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Percy Abbott (magician)
Percy Abbott (May 3, 1886 – August 26, 1960) was an Australian magician and magic dealer who founded Abbott's Magic Novelty Company in Colon, Michigan. Abbott's business was once the largest manufacturer and retailer of magic tricks and stage illusions in the world. Biography Abbott was born in Braidwood, Australia on May 3, 1886 as one of four children. Orphaned as a youngster, Abbott and his siblings moved in with an aunt who charged the children for room and board. His early interests included theater and magic. He took part in amateur theatrical productions as a boy. He discovered magic which he would devote most of his life along with its allied art, ventriloquism. In his early 1920s, Abbott found himself performing regularly in Sydney and other Australian towns, eventually taking a position with a firm that supplied magicians with the tricks of their trade, the New York Novelty Co. Abbott would eventually open his own supply house for conjurers, called the Abbott's Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magic (illusion)
Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of close-up magic, parlor magic, and stage magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It is to be distinguished from Magic (supernatural), paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls. Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès, Gaston Velle, Walter R. B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colon, Michigan
Colon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,199 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Colon Township. It is known as "The Magic Capital of the World", as it is the home of the Abbott Magic Company, the site of the annual Abbott's Magic Get-Together, and the former home and burial site of the famed stage magician Harry Blackstone, Sr. History Colon was platted in 1844. It was incorporated as a village in 1904. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The town is flanked by Sturgeon Lake and Palmer Lake, which are connected by a narrow channel. Additionally, the St. Joseph River is located nearby. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 1,173 people, 485 households, and 299 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 650 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Braidwood, New South Wales
Braidwood is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council. It is located on the Kings Highway, Australia, Kings Highway linking Canberra with Batemans Bay. It is approximately 200 kilometres south west of Sydney, 60 kilometres inland from the coast, and 55 kilometres east of Canberra. Braidwood is a service town for the surrounding district which is based on sheep and cattle grazing, and forestry operations. Indigenous History Braidwood is located within the Yuin Nation, on Walbanga Country. The Walbanga People speak dialects of the Dhurga language, Thurga (Durga/Dhurga) language. The Walbanga Peoples relied on the plentiful supply of vegetables available in the tablelands, such as the tubers of the yam daisy, wattle-seeds, and orchid tubers. In September to May, fish and crayfish were eaten, while possums and larger grazing animals were hunted year round. The Walbanga People and neighbouring groups made annual tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Linking Ring
''The Linking Ring'' is a monthly print magic magazine published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) for its members since 1922. It is based in Bluffton, Ohio. In 2007, Samuel Patrick Smith, a magician, author and publisher based in Eustis, Florida Eustis is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. It lies about 35 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida and is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population in the city ..., became executive editor of the magazine. List of Magicians featured on the cover of past issues Notes *Nelson Hahne did not actually appear on the cover of the December 2007 Linking Ring, but rather an illustration drawn using his style appears on the cover of that issue. The "Cover Story" within that issue, however, discusses the life and contributions of Mr. Hahne to the magic world. * Kristen Johnson followed in the footsteps of her mother Sunny Johnson, who a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sawing A Woman In Half
Sawing a woman in half is a generic name for a number of stage magic tricks in which a person (traditionally a female assistant) is apparently cut or divided into two (or more) pieces. History There remains a debate about the origin of sawing illusions, with some sources saying a magician named Torrini may have performed the first version in front of Pope Pius VII in 1809. However, it is more likely that the story is a fiction which has its roots in the writings of the famous French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. In his ''Memoirs'', written in 1858, Robert-Houdin described a sawing illusion performed by a magician named Torrini. Modern magic inventor and historian Jim Steinmeyer has concluded that there was probably no real Torrini and the story was merely a way for Robert-Houdin to play with ideas. It was suggested during a court case in 1922 that the trick can be traced back to ancient Egypt; however, this claim has not been substantiated.''Goldin v. Clarion Photoplays ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Brotherhood Of Magicians
International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is an organization for both professional and amateur close-up and stage magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St. Charles, Missouri. There are over 300 local groups, called Rings, in more than 88 countries, largely concentrated in cities of the United States and Canada. The organization publishes a monthly periodical entitled ''The Linking Ring'', which features tricks, coverage of shows and events in the magic community, and interviews with magicians. History The organization was founded February 10, 1922 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by Len Vintus (stage name of Melvin Justus Given McMullen) of Transcona, Manitoba, which would later amalgamate with Winnipeg. Gene Gordon ( Gordon Avery) of Buffalo, New York, and Don Rogers (a.k.a. Ernest Schieldge). Unlike earlier magic clubs, such as the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) in the United States and The Magic Circle in England, the I.B.M. w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Blackstone Sr
Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar Kightley * ''Harry'' (talk show), 2016 American daytime talk show hosted by Harry Connick Jr. People and fictional characters *Harry (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name, including **Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born 1984) *Harry (surname), a list of people with the surname Other uses *"Harry", the tunnel used in the Stalag Luft III escape ("The Great Escape") of World War II * ''Harry'' (album), a 1969 album by Harry Nilsson *Harry (derogatory term) Harry is a Norwegian derogatory term used in slang, derived from the English name Harry. The best English translation may be "cheesy" or "tacky". '' Norsk ordbok'' defines "harry" as "tasteless, vulgar". The term "harry" was first used by upper ... ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coney Island
Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to the north and includes the subsection of Sea Gate on its west. More broadly, the Coney Island peninsula consists of Coney Island proper, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach. This was formerly the westernmost of the Outer Barrier islands on the southern shore of Long Island, but in the early 20th century it became connected to the rest of Long Island by land fill. The origin of Coney Island's name is disputed, but the area was originally part of the colonial town of Gravesend. By the mid-19th century it had become a seaside resort, and by the late 19th century, amusement parks had also been built at the location. The attractions reached a historical peak during the first half of the 20th century. However, they declined in popularity aft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean Hugard
Jean Hugard (4 December 1871 – 14 August 1959) was an Australian professional magician and author, often co-writing with Frederick Braue. Among his better known works are the books ''The Royal Road to Card Magic'', ''Encyclopedia of Card Tricks'', and ''Expert Card Technique''. History Hugard was born John Gerard Rodney Boyce in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, the third son of John Alexander Boyce and Anne Brown. Educated at Toowoomba Grammar School, later he joined the staff of the Queensland National bank. After a late start and from a completely non-theatrical background he rose to become one of the world's great stage magicians, often dubbed the Dean of Magicians, and the last of a trio (Robert-Houdin, Hoffman, Hugard) of famed authors on the art of legerdemain. Over the course of his life, he performed as Oscar Kellmann, Chin Sun Loo, Ching Ling Foo, and Jean Hugarde. He was inspired in 1880 by seeing a Haselmayer show. He eventually began his professional career in 18 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbott Magic Get-Together
Abbott's Get Together is a long-running annual convention for magicians held in Colon, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1937 by Percy Abbott and his business partner, Recil Bordner. The Get Together is well known within the magician industry as an event to gather and share information with their peers. There are routinely multiple stage shows, a close-up magic gala, lectures, contests, and a dealer's room. The 70th anniversary of the Get-Together took place on August 1–4, 2007. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed in 2021. History of the Get-Together Abbott Magic Company Percy Abbott, an Australian-born magician who owned several magic supply companies in Australia in the early 1900s, co-founded the Blackstone Magic Company in Colon, Michigan, with Harry Blackstone Sr. in 1927. Eighteen months later, the two parted ways. In 1934, Abbott reopened the business as the Abbott Magic Company with a new partner, Recil Bordner, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genii Magazine
''Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine'' is a magazine devoted to magic and magicians. It is a monthly magazine first published in September 1936, currently edited by Richard J. Kaufman and owned by Randy Pitchford. The magazine is based in Washington, DC. History ''Genii'' was founded by William Larsen, Sr. in 1936, and it was published as the official organ of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians, which had been founded in 1933. The original print run was 750 copies, which went down to 500 for the second and third issues. Upon Larsen's death in 1953 it was subsequently edited and published by his wife Gerrie Larsen, son William Larsen, Jr. and his wife Irene Larsen, grandson Dante Larsen, and granddaughter Erika Larsen. In 1998, it was sold to The Genii Corporation headed by magic author Richard Kaufman. ''Genii'' appears as both a conventionally printed magazine and a digital edition, which includes audio and video supplements. Subscribers also receive free access to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harold Rice
Harold Randolph Rice (May 22, 1912 – July 10, 1987) was an American educator and magic dealer. Early life On June 12, 1937, Rice married Thelma Ryle. He earned his doctorate as an Arthur Wesley Dow Scholar from Columbia University. He earned additional degrees, including a B.S. in Applied Arts, a B.S. in Art Education (both 1934) and M. Ed. (1942), Ed. D. (1944), L.H.D. (1963). Magic Rice credited the original Tarbell Course in Magic as a major influence. By the time he was an art major at the University of Cincinnati, he was building a handkerchief act. He designed and created his own silks. He joined the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) in 1929 and the Society of American Magicians in 1934. Local magicians persuaded him to make a colored square of silk for them and became a magic dealer. His silks became known for their brilliant colors, durability, and workmanship. He founded Silk King Studio in September 1929. He and his spouse were soon marketing, silks, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
