Magicians have traditionally been fiercely competitive, sometimes spending small fortunes on publicity material to distinguish themselves from their rivals. Whether in the form of souvenir photographs, posters, or self-promoting “pitchbooks,” magicians have always been in the business of making money. And what better way to set yourself apart from others than to print your own money, providing a self-mocking sense of personal wealth and superiority? One of the earliest examples, printed in 1855 by magician Signor Alfred Bosco, was a fifty-pound note on which appeared the text, “Bank of the Great Wizard of the World … Temple of Natural Magic and Ventriloquism.” Bosco died in poverty. In the modern period, with the United States dominating the economies both within and outside the magic world, the American dollar bill has emerged as the standard design for magicians’ publicity currency.
Edgar Bergen, 1903–1978, USA.
As practitioners of one of magic’s
“allied arts,” ventriloquists often
appeared on performance bills
alongside magicians. Bergen was a
professional ventriloquist from the
1920s onwards, most famous for
his Charlie McCarthy doll, and for
his surprising use of ventriloquism
on radio.
Tampa, 1888–1939, USA.
Born Raymond Sugden, Tampa
turned professional in 1918, and
toured with headlining magician
Howard Thurston’s third touring
show from 1926 to 1930, under
the banner “Howard Thurston
Presents Tampa.” An unsuccessful
performer, he retired from magic
to become a radio presenter. (Note
the left-facing swastika, a highly
popular symbol in the US before
its appropriation by the Nazis.)
Dell O’Dell, 1902–1962, USA.
From the 1930s through the
1950s, O’Dell was America’s most
successful professional comedy
magicienne, even commanding
her own TV show in Southern
California in the early 1950s.
Johnny Platt, 1903–1990, USA.
World-touring professional closeup
magician, most famous for his
Cups & Balls routine. Nearly two
decades after his death, Platt’s
ornate gilt cups were sold in 2007
at auction in London for $1,300.
George Johnstone, 1919–2004,
USA. Johnstone, once a stage
assistant to the legendary American
illusionist Harry Blackstone,
Sr., subsequently toured his own
comedy magic act, performing
with his wife, Betty.
Tim Reed is a collector of magic memorabilia, including the world’s largest collection of material relating to the 1980s British television magician, Paul Daniels. He is assistant editor of The Magic Circular, the internal publication of The Magic Circle, London.
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