A quantity of these coins was presumably purchased by the Davenport family following the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. They would not have been expensive following the Coronation. These large, showy coins could easily be converted into an effective vanishing coin trick which was included in many of the Maskelyne’s Mysteries magic sets which were produced and sold wholesale. Also shown here is a photograph of one such set which shows the coin inside.
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.
Click on Details if you would like to download a PDF of this e-news.
E-newsletters like this one are sent out four times a year, highlighting recent additions to the website. If you’d like to be added to the mailing list, please contact the curator.
The December 2022 issue included:
– Update on the Davenport Film Collection, including the 1936 Munich convention and Cardini.
– Update on the Davenport Collection Instagram site.
– The Demon Cannon Detector.
– The “Red Hot” Ball.
– The Season’s Greetings from David Devant: a card collection.
– David Devant and the early days of cinema.
– Lewis Davenport’s early performing days.
– The Demon Rod and Beads
To see all the other e-news, click on Website e-news.
The Cardinis, with their pekingese Me Too, visited the Davenport family home on the same day as a visit by magician Bill McCaa. The time was the late 1930s, when Betty and Jean Davenport were young children; Jean being three years younger than Betty. In the line-up at the start of the clip we see Lewis Davenport, Cardini, Bill McCaa, Cardini’s wife Swan, Gladys (who at some point married Bill McCaa), Lewis’s wife Wynne, Wyn Davenport and young Jean Davenport. Immediately after the line-up we see Eve Davenport showing Me Too to Jean. At the end of the clip, Gus Davenport and Bill McCaa walk towards the cine camera.
Luckily, the Davenport family is not prone to throwing things away. This allows John Davenport to share something of their attendance at the 19-21 September 1936 Munich Convention. Lewis, Wynne and Gus Davenport travelled to Munich for their first German Magic Circle Convention (Magischer Zirkel Deutschland). It was a good opportunity to meet many continental magic dealers and magicians. John Davenport’s article reproduces letters, photographs and other ephemera from the occasion. In addition to downloading a PDF of the article, you might also wish to view the film taken by the family, which may be found here.
Chris Charlton was a bill topping magician on the variety stage. In this clip from the 1930s you can see him performing tricks with pebbles. When the group pop up from behind the wall, from left to right we have young Jean Davenport, Eve, Wyn, Lewis, Betty Charlton (daughter), Chris Charlton, Dorothy (wife), Wynne and an unidentified lady said to be a friend of the Charltons. Later in the clip we also see young Betty and Gus Davenport.
This late 1930s visit to London Zoo allows us to see Cardini in relaxed mode, as well as allowing us to appreciate how much zoos have changed over the years. Rides on elephants or in llama carts were very popular as was the recently opened penguin pool. The pool, designed in modernist style by Berthold Lubetkin and completed in 1934, became a well-known feature at the zoo.
Walking along with the llama cart is Eve Davenport, Gilly’s wife, with young Betty and Jean Davenport having a ride in the back of the cart.
The Davenports and Bartls were great friends. Elly’s father was János Bartl, from whom Lewis had been buying magic for years. Elly married Egon von Lautenstein who was a popular magician in Germany. If you are waiting for a train, what better way to spend the time than to walk along the platform and show each other tricks? The featured image shows Egon, Elly and Gus Davenport. The second image, which is a still photograph, shows Elly, Wynne Davenport, Egon and Lewis Davenport. Clearly Lewis and Gus took turns to capture the moment.
The 1936 German Magic Circle (Magischer Zirkel Deutschland) convention was the first one in Germany attended by the Davenports: Lewis, Wynne and Gus. It was a good opportunity to meet many continental magic dealers and magicians. This film, shot by the family, shows some of the attendees at the convention as well as shots of the Wittelsbach fountain in Lenbachplatz in Munich. We don’t recognize everyone but, as well as Lewis and Gus Davenport, there are good shots of Mayette, Venot, Dr Dhotel, Schreiber and Mr and Mrs Conradi-Horster. Conradi-Horster was a good friend and well known magician and dealer who supplied Davenports business with magic apparatus. A Conradi-Horster catalogue may be found here. The featured illustration shows Conradi-Horster on the left talking with Lewis Davenport.
Click on Details if you would like to download a PDF of this e-news.
E-newsletters like this one are sent out four times a year, highlighting recent additions to the website. If you’d like to be added to the mailing list, please contact the curator.
The September 2022 issue included:
– three seldom seen tricks.
– a little known Davenport shop.
– two jokes for your drinking and card playing friends.
– Jimmy’s Magic Pencil.
– magicians and their families
– noise-making novelties.
To see all the other e-news, click on Website e-news.
The Italian magician Chefalo and his family were great friends with the Davenports. On a visit to the family home, Ivydene, in 1948 George (Gilly) Davenport took some informal photographs showing everyone relaxing and having fun in the back garden. Click on View Details and then download the PDF file to join them.
The wedding took place at St Michael-at-Bowes, Bowes Park, London. Eve was a buyer for Gamages, a large London based department store. The illustrations included here show the main wedding group with their identification.