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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 2023 issue included:
– Newsreel of the 1938 British Ring Convention.
– Radio dice box.
– The Great Modern Psuedourgos Dr Lynn.
– Is it just a puzzle or an entertaining trick?
– The Oswald Williams Noah’s Ark Illusion – now also on film.
– And have you seen . . . Eddie Dawes in his own words.
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The Noah’s Ark shown in this film is the Oswald Williams illusion which the Davenport family purchased in the 1930s. The illusion has rarely been performed since that time. The performance shown here was in the Gala Show at the First Pentacle Club Magic Convention held at Churchill College, Cambridge on 29 June 1980. It was performed by Pentacle Club member John Whitmore. John was a school teacher, which was very useful because the illusion requires a large rehearsal space and he was able to make use of the school hall. The show was compered by Jack Delvin.
This is one of the Oswald Williams crazy inventions which came into the Davenport Collection via his wife Rae Warwick. The collection also contains an exercise book (illustrated) which is headed ‘Inventions and illustrated ideas for more’ in Rae Warwick’s handwriting. The book is full of some great ideas including this one. The entry makes it clear that the shirt fronts are hinged in the centre. If the front becomes dirty, all you have to do is flip over a clean one and no change of shirt is needed. It is likely that Harry Hemsley was involved in some or all of the inventions. The collection has two examples of the hinged shirt fronts. One has the initials O.W. on it and the other has a sticky label on it with the words ‘Spares for shirt front’.
This is one of the Oswald Williams crazy inventions which came into the Davenport Collection via his wife Rae Warwick. We know of no written patter for it, but John Davenport’s father believed that the shoe solved the problem of your foot remaining soaking wet once you’d got caught out in the rain. All you have to do is lift your foot up and push down on the front of the shoe. The toe cap hinges downwards and the water simply runs out. You then let go of the front and the toe cap neatly snaps back into place. The Davenport Collection also contains an exercise book (illustrated) which is headed ‘Inventions and illustrated ideas for more’ in Rae Warwick’s handwriting. The book is full of some great ideas but, unfortunately, this shoe is not explained. It is likely that Harry Hemsley was involved in some or all of the inventions.
This is one of the Oswald Williams crazy inventions which came into the Davenport Collection via his wife Rae Warwick. We know of no written patter for it, but John Davenport’s father Gus believed it was a portable ash tray. The story is that you can never find an ash tray when you need one, so you take this out of your pocket, knock the ash from your cigar or cigarette into the hole in the middle, and then fold the ash tray up again and put it in your pocket. The craziness is, of course, that the ash simply ends up on the floor. The Davenport Collection also contains an exercise book (illustrated) which is headed ‘Inventions and illustrated ideas for more’ in Rae Warwick’s handwriting. The book is full of some great ideas but, unfortunately, the ash tray is not mentioned. It is likely that Harry Hemsley was involved in some or all of the inventions.
This is an Edison Bell Radio record, Magical Problems Series. Side 89367 is No. 5, Copper and Silver. Side 89368 is No. 6, Cutting the Cards. The Davenport Collection also has an electronic file of the content.
This is an Edison Bell Radio record, Magical Problems Series. Side 89373 is No. 3, Under a Hat. Side 89374 is No. 4, The Coin and the Glass. The Davenport Collection also has an electronic file of the content.
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 March 2021 issue included:
– Gems from The Magic Circle Collection: Mr Maskelyne’s famous play by Anne Goulden.
– Gus Davenport – the man and the magician by John Davenport.
– Roy Field on Magic at the Seaside.
– Honouring Oswald Williams.
– Paul Freeman on Adalbert Frikell.
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 February 2019 issue included:
– Intermittently on the halls, a talk by Anne Goulden about Lewis Davenport.
– The first of 80 British Ring conventions, Cheltenham 1931, a talk by Roy Field.
– Noms de Theatre – stage names for magicians, a talk by Paul Freeman.
– a Gustav Fasola poster.
– Frederick Culpitt’s Doll’s House.
– Oswald Williams’ Noah’s Ark illusion.
– Production of a Ford car.
– The Friendship Clock – a gift from Punx to Lewis Davenport.
The magician shows that this magical stick can turn upside down in the air. It can also move in magical ways when being held by the magician. The routine used by Oswald Williams is not known. The stick has a purpose built case with the name Oswald Williams on it.
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.
Anne Goulden gave this talk at the IBM British Ring Convention, Bournemouth on 25 September 2014. While Wyn toured with her parents in the 1920s, she collected autographs from many magicians and variety acts. Anne Goulden brings these characters to life in a well illustrated talk.
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