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Tilli Gorgon Magic, Edinburgh (2024)

07/12/2023

Very happy to spot this poster during my visit to the V&A Museum in South Kensington ✨🃏
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31/10/2023

Pt. 2: Buried in the east side of Highgate Cemetery is another magician, Carlton “The Human Hairpin.” I struggled to find much info on him, but here’s what I could piece together:

Arthur Carlton Philps was born in London, in 1880.

He started off working as a barker for a sideshow at the Westminster Aquarium. He then worked for Jennings, a showman who specialised in illusions.

He found success as a comedy card magician, however also performed escapology and mind reading.

There are two theories as to how he became known as “The Human Hairpin.” One is that he would ask an audience member, “How would you like me for a hairpin?” Another is that he would bend in half during his act.

He was 6’2.5” and would wear elevator shoes and a padded wig to appear over 7’. He also wore black tights, stage makeup and a leotard. Some believe this was to combat the idea that magicians hid things in their costumes.

It is said that he was invited to a fancy dress ball, and not having time to change from his stage costume, attended as a ‘Carlton’ impersonation. He won first prize in the comedic costume category, stunning attendees with his likeness.

Carlton toured the UK before following some vaudeville friends to Europe. At the time, it was common to perform in silence if you didn’t speak the language where you were performing. Carlton made friends with hotel staff and learned phonetic translations of his patter. This earned him reasonable success in European cities such as Paris and Milan. He also toured America, Africa and India.

He toured Australia in 1907. While there, he helped set up the Australian Vaudeville Association.

It is said that Carlton earned the equivalent of over £50,000 a week at the height of his fame.

His autobiography ‘Twenty Years of Spoof and Bluff’ was published in 1920.

During the second world war he worked for ENSA - an organisation which provided entertainment to British troops.

Arthur died on June 27th, 1942, and is buried in Highgate Cemetery, London.

In 1989, his daughter Marie instigated The Magic Circle’s Carlton Award.
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22/10/2023

Pt. 1: I visited Highgate Cemetery in London yesterday. Went on a fab tour of the famous graves and catacombs in the west cemetery. I asked our tour guide if he knew where David Devant's grave was and he graciously took me all the way to it (I would not have found it otherwise) 🥰

So, I thought it fitting to share a little about the life of Devant:

David Wighton was born in Holloway, London on February 22nd, 1868.

It is said that he learned magic at age 15 from a book, taking his stage name from a biblical painting with the inscription ‘David devant Goliath’.

He would often visit Maskelyne and Cooke’s ‘Egyptian Hall’ in Piccadilly – a venue known for showcasing top magicians of the time. In 1893, Devant appeared at Egyptian Hall. He would go on to perform there regularly, often topping the bill.

Some of his best-known illusions included the Obliging Kettle, the Artist’s Dream, and the Mascot Moth.

During the Obliging Kettle routine he would pour from the kettle any beverage requested by audience members.

In the Artist’s Dream, a man paints a picture of his late wife before falling asleep. She would then materialise from the canvas.

In the Mascot Moth, a lady dressed in a moth-like costume, in full view of the audience, would fold in her wings and vanish completely.

Devant was also a pioneer of cinema. On March 19th, 1896, he became the first man to show films in the UK, doing so at Egyptian Hall using R. W. Paul’s theatograph.

In 1904, Maskelyne and Devant moved to St George’s Hall, establishing a partnership in 1905. St George's Hall was known as ‘England's New Home of Mystery.’ It presented magicians such as Paul Valadon, Charles Bertram, and Buatier de Kolta.

Also in 1905, Devant became the first president of The Magic Circle.

He authored several books on magic, such as ‘Our Magic: The Art in Magic, the Theory of Magic, the Practice of Magic’ with Maskelyne (1911).

Devant was forced to retire around 1919, while still at the peak of his career, due to Parkinson's Disease.

He died on October 13th, 1941, and is buried in Highgate Cemetery, London.
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09/10/2023

Moi-Yo Miller - Assistant to Dante the Magician - 1914 - 2018

Mona Loretta ‘Miki’ Miller was born in Geelong, Australia on April 24th, 1914. Mikki spent her childhood performing in ballet and Scottish dancing competitions with her sister.

Mikki first met magician Dante, and his son Bill, while appearing in a musical r***e in Melbourne in 1933. She began dating Bill, and, around the same time, Dante took Mikki on as his assistant.

Tragically, Bill was killed in a motorcycle accident that same year. However, Dante and Mikki continued to work together with Mikki quickly becoming his main assistant.

Mikki played an essential role in ‘smartening up’ Dante’s show. She replaced the showgirl costumes with evening gowns, circus style music with classical waltzes, and revamped his sets.

