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| Enjoy the facts here, but please don't copy this information and post it on your own web site without getting our permission first. It took many hours of research to compile. If you are doing a paper or project for school, we will be happy to give you permission to use this material if you contact us first. |
| Dagmar American magician who worked the East Coast circuit in the early 1900s. Reportedly taught card sleights and gambling moves to John Scarne. Real name Charles Dagmar. |
| Daly
(?-?) European actor who played the part of Bosco for a time in the LeRoy-Talma-Bosco act. |
| Daniels,
Paul (b. 1938) Born in the north east of Yorkshire, England as Newton Edward Daniels, Paul started to read magic at the age of 11. After 19 years as an amateur and semi professional he turned full time pro at the age of 30. According to a TV records book. he became the most successful television magician of the 20th century, with regular audiences of 15 million viewers in the UK and TV program sales to 43 countries. His live shows were also successful, including a 14 month run in the West End of London. His assistant (later wife) Debbie McGee became as well known in the UK as Paul himself. A poll once showed him to be the second best known person in the UK, second only to Prince Charles. He has three sons and one of them, Martin Daniels, is carrying on the tradition. |
| Dante (1883-1955)
(birthday October 3) Real name August Harry Jansen, this Danish-born magician became one of the most successful stage magicians in America after being hired by Howard Thurston in 1922 to tour Thurston's second unit for him. Dante got his stage name from Howard Thurston, who named him after Dante the Great (Oscar Eliason). His show was very successful in the U.S. and also on several world tours. During one tour to Eastern Europe in the 1930s, Dante found that he was not allowed to take the money he had earned out of the country, so he spent his entire profits on publicity materials (posters, ornate souvenir books, etc.) which he was allowed to ship back to America. These materials, including the Dante Trunk Book, are very collectible today. Dante was also featured often on radio, and appeared in several movies, including 1942's Laurel and Hardy flick A-Haunting We Will Go and Bunco Squad. |
| Dante
the Great (1869-1899) Also known as the Mormon Magician, Oscar Eliason was a successful American magician, though his career was relatively short. At the age of 24 in 1893, he made several extensive tours of the southwest U.S., Cuba and Australia. He toured up until his untimely death in a hunting accident while on tour in Australia in 1899. See his biography by Kent Blackmore Oscar Eliason: The Original Dante the Great. See a photo of his gravesite in Dubbo, N.S.W. Australia. |
| Dante
the Great (1875-?) When Oscar Eliason was killed, his younger brother Franklin took over the stage name and the show for the next ten years until his retirement from show business in 1910. |
| Dante,
Madame (?-?) Edmunda Hammer was working in her own Georgia Magnet type act when she met and married Oscar Eliason in 1892. For several years she worked with him as his assistant, billed as "Mlle. Edmunda". On his death in 1899, she toured Australia from 1900 to 1903, before returning to the U.S. and retiring from show business. |
| Davenport,
Nella (?-?) Imitator of the Davenport Brothers, she performed their spirit act in London during the late 1800s. She was not related to the Davenports, and her real name is not known. |
| Davis,
F. Richard (1875-1933) American magician, real name Frederick Richard Davis. Successful star on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits from 1915 until his retirement in 1932. |
| DeBarr,
Jim (?-?) American magician who got his start under Compars Herrmann during the 1860s, but soon tired of performing and sold his show to Robert Nickle. |
| Decremps,
Henri (1746-1826) French attorney and amateur magician who had a famous feud with the stage magician Pinetti. He first published an expose of Pinetti's methods, which only served to make Pinetti more famous. Later, he wrote a series of books exposing the methods of con artists and card sharps. |
| Dedi
(?-?) Considered to be the earliest known named magician in history, this Egyptian conjurer's marvelous feats were related in the famous Westcar Papyrus, dating him to around 2600 B.C. Performing for such luminaries as the Pharoah Cheops, Dedi specialized in decapitation/restoration tricks, such as cutting the head off a goose and then restoring it, leaving the goose alive and well. There is no record of his trying the trick on a living person. |
