, continuing in that role at the present time. He continues to invent many of the magic effects and illusions in use by the Wiz Kids today. Notable effects include The Invisible Pen, Signed Torn and Restored Napkin, and co-creator with Jim Gerrish of The Litter Vanish Illusion. Several of his effects are published in The Wizards' Journal. |
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(1997 - )
Stage name of Frederick Goode's son, who by the age of six had already invented and published his first trick "I Scry" (2003) in his grandfather's (Phineas Spellbinder) Wizards' Journal #1. Since then he has contributed many tricks to The Wizards' Journals. His first book of paper magic Tear-Able Magic was published in 2005. His second book, Hat Rings, was begun in 2007 and is currently still being written.He is a member of The Wiz Kids, Inc. and continues to perform, invent and publish magic effects for his group and on his own. Most notable effects so far: Every Century Silks , The Ultimate Newspaper Tear (which includes his Tuck-it invention), Step On It (Put), and Pop-Over Silk Dye, Pop Out Hamburger, Cauldron Capers, T-Shirt Magic, Pop Corn Popper Torn and Restored Napkin Prediction, and more. New principles: Dimensional Projection (Street Bike).
Informative Web site: http://www.wizkidzinc.com/Eleazar/eleazar.htm
(1920-1991)
One of the best close-up magicians, a test case for perfect timing and misdirection was Goshman's routine with coins moving under a salt and pepper shaker. Best known for his work with sponge balls and his manufactured sponge products.
Wrote: Magic by Gosh
| Grant, U. F. (1901-1978) Ulysses Frederick Grant was a magic dealer in New York City between 1925-1939 and later in Columbus, Ohio until his death in 1978. In 1944, he was joined by magic maker R.N. Menge, who added many of his own inventions to the Grant line. Inventions to which both Grant and Menge contributed were usually labled as being from "G. & M." such as the G & M Suspension Board, the G & M Passe Passe Bottles, and so on. They parted ways and became rivals about 1945. In 1964, Grant's daughter Mary Anne married Jimmy King, who collaborated with Grant on producing his own new magic effects. King eventually took over the company, renaming it Mak Magic. Grant was a prolific inventor: The Farmer and the Witch (c 1935), Walking thru a Ribbon (c 1937), Alagen Rope (with Winston Freer c 1939), Super-X Levitation (c 1942), Temple Screen (c 1944), Slate of Mind (1947), Devil's Newspaper (c 1948), Chink Cans (c 1949), Citation (1949), Pig Turns 'round (c 1952), Bengal Net (1953), Cow Trick (c 1955), Chen-Lee Water Suspension (c 1962), Strat-o-Spheres (c 1962), and Candle-Lite (c 1963). Also: Bullet Proof Girl, Mystery of the Temple Jewels, Head Dagger Chest, Any Card Called For Napkin, Atomic Vision, Ball Box (Die Box), Brillant Ring Box, Ment A Flex. Many of his silk magic inventuions are described in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic and his rope magic inventions in the Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks. Wrote: Illusion Secrets - Fifteen Great
Illusions (1934), Six Modern Levitations (1943),
Tricks for Kid Shows, Victory Carton
Illusions (1955), 25 One Man Mind Reading
Secrets, Grant's Fabulous Feats of Mental Magic
by Don Tanner (1954), Super Magical Secrets
(1928) , G&M Magic Course (with R.N.
Menge), Bodies in Orbit (1963). Jay
Leslie remembers:"The first
year of production, Grant had Jim
Swoger build everything. He
eventually starting using Jmmy King
because it was too far to go back and forth to
Swogers shop. Grant lived in Ohio and Jim
Swoger in Pittsburgh. |
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(1899-1984)
Glenn Gravatt became interested in magic as a child growing up in Kansas. At the age of 8 years he was already demonstrating magic for his friends and family. From Kansas, he went to California, where he worked as a newspaper reporter. He wrote " Encyclopedia of Self Working Card Tricks" (2 volumes, 1936 and 1937; later published under the byline of Jean Hugard under the title " Encyclopedia of Card Tricks." In writing the "Jap Box Tricks" in 1937, Gravatt effectively named this box for all time.
Invented: Extratour, Rope Appear, Visible Silk on Rope Appearance, Flying Silk and Ropes, Visible Rope and Ring Penetration, Rope-Silk-Bracelet Combination, Coat-Rope-Rings, No Clue Divination (1977),Five Cube Divination (1977), Psychic Spot (1976), Thimble Fantasy (1960), Card and Dagger (1956), Spooky Paper (1945), Multiple Match (1956), Magical Horse Race (1956), Percepo (1960), Close-up Cup Suspension (1958), The Antique Medallion, Color Ring Transpo, The Mystery of the Seven Veils, Super Penetration, Tube to Cigarettes, Color Riddle, 20th Century in Reverse, Ideal Solid Thru Solid, Dual Silk Production, Kondax (1921).
Compiled: Thayer Quality Magic Volumes 1-4 (1978-1981), Encyclopedia of Self-Working Card Tricks (1936-37)
Wrote: 50 Modern Card Tricks, 50 More Modern Card Tricks, Gold Mine of Magic, Jap Box Tricks (1937)
(1898-1981)
Leslie P. Guest was a magician, shadowgraphist and one time associate editor of "The Linking Ring", past president of the Society of American Magicians, and an editor of MUM.
(? - ?)
American magician who uses his real name. Inventor and magic manufacturer, specializing in trick coins. Invented (and holds patents for) Cigarette Thru Quarter and Copper, Silver, Brass.
(1895-1969)
One of the superstars of American magic, Jack (born Joseph McCloud Gwynne*) was the illusionist who created the Temple of Benares illusion as a variation of Culpitt's Doll House illusion. Jack often had to make his own props because the nearest magic dealer was 300 miles from where he lived. He also made props for other magicians, including Houdini and Thurston.
He also invented the Flipover Box, Atomic Dove Vanish, Box-Tray and Screen.
After World War I, during which Jack often entertained the troops overseas, he developed his own full evening show with several new illusions, with which he toured until 1951. Jack also rose to prominence as a magician on the new technology of television.
Video Footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh6lIp3Fpzk
* April, 2007. Research on his real name was communicated by Joan Gwynne Tallman, his neice. It had previously been mistakenly recorded on other Internet sources as McGwynne.