It was reportedly while on tour in Japan that she was christened “Moi-Yo San" which press translated as ‘rare/beautiful flower’, or ‘beautiful butterfly’.

Under her new stage name ‘Moi-Yo’, she would tour Asia, Russia, Europe, and America with Dante. The troupe survived a typhoon in Japan which ripped the side off of their accommodation, and narrowly escaped Berlin when its borders closed at the dawn of WW2.

Moi-Yo would be Dante’s leading assistant for the next two decades. She once estimated that she had been sawn in half 11,800 times during her career. In an article in ‘Woman’ from March 1941, Dante described Moi-Yo as the “leading illusionista in the world - the combination of everything: of rhythm, artistry, grace and poise”.

Mikki met her husband Arturo while on tour with Dante in Mexico City, with him having joined the show designing and building illusions. In 1993, she and Arturo were presented with the J. Marberger Stuart Foundation’s ‘DRAGON’ award for magic with (D)rama, (R)omance, (A)rtistry, (G)lamour, (O)riginality and (N)ecromancy.

In June 2016, a mural of Moi-Yo's face was created by artist Michael Cassar. It can be found on the corner of James St and Minns Lane in her hometown of Geelong. Mikki died on October 7th, 2018, in Prahran, Victoria, Australia, aged 104.
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15/09/2023

Selma Braatz - ...juggles pool cues, tennis rackets, and more - 1885-1973

Selma Blecher-Braatz was born on June 30th, 1885, in Berlin, Germany. She began juggling at age 15, trained by Welda Braatz (her aunt) and Clara Braatz (her mother or aunt) as well as esteemed juggler, Salerno.

Selma made her juggling debut at the Corso Theatre in Zurich, in 1904. She quickly became the best-known female juggler of her time.

Four years later she went on a tour of the USA, eventually performing on all five continents.

During her act she would juggle six balls, three tennis balls while balancing a racket, a top hat, gloves and an umbrella, three color changing torches, and three pool cues.

She would balance a billiard ball on a cue stick, on her forehead, while juggling three balls. She would then drop the billiard ball off the cue stick and go into a four-ball juggle while still maintaining the balance.

Her most popular trick was one where she would balance a tray, a wine glass, another tray, and an egg on a billiard cue held upright on her chin. The trays were knocked away and the egg would fall into the wine glass without breaking.

She continued juggling for over 35 years, retiring in 1937, aged 53. She moved back to Berlin and stayed there until the mid-1950s when she moved to the USA, settling in New York.

It is said that Selma didn't talk much about her performing career and kept almost no publicity material about it. However, she would often attend IJA (International Jugglers’ Association) conventions.

Selma died on July 23rd, 1973, at age 88. She is buried in Rosedale Cemetery, in Linden, New Jersey.
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25/08/2023

Name the band 😎🎸🪄

Having such a great time at the Fringe. Check out Arron's show at 4:05pm in the Voodoo Rooms - it's hilarious!
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Kozo Kaos Arron Jones Magician

23/05/2023

Lillian Boyer - Empress of the Air - 1901-1989

Lillian Boyer was born on January 15th, 1901 in Hooper, Nebraska. While working as a waitress, aged 21, she was asked by regular customers, pilots Elmer Partridge and Johnny Metzger, if she would like to take a ride in their plane.

She said yes and had her first airplane ride on April 3rd, 1921. Four days later, on her second flight, she climbed out on the wing. Hooked, she began training to become a professional wing walker.

From late 1921 to late 1928, Lillian performed at 352 shows, taking to the air in a Curtiss Jenny biplane piloted by William S. Brock.

Lillian’s stunts included moving from a speeding car to a plane and hanging from planes by her toes, knees, teeth, ankles or ladders. She would even stand up, her feet under a strap, while William looped the plane.

Lillian’s worst accident occurred on October 1st, 1925, in Trenton, N.J., when she experienced three parachute mishaps in three days. On the first day of her show, she landed in a seat on the Ferris wheel. On the second day, she struck the grandstand roof. On the third day she was heading for a tent, so pulled the shrouds to change direction. This turned the parachute inside-out. She fell hard and fast for the final 50 feet, suffering a broken hip, pelvis, ribs, and fractures in the end of her spine.

Lillian continued her stunts until federal laws surrounding low flying came into place, preventing her performances. Her last day in the air was September 8th, 1928, in Bethany, Missouri.

She then began working as a hat-check girl in Chicago, where, in 1937, she met Ernest Werner. The couple married in 1944, moving to Los Angeles.

