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Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle
By the end of America's Golden Age of Magic," Chicago had taken center stage in front of an American audience drawn to the craft by the likes of Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. Cashing in on a craze that rivaled big-band mania, magic shops and clubs sprang up everywhere across the Windy City, packed in customers and put down roots. Over the last century, for example, Magic, Inc. has outfitted magicians from Harry Blackstone Sr. to Penn and Teller to David Copperfield. Magic was an integral part of Chicago's culture, from its earliest venture into live television to the card sharps and hucksters lurking in its amusement parks and pool halls. David Witter keeps track of the shell game of Chicago's fascinating magic history from its vaudeville circuit to its contemporary resurgence."
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Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle
By the end of America's Golden Age of Magic," Chicago had taken center stage in front of an American audience drawn to the craft by the likes of Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. Cashing in on a craze that rivaled big-band mania, magic shops and clubs sprang up everywhere across the Windy City, packed in customers and put down roots. Over the last century, for example, Magic, Inc. has outfitted magicians from Harry Blackstone Sr. to Penn and Teller to David Copperfield. Magic was an integral part of Chicago's culture, from its earliest venture into live television to the card sharps and hucksters lurking in its amusement parks and pool halls. David Witter keeps track of the shell game of Chicago's fascinating magic history from its vaudeville circuit to its contemporary resurgence."
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Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle

Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle

by David Witter
Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle
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Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle

Chicago Magic:: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle

by David Witter

Overview

By the end of America's Golden Age of Magic," Chicago had taken center stage in front of an American audience drawn to the craft by the likes of Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. Cashing in on a craze that rivaled big-band mania, magic shops and clubs sprang up everywhere across the Windy City, packed in customers and put down roots. Over the last century, for example, Magic, Inc. has outfitted magicians from Harry Blackstone Sr. to Penn and Teller to David Copperfield. Magic was an integral part of Chicago's culture, from its earliest venture into live television to the card sharps and hucksters lurking in its amusement parks and pool halls. David Witter keeps track of the shell game of Chicago's fascinating magic history from its vaudeville circuit to its contemporary resurgence."

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781626191273
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 11/05/2013
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

David Witter is a Chicago historian and author of the book Oldest Chicago. Also a freelance writer and photographer, Witter is a regular contributor to New City and Fra Noi.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 5

Introduction 7

1 The World of Magic, Houdini and the 1893 World's Fair 11

2 The Early Stars of Magic and Chicago's Vaudeville Era 17

3 Houdini, Chicago and the Great Debunking of Spiritualism 27

4 Harry Blackstone Sr.: Chicago Native and the Last "King of Magic" 36

5 Magic, Inc.: The Soul of Chicago Magic 41

6 Riverview Magic: What Nostalgia Forgot to Record 47

7 Chicago's Golden Age of Magic 53

8 Schulien's: America's Greatest Magic Restaurant 61

9 Marshall Brodien: Riverview, Bozo's Circus and TV Magic Cards 70

10 Magigals: Frances Ireland 75

11 Celeste Evans: Breaking More Barriers 79

12 Maritess Zurbano: Girlie Magic for the New Millennium 85

13 Bizarre Magic Chicago 90

14 Walter E. King, aka "Spellbinder": Regal Magic 94

15 Sean Masterson: Restoring the Early Days of Magic 98

16 Magic Chicago: Every First Wednesday of the Month 104

17 Neil Tobin and Supernatural Chicago: Magic and Chicago Hauntings 107

18 Dennis Watkins: Reviving Houdini and Magic at the Palmer House 111

19 Fun Facts About Magic: Magical Songs 115

20 Celebrity Magicians 118

Quick Guide to Chicagoland Magic, Magicians and Magical Events 121

Bibliography 123

Index 125

About the Author 128

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