The Davenport Collection
- a growing resource on magic and entertainment history

2016

Will Goldston – the man and the legend

Will Goldston – the man and the legend

This talk covers new insights into the private and business lives of Goldston. It is based on a study of the Goldston archives within the Davenport Collection as well as new research undertaken by Fergus. The story is a fascinating one, brought to life with many illustrations. The talk starts by solving the mystery of where Goldston was born.

The first of 80 British Ring conventions, Cheltenham 1931

The first of 80 British Ring conventions, Cheltenham 1931

Roy presented this talk in the History of Mystery session at the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention in Buxton, 9 September 2016. Click on this PDF to join the conventioneers of 1931, and to understand what happened and why it was so enjoyed by the participants.

Oswald Williams at the Leicester Palace in 1914

Oswald Williams at the Leicester Palace in 1914

It is very difficult to find reliable information on the salaries paid to variety acts. In this article Anne Goulden reports on Oswald Williams’ act at the Leicester Palace and compares his salary with the other acts on the bill. These are recorded in a salaries book which belongs to the British Music Hall Society Archive.

Gypsy fortune telling automaton created by Tony Middleton

Gypsy fortune telling automaton created by Tony Middleton

In 2016 a Cambridge magician and family friend, Tony Middleton, took an existing automaton of Snow White, which was part of the Davenport family collection, and converted it to this gypsy with a plasma ball. The original age of the electrically operated figure is not known, but is probably mid to late 20th century. One photograph shows Tony Middleton with the figure.

‘Chung Ling Soo’: the Chinese magician automaton created by Tony Middleton

‘Chung Ling Soo’: the Chinese magician automaton created by Tony Middleton

In 2015 the bare mechanism of this electrically operated window figure was found in a Davenport store in very bad condition. The figure turned its head from side to side and raised and lowered its arms. In 2016 a Cambridge magician and family friend, Tony Middleton, had the vision to strip it down and re-engineer the figure, to convert it into a Chinese magician performing a magic trick. With the help of John Davenport, the figure now levitates a Chinese lantern up and down in the air, passing a ring over it to show there is nothing but magic holding the lantern suspended. Tony christened the magician Chung Ling Soo from the outset. The figure has been on display in the family’s magic museum in Norfolk, England. One of the photographs here shows Roy Davenport on the left and Tony Middleton on the right.

Exhibition sized revolving optical illusion

Exhibition sized revolving optical illusion

Although the observer is simply looking at a 2D rotating image, the impression is one of looking down into the crater of a 3D rotating volcano. Cambridge magician and engineer Tony Middleton made this in 2016 for display at Davenports magic museum in North Walsham, England.

Exhibition sized revolving spiral optical illusion

Exhibition sized revolving spiral optical illusion

This is a well known illusion. Staring at the centre of the revolving spiral for 20 or 30 seconds and then looking at the back of one’s hand creates a sensation of creeping flesh. Cambridge magician and engineer Tony Middleton made this in 2016 for display at Davenports magic museum in North Walsham, England.