Lillian died on February 1st, 1989, in San Diego, California. On one of her final birthdays, she took a flight in a Boeing PT17. She stayed inside the cockpit, but, when she landed, commented, “I wanted to get out there on the wings, but they had told me not to. I would have though, if it had been my regular plane.”
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04/05/2023

Paula Baird - The Sleeveless Sorceress - 1917-1999

Paula Baird was born in Hastings, England in 1917. She became interested in magic after receiving a magic set for Christmas that was intended for her brother.

By age 15, Paula was working semi-professionally. She made headlines in 1932 when she was crowned ‘champion girl conjuror’ in a competition held by magicians, the Maskelynes, at St. George's Hall in London.

She also became the youngest girl to fly an airplane in England.

By the 1940s and 50s, Paula was known internationally for her card manipulation. During her act, (which was billed as “Sophisticated Sleeveless Sorcery”) she would wear a strapless evening gown.

During the second world war, she toured with the Entertainments National Service Association, entertaining troops in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Paula won second prize in manipulation at FISM in 1948. Although unable to join London’s Magic Circle, due to her gender, she appeared in many of their shows and even received a Silver Wand from them in 1950.

In 1950, Paula became one of The Flying Sorcerers. The group was put together by magic magazine author, Charles Goodliffe Neale, who wanted a team of highly skilled UK magicians to take to magic conventions overseas he was reporting on, in order to perplex attendees. Original members included Francis Haxton, Tom Harris, Geoffrey Buckingham, Paula Baird, Francis White, Max Andrews and John Ramsay. The group would travel to conventions such as 1950’s I.B.M. and S.A.M. Convention in Chicago and the 1952 Abbott's Get Together.

During the 1950s, Paula had a TV series called "Magic for Mothers."

In the 1960s, Paula retired from performing, instead becoming a guide with a travel tour operator.

Paula died on November 16th, 1999.
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26/04/2023

Jessie Knight - Britain’s First Female Tattoo Artist – 1904 -1992

Jessie Knight was born in Croydon, England in 1904. Her father Leonard travelled the world as a sailor before settling down in London and marrying Ethel Rice in 1901.

Leonard began working as a professional tattoo artist in 1902, teaching the skill to Jessie. A few years later, he was asked by showman Charlie Bell to tattoo a young girl he managed.

Leonard joined the circus as a sharpshooter, alongside tattooing. Jessie was recruited into her father’s act in her teens, as a sharpshooter dummy. She then began performing as a stuntwoman, ba****ck horse rider and markswoman.

At age 18, Jessie started tattooing for a living, taking over her father’s tattoo shop in Barry, South Wales, when he went off to sea.

She married at 27, but her husband didn’t approve of her tattooing and made her give it up. Jessie was abused throughout the marriage and after shooting her husband for kicking her dog down the stairs, the couple parted ways.

Soon after, in 1936, Jessie opened her first tattoo shop in Aldershot, Hampshire. Her flash sheets included traditional designs, such as butterflies, flowers, snakes, ships and peacocks.

Jessie worked without stencils, branding herself as “Expert Freehand Lady Tattoo Artist.” She would dip a matchstick in ink then draw designs directly onto her client’s skin before tattooing them. To protect her designs and money, she stored them in a chest which she sat on whilst tattooing.

In 1955, Jessie won second place in the ‘Champion Tattoo Artist of All England’ competition for a highland fling tattoo. Some say the only reason she didn’t win first place was because they didn’t want to award this title to a woman.

In 1968, Jessie moved back to Barry to look after her brother’s house while he was at sea. Although retired, she continued tattooing family and friends in her home until the 1980s. Jessie died in 1992, aged 88.
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25/04/2023

Did you know that The Beatles took inspiration from an 1800's circus poster when writing 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite'? While down in Liverpool, I learned this great story at The Beatles Story Museum...

The poster, from 1843, is for Pablo Fanque's Circus Royal. Pablo was born William Darby in 1796 (or 1811). He started off as a circus artist, performing acts such as horsemanship, rope walking, leaping and rope vaulting before becoming the first black circus owner in Britain. Some regarded him as the greatest equestrian performer of the time, performing feats such as leaping, on horseback, over a coach “placed lengthways with a pair of horses in the shafts, and through a military drum at the same time.”

Also featured on the poster are Mr. Kite and The Hendersons. In this poster, acrobat William Kite, is shown balancing on his head, on top of a pole, while playing the trumpet. He is thought to have worked at Pablo's circus from 1843-45. Son of circus proprietor James Kite, he founded 'Kite's Pavilion Circus' in 1810 and later moved to 'Wells' Circus'. Husband and wife Agnes and John Henderson travelled Europe and Russia during the 1840's and 50's as wire-walkers, equestrians, trampolinists and clowns.

