The American magician and family friend, Frank Lane, often visited the Davenports with his wife Francis. This film from the late 1930s was put together by Frank Lane. Frank and the Davenport family had a well-developed sense of humour, which explains some of the zany antics on the film. The footage includes George (Gilly) Davenport floating a match and Gus Davenport performing some coin magic. Frank doesn’t appear much in the clip: he was either shooting the film or, at the very start of the clip, relaxing in a deck chair being served a drink and cigars by Gus Davenport.
The people in the line-up, in order of appearance, are Wyn Davenport, Francis Lane, Gus Davenport, young Betty, George (Gilly) Davenport, young Jean and Eve Davenport.
In 1983 John Davenport had the opportunity to visit Le Grand David spectacular show in Beverly with Frank and Francis. As was their custom, the company made a huge fuss of the Lanes (see illustration), which they certainly deserved.
The Chefalos and Davenports were good friends. Indeed, when Mr. and Mrs. Chefalo were married in 1939 in Marylebone, London, one of the two witnesses was Augustus (Gus) Davenport. This film clip shows the Chefalos at Ivydene, the Davenport family home. The monkey belonged to the Chefalos: Wyn Davenport recalls that they carried it around in a sponge bag. The final line up of the clip (from left to right) is: Maddelena Chefalo, Chefalo, Betty on Wyn’s shoulders, Lewis, Wynne, Jean on Gilly (George) Davenport’s shoulders, Eve (Gilly’s wife). Presumably Gus took control of the cine camera for the line-up. He was certainly there because we see him laughing with Chefalo on the clip.
The photograph illustrated is of Chefalo with Maddelena and their daughter Triestina in 1940.
When magic visitors were invited to the Davenport family home, Ivydene in Kent, there was usually some fooling around. Filming was done outside because of the brighter light. On this film we see everyone having fun on the lawn. Bill Stickland demonstrates his doll made up of a body and Bill’s hand for its face. Bill is also pushing Wyn Davenport along in a wheelbarrow. Les Levante is fooling around with a pot on his shoulder. Gladys and Esmé Levante are there too. The children are Betty and Jean Davenport. Also appearing are Wynne, George and Gus Davenport.
When magic visitors were invited to the Davenport family home, Ivydene in Kent, there was usually some fooling around. Filming was done outside because of the brighter light. On this film we see Jim Sherman (on the left) and Brunel White (on the right) having fun on the lawn with members of the Davenport family. Jim Sherman was for many years a working magician and then magic dealer in the United States. Brunel White was a magic dealer, also known for a column about magicians which he wrote in the World’s Fair.
The garden photograph illustrated here is obviously the one from which the locket photograph was cut. The photograph was taken in the back garden at Ivydene, the Davenport family home, as can be proved by the garden gnomes in the background. We do not know who the child is, but a good guess would be June Davenport. June is Gus and Kate Davenport’s eldest child born in 1942. Czechoslovakia is stamped into the back of the locket.
This came from Ivydene, Lewis Davenport’s family home. It used to be in the drawing room next to where Lewis Davenport would sit during the day, when he was no longer able to get about because of his strokes. The table holds fond memories for John Davenport who views it as a Lewis Davenport ‘association piece’.
This perpetual calendar stood on the mantelpiece in the dining room at Ivydene, the home of Lewis and Wynne Davenport, for years. The various knobs allow three things to be changed. Once a month, the knob on the base is used to change the position of the dates in the week. The other knobs control the month which shows in the top window, as well as the red line which is moved as dates are passed.
This belonged to Wyn Davenport and was up on the wall in her bedroom at Ivydene, the family home. On the back of the head is written Regd. No: 845003. Wyn played an important role in the Davenports business and performing activities. However her input is often overlooked because of a focus on her brothers, particularly George (Gilly) and Gus.
This was a gift from Wynne Davenport to John Davenport. It was on display in the Davenport family home, Ivydene, for many years. The base is inscribed ROLAND PARIS. The lampshade fabric is not original.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