| DeJen,
Jean
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits. |
| DeKolta,
Buatier (1847-1903)
(birthday November 18) French magician (born Joseph Bautier) who was not only a successful stage magician but also a prolific magic inventor. Nearly all of the tricks in his show were his own design, including the Vanishing Birdcage and the Multiplying Billiard Balls. A contemporary of Robert-Houdin, DeKolta is probably most remembered for his DeKolta Chair, or Vanishing Lady Illusion, used today by the top performing illusionists. |
| DeLage,
Al (1914-?) American magician famous for his "World's Fastest Magician" act, in which he performed a maximum number of effects pared down to their fundamentals, without a lot of verbal chatter. He appeared on the 6/10/51 broadcast of the TV program Toast of the Town, the early version of the Ed Sullivan Show. His wives (Shirley from 1935 until 1955 and later Margaret) were also his assistants. |
| DeLaMano
(?-?) Austrian-born traveling magician (real name Zell Dreitzehn) who toured Europe for four decades before performing in America. His first tour in 1876 must have been successful, as he invested a lot of money in printed posters and handbills in 1877. He suddenly disappeared, leaving his equipment, costumes and posters in a barn in Westerlo, New York, where they were discovered by Peter Monticup in the late 1980s. See his posters here. |
| Delenoff
(?-?) Professional magician who appeared on the 12/12/48 episode of the TV program Talk of the Town, the early version of the Ed Sullivan Show, with a unique black art act in which he made Ed Sullivan's head "float" as a finale. |
| DeLenz,
Walter (?-?) American Coney Island sideshow magician, considered by his "student", mentalist Eddie Fields, to be the greatest carnival magic pitchman who ever lived. |
| DeLinsky, Mme. (?-?) European born assistant to Opré in early 19th Century Belgium. |
| DeLille, Adrien (?-?) Stage name of Adrean Goujon. Patriarch of a family of perfoming French magicians (mid to late 1800s), including son Victor de Lille (Monsieur Adrian), grandson Adrien and granddaughter Louise. |
| DeLion,
Clement (1875-1965) Credited with being the first professional magician to make a name performing an ungimmicked version of the Multiplying Billiard Balls. He was married to the magician/ventriloquist Anonyma. |
| DeMuth,
Frederick (1885-1961) American amateur magician, inventor of the locking device for the Penetration Frame. As an engineer at the Corning Glass Works, his skill with glass fabrication allowed him to invent a number of glass-related effects, including his versions of Milk Bottle, Utility Glass, Milk Tumbler and Mirror Glass. |
| DeRovere,
Jules (unknown) French magician who coined the phrase "prestidigitation" in 1815. |
| Detric,
Charles
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits. |
| Devant,
David (1868-1941) British magician (born David Wighton) and respected author. Began his career in 1885, becoming so well known that he was asked to join the Maskelyne and Cooke show, performing at the Egyptian Hall. In 1905, he became partners with John Nevil Maskelyne and with him, opened the famous St. George's Hall. Eventually debilitated by Parkinson's Disease, he was unable to perform onstage after 1920, but continued to write and teach magic. He invented a number of wonderful illusions, including the Artist's Dream, in which a painting comes to life. In the tradition of magic, he passed the mantle of magic to a successor on his retirement, choosing magician Claude Chandler. |
| DeVilliers
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits. |
| Diaconis,
Dr. Persi (b. 1945) Magician and professor of mathematics, he began as a protegé of Dai Vernon. A prodigy, he gained a reputation for his excellence with cards. He also devised the Linking Finger Rings effect, which was produced by Richard Himber. |
| Dietric,
Charles (1886-1967) American magician, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whose show was billed as "Dietric and Company". The show included both musical and magical entertainment. |
| Dingle,
Derek (1937-2004) English magician and legendary card expert who began his career in Canada, learning from Eddie Fechter and Ross Bertram. By the late 1960's, he was an important part of the New York City magic world. Though he taught other up and coming magicians the secrets of his incredible card effects, many of the moves were very difficult for others to duplicate. He was an absolute delight to watch, however, as he looked charmingly like Dudley Moore as "Arthur" performing card tricks. |