But how do the Beatles tie into this?

During a break in filming for the 'Strawberry Fields Forever' promotional video in Kent, John Lennon stopped by an antiques shop. It was here that he found and purchased the poster, hanging it up at home in his music room. After taking a listen to the song, you'll notice most of the lyrics are taken straight from the poster.

While there I had to stop by the Oracle magic bar to finally meet the lovely Benjamin . The staff and drinks were fantastic and the magic was top notch.

(If you'd like to learn more about Pablo Fanque and his Circus Royal, The Smithsonian has a fantastic article)
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11/06/2022

A'ree – ‘The Queen of Hearts’ - 1916-2005

Arie Marie Dice was born on June 12th, 1916, in Dayton, Ohio.

She met amateur magician Donald Daniel McChesney and they married c.1937. Arie loved magic and Don encouraged her to pursue her passion.

Arie soon became the first woman to graduate from The Chavez College of Magic post-graduate course taught by Ben and Marion Chavez.

Performing under the name A’ree and billed as ‘Femanipulator’ and ‘The Queen of Hearts’, A’ree extensively toured the West.

A’ree astounded audiences with her manipulation of cards and ci******es, and her multiplying candles routine. She closed her show by making a card castle appear from nowhere.

A’ree appeared on the cover of Genii magic magazine in May 1953. "In the world of professional magic there have been few lady magicians. Of these, one of the loveliest, and certainly one of the most talented, is A’ree, the Queen of Hearts. Matchless in sleight of hand, and a brilliant entertainer, her star is rapidly ascending.”

She served as president of the Parent Assembly of Magigals in 1955 and was a member of both the International Guild of Prestidigitators and IBM Ring 21.

A’ree also won the ‘Mrs. Houdini Diamond Pin’ award at a PCAM convention.

Arie passed away on June 18th, 2005 and is buried alongside her husband Don in Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery, Ohio.

Please feel free to add to this story in the comments ⬇️ or correct me if I've made any historical errors 😅🖤🐍
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29/05/2022

Hello 👋 face behind the history here, just checking in 😊🖤
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27/05/2022

Edith Clifford – 'Champion Sword Swallower of the World' - 1886-1942

Edith Clifford was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 22nd, 1886, to Emily and John Clifford.

Edith began swallowing swords in 1899, at age 13. She was trained by renowned sword swallower (and uncle?) Delno Fritz who had performed with the John Robinson circus, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus, the Al G. Barnes show and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.

Edith joined the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1901 while they were in Vienna on a foreign tour. She stayed with the circus until 1912.

She married James Morris (a.k.a. Jim Maurice), an ‘elastick skin’ performer. James took Edith’s surname, due to her greater popularity, and they toured as ‘The Cliffords.’ Sadly James passed away c.1911.

Edith married Karl Bauer, a German trapeze artist, c.1912. He became her assistant, touring together as ‘The Cliffords’ for over a decade.

During her act she would swallow bayonets, curved blades, serpentine blades and up to 24 swords at a time, with blades up to 26 inches long. Edith would also swallow a razor with a blade five times the usual length, and an enormous pair of scissors.

At the end of her act, the point of a bayonet, 23½ inches long, was fastened to the breech of a cannon and placed in her mouth. The piece was discharged, with the recoil driving the bayonet down her throat.

Edith joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1919 to 1920. In 1919, Harry Houdini visited the circus. Edith impressed Houdini so much that he wrote about her feats in his 1920 book ‘Miracle Mongers and their Methods.’

In 1922, Edith retired from performing, moving to Canton, Ohio. Here, she ran a local grocery store with her husband, apparently never mentioning her life on stage.

Edith died on September 3rd, 1942 and is buried in West Lawn Cemetery, Ohio.

Please feel free to add to this story in the comments ⬇️ or correct me if I've made any historical errors 😅🖤🐍
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06/05/2022

Suzy Wandas - ‘The Lady with the Fairy Fingers’- 1896-1986

Jeanne Van D**e was born in Brussels, Belgium on March 5th, 1896, to magicians Elizabeth and Charles ‘Wandas’.

She soon became part of her parents’ act, walking the slack rope and dancing while playing the violin.

Inspired by magician Talma, the ‘Queen of Coins’, Jeanne took up magic. She was tutored by her parents as well as family friend, magician T. Nelson Downs. By age 14, she had developed a coin and card manipulation act.

The family performed throughout Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Holland until Charles died in 1911. Her brother Louis was added to the act, and they continued to perform, now as ‘The Three Wandas’. Jeanne chose the stage name ‘Suzy’ from the song ‘If You Knew Suzy’.

