Catalogues & Advertising Leaflets

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The June 2022 issue included:
– more on David Devant’s early career.
– Uri Geller and mind power.
– Sakkaku Scale by Tenyo – a magical optical illusion.
– create wooden Japanese furniture by taking a block of wood to pieces. It’s a puzzle putting it together again.
– the link between World War II gas masks and Davenports conjurers’ wax.
– the Old and the New Magic: a look at Davenports 1956 catalogue.

To see all the other e-news, click on Website e-news.

This was Davenports second major post WW2 catalogue, issued from their 25 New Oxford Street address. It continued to be used following their move to 51 Great Russell Street. It was mentioned in Abracadabra, 8 October 1960 under ‘What’s New’, as illustrated here.

This was Davenports first major post WW2 catalogue, issued from their 25 New Oxford Street address. It was advertised in Abracadabra, 29 September 1956. The same issue of Abra contains an amusing news item about the catalogue by ‘F.’ (Fabian), which is well worth a read. It is illustrated here with the Davenports advertisement.

These four pink pages offer ‘A Selection of the World’s Best Jokes, Tricks, Puzzles, Magic, Novelties (made in England)’. No item costs more than six old pence (6d). I am grateful to Philip Treece for explaining in 2021 that the use of E. & S. allowed retailers like Woolworths to purchase from Ellisdons without fear that customers would be directed to purchase directly from Ellisdons. The fascinating story as to how this list of items came about will be told in a forthcoming book by Philip Treece about the Ellisdon family and business.

The catalogue also contains a few pages of novelties, puzzles and jokes. A sticker has been pasted onto the front cover pointing out that prices cannot be guaranteed owing to the War. The catalogue has been dated on this basis. The back cover is also illustrated because it gives their various addresses in London at the time, as well as noting their presence in Paris and Nuremberg.

This catalogue from Davenports was devoted to silk tricks. It was unusual in that some of the inside pages were in colour. Based on clues from the contents of the catalogue, the likely date is 1935. The Gussie the Duck silk was named after Gus Davenport. Also illustrated in the catalogue is Gilly the Hound (named after Gilly Davenport) and Wally the Wolf (named after Wally Davenport).

This pre-1910 De Vere catalogue carries an ink stamp for Horace Hurm & Prévost, who took over the business in c1910. According to Jacques Voignier in the Voignier and Albo book ‘Magic of France’, Hurm & Prévost took over De Vere’s business around 1910. This explains the presence of the ink stamp on the cover and title page, as can be seen in the images. A typical page is also illustrated.

The Demon Sand Trick is advertised on the front cover in colour. The catalogue has 20 pages. The business address, and the fact that the telephone number is Holborn 9012, allow us to date the catalogue between 1927 and 1937. The style of the catalogue suggests the 1930s. Also shown is the inside page which advertises the trick on the cover.

This catalogue has an interesting double-sided insert. One side of the insert consists of purchasing instructions, including the fact that postage in Germany will be raised from 1 October 1922. The other side is a price list in American Dollars and Pounds Sterling.

The cover shows David Devant in the costume worn by him at the Royal Command Performance at The Palace Theatre, 1 July 1912. The catalogue covers magic and its allied arts, juggling, puzzles, novelties and jokes. This catalogue also contains an order form which is a sheet of paper, folded into 4 pages, all of which are printed.

60 pages crammed full with jokes, novelties, puzzles, magic and gifts. At one time Ellisdons had a large retail shop in Holborn, London. By 1969 they had become fully mail order, operating from Bedford in England.

16 pages crammed full with jokes, novelties, puzzles and magic. According to the cover this illustrated catalogue features jokers’ novelties, magic, puzzles, table decorations and favors, and funny banquet novelties. Manufactured by S.S. Adams Company, Asbury Park, New Jersey.