| Doebler,
Ludwig (1801-1864) Austrian magician whose most famous tricks were the lighting of 200 candles on the stage with one shot of a pistol, and the "Flora's Flower Bouquet Production", in which he produced a seemingly endless number of flowers out of an empty felt hat. The candle trick was actually performed using electricity, a rarely seen and mysterious commodity when he began performing this trick in 1840. He retired from magic in 1848. |
| Dornfield,
Werner "Dorny" (1892-1982) American-born magician and author of books on magic patter. Sixth Dean of the Society of American Magicians, from 1974 to 1982. |
| Downs,
T. Nelson (1867-1938) (birthday
March 16) American magician known as the "King of Koins". Real name Thomas Nelson Downs. His skill with sleight of hand was legendary; he invented numerous moves including the Downs Palm, the Click Pass, the Back and Front Palm, the Edge Pass and the Eureka Pass. He is also credited with creating the Dime and Penny Trick and the Coin Star. His two classic books on coin magic were in reality written by other authors (Modern Coin Manipulation by W.J. Hilliar and The Art of Magic by J. N. Hilliard). Visit T. Nelson Down's grave. |
| Dreilinger,
Samuel L. (?-1979) American magic collector. First president of the Magic Collector's Association (1950-51), his large book collection was purchased by John McManus, whose extensive collection can be seen at the Library of Congress. |
| Ducrot,
Frank (1872-1939) (birthday May 7) American magician, born Theodore Francis Fritz. Was a star performer in the Chatauqua and Lyceum circuits as well as vaudeville before purchasing the Martinka Magic Company in 1921. Very creative, he had already invented the 20th Century Silks (in 1900) Cigarette Dropper (in 1902) and Blendo (in 1909), so was well suited to become an important magic dealer and manufacturer. He continued to purchase other magic shops, including Sam Bailey, Clyde Powers and C. Milton Chase, combining them all under the Hornmann Magic Company name. (Hornmann Magic Co. was sold to Al Flosso in 1939). He also edited the famous Mahatma magazine from 1901 to 1906, and held Membership #15 in the Society of American Magicians. |
| Duffy,
John
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits. |
| Dulay,
Benson (?-?) Inventor of the Multum in Parvo effect, in which a large glass of milk is poured into a small glass, without overflowing. |
| Dunn,
Ricki (1929-1999) Well-known for his Las Vegas pickpocketing act, he appeared numerous times on television. Wrote a book about the electric chair gaff as used by magicians. Visit Ricki Dunn's grave (Lakeside Cemetery in Colon, Michigan). |
| Dunninger,
Joseph (1892-1975) (birthday April 18) American magician and legendary mentalist. Started his professional career in 1908, concentrating on mindreading by 1920. He quickly became an international radio star, a position he enjoyed through his successful move to television in the mid-1950s. A real showman, he did more to promote the art of mentalism than any other performer besides Alexander. He retired in 1975 due to Parkinson's Disease. |
| Durno,
J. H. (?-?) American magician from Rockford, Illinois who was a major star on the Lyceum circuit during the late 1800s and first part of the 1900s. Sometimes partnered with a musician/magician named Emmett in a double bill of magic and music. |
| Duval,
Ade
(1898-1965) (birthday December 31) American magician, real name Adolph Amrein, who worked with Andrew Blaeser as part of the moderately successful "Duval Brothers" on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits in the early 1920s. When his partner retired in 1924, he became a star of vaudeville with his own act, featuring his signature "Rhapsody In Silk" routine and co-starring his wife, True. Retired in 1955 when True became ill. |
| Duval,
True
(?-1956) American female musician (real name Gertrude Erickson) with an all-girl band, performing on the Lyceum circuit when she met and married Ade Duval. Became part of his famous "Rhapsody In Silk" act. |
| Enjoy the facts here, but please don't copy this information and post it on your own web site without getting our permission first. It took many hours of research to compile. If you are doing a paper or project for school, we will be happy to give you permission to use this material if you contact us first. |
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