When WW1 broke out, Louis joined the Belgian army. Elizabeth and Suzy rebranded the act to ‘The Wandas Sisters.’ Louis survived but was unable to perform again due to his injuries.

Audiences were especially impressed as the ‘sisters’ performed in sleeveless evening gowns. During their act, billiard balls would vanish from one ‘sister’s’ hands and appear in the hands of the other. At the finish, both of their hands would be brimming with billiard balls.

When Elizabeth retired in 1936, Suzy performed solo throughout Europe. She was billed as ‘Suzy Wandas, the Lady with the Fairy Fingers’. During her cabaret act she would manipulate coins, cards, canes, silks, ci******es, thimbles and ropes.

Suzy won the British Ring contest in 1952 and made her first U.S. appearance at the Abbott’s Get Together in Three Rivers, Michigan in September 1953.

Suzy retired from magic in 1959, marrying doctor and magician Dr. Zina Bennett. The two settled in Detroit.

Suzy died on July 12th, 1986, and is buried in Woodmere Cemetery, Michigan.

In 2019, Christ and Kobe van Herwegen published ‘Suzy Wandas: The Lady with the Fairy Fingers’.

Please feel free to add to this story in the comments ⬇️ or correct me if I've made any historical errors 😅🖤🐍
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03/04/2022

Sonora Carver – Daredevil Horse Diver - 1904 - 2003

Sonora Webster was born on February 2nd, 1904, in Waycross, Georgia. She loved horses from a young age, often skipping school to ride them.

In 1923, 19-year-old Sonora answered an ad seeking an ‘Attractive young woman who can swim and dive; likes horses; desires to travel’ and was hired by Doc Carver, a sharpshooter who founded a Wild West show in partnership with Buffalo Bill.

Doc taught Sonora how to horse dive. She soon progressed from diving from a 12ft practice jump to diving from a 40ft tower.

On May 20th, 1924, she made her first public dive at an amusement park in North Carolina. She jumped onto the back of a moving horse, diving off a 40ft tower into a water tank. Sonora soon became one of the most famous horse divers in the world.

When Doc died in 1927, his son Al took over the troupe. Al and Sonora married the following year. The show became a standing act at Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Sonora performed her act 2-6 times a day to crowds of thousands.

After performing for seven years, Sonora was blinded from retinal displacement after hitting the water with her eyes open. Sonora decided “the best strategy...would be to treat my blindness as if it were a minor detail, rather than a major catastrophe.”

In 1932, less than a year later, she made her comeback, and continued diving for 11 years. When the show ended in 1942, she and Al moved to New Orleans.

Sonora became an advocate for the visually impaired, working as a typist at Touro Infirmary and the Lighthouse for the Blind until her retirement in 1979.

In 1991, her 1961 memoir ‘A Girl and Five Horses’ was adapted into Disney movie 'Wild Hearts Can't be Broken'. Sonora died on September 20th, 2003.

Please feel free to add to this story in the comments ⬇️ or correct me if I've made any historical errors 😅🖤🐍
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24/03/2022

Jane Thurston - ‘She takes after her Dad’ - 1909 - 1994

Jane Willadsen was born in 1909 in Weehawken, New Jersey. Her mother, Nina Fielding, was a showgirl, dancer, and comedian. In 1914, Nina married magician Howard Thurston.

At 19, Jane debuted her act as part of Howard’s show, appearing as a dancer, singer, and magician. She did a third of the show, including singing a song written for her called ‘My Daddy is a Hokus Pokus Man’.

Jane was a part of the Thurston show until it ended in 1935. When Howard died in 1936, Jane inherited her stepfather's equipment.

She planned to start her own magic show, working with George and Herman Hanson to learn the choreography of her father's Floating Ball and Spirit Cabinet routines.

Eventually, she gave up on the project, and began appearing in nightclub acts as a magician, singer and dancer.

One remnant of the unfinished show is the Jane/Howard Thurston ‘Good Luck’ throwing card. Howard was known for his throwing cards and Jane had hers printed with him on one side and her on the other with the text, “She takes after her Dad”.

In 1941, Jane gave up show business and joined the first squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. She married flight engineer, Guy Lynn. After his death she married Dick Shepard, a retired Navy Captain.

She worked as a performer and songwriter for several years, composing under the male name Gene Willadsen, because only men could join the American songwriter's union.

In the 1960's, she started using the surname ‘Thurston’ again and began contacting old friends and visiting magic conventions.

After a fall put her in a coma, Jane passed away on November 12th, 1994 in New York.

Please feel free to add to this story in the comments ⬇️ or correct me if I've made any historical errors 😅🖤🐍
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