Oaks, John H.
(1889-1918) American magician and
owner of Oaks Magical Company of Oshkosh, WI in the early 1900s. |
O'Brien, R.J. "Obie"
(b.1932) Canadian magician,
magic inventor, author and co-founder of the FFFF (Forks Finger
Flinging Frolic), the closeup magic get-together held annually for
many years at the Forks Hotel in Buffalo, NY. |
O'Connor, Billy
(1895-1974) Stage name of Eugene
Devot, Irish comedy stage magician specializing in cards. |
O'Day, Buddy
(1915-1996) U.S. vaudeville
magician from the early 1930s to the early 1970s. Real name William
Franklin Tackett. |
O'Dell, Dell
(1902-1962) One of the most
successful female magicians of the 20th Century. American born, real
name Nell Newton. Learned magic from her father, a carnival magician.
Specialized in snappy and cute rhyming patter, and lots of promotional
material. Husband Charles Carrer, a famous juggler, managed her show
and constructed her trademark clever and special props. Her local
television show (California) in the early 1950's was one of the first
regularly broadcast magic programs. |
Odin, Claudius
(1869-1929) Brilliant French
closeup magician, inventor and author whose early career was marked
with awards and recognition, but who was a recluse for the last 20
years of his life, dying in poverty and obscurity. |
Odips
(?-1983) French comedy magician
and marionette artist. Worked with wife Betty Berkel. Real name Pierre
Saint-Denis. |
Odress
(1867-1911) French magician who
found success touring Asia and North Africa. Real name Joseph Charles
Mathieu Juppier. |
Odronoff
(1889-1975) Argentinian magician
and mentalist whose greatest success came with a second sight act with
wife and assistant Lizz, performed in the 1920s. Real name Juan Manuel
Zolezzi. |
Oehler, Andrew
(1781-?) German-born but
American national magician who toured extensively through Central
America and the new American Indian territories in the late 1700s. His
specialty was the ghost show, apparently so realistic that he was
jailed several times in Mexico by the superstitious authorities. He
wrote the first known autobiography of an American magician, The
Life, Adventures and Unparalleled Sufferings of Andrew Oehler, in
1811 when he retired to Trenton, New Jersey. |
Oeser, Amanda
(1854-1932) Austrian female
magician promoted by magic dealer Conradi-Horster and magic theater owner Kratky-Baschik. She performed between 1874 and
1909 using her own real name or the stage name "Amida". |
Okati
(1892-1950) French magician and
director of the Paris Cabinet Fantastique from 1933 until an illness
forced retirement in 1947. Real name Etienne-Louis Pitou. Also known
as "Professor Okati". |
Oki, George
(1918-1982) German magician, used
magic dealer, author- and Burmeister of his town of Rostock. |
Okinu
(1895-?) Japanese female
magician, wife and stage partner to Tenkai.
Incredibly talented sleight of hand with coins, watches and small
objects. Teacher of Taki, another Japanese female magician. Retired in
1972, when Tenkai died. Real name- Iwa Kato. |
| Okita
(1852-1916) Female
magician, (real name Julia Ferret), wife and stage partner to Charles De Vere.
Performed as a Japanese character. Daughter Clementine De Vere. |
Okito
See Theo Bamberg |
Oklama
(1917-?) Czechoslovakian
cigarette manipulator. Real name Jaroslav Zdarsky. |
Obrini, Carlo
(?-?) Italian illusionist who
toured Europe in the first decade of the 20th Century. |
Oldridge, Sidney
(1862-1940) English stage magician
who began his career assisting James
Matthews. Toured on his own and with the David
Devant show as well. |
Olgo
(1901-1979) Hungarian magician,
known as Professor Olgo, who made his reputation with an amazing
memory and rapid calculation act. |
Oliveira, Joaquim Gonçalves d'
(1854-1928) Dean of Portuguese
stage magicians. Touring professional magician in the late 19th- early
20th Century. Author of numerous magic books. |
Olivier
(1771-1839) French stage magician,
specializing in manipulation and sleight of hand. Credited with being
the first stage magician to perform showing his arms bare. |
Olivier
(?-?) Son of the stage
magician/manipulator Olivier, this Olivier focused on magic and
ventriloquism as his specialty. |
Olms, John
(1880-1955) German magician who
frequently played U.S. vaudeville stages. His real name was
Richard Lischke, though he also performed as "Bosco-Olms".
Billed with his niece and assistant Peggy
Lauder as "Johnnie & Nellie Olms". |
Olson, Robert
(b.1938) American magician who
recreates the performances of historical magicians such as Richard
Potter. |
Olson, Rev. Robert
(b.1927) American magician,
collector and prolific author and illustrator. As a performer,
specialized in gospel magic. Noted for his biographies of Howard
Thurston, Carl Rosini and Edmund
Spreer. |
Olten, Jac
(1913-?) French-born stage
magician, manipulator and professional gambler. At the start of WWII,
he was interred as a Jew in the infamous Stalag 13 German POW camp.
His release was secured in 1940 by German magician Kalanag,
who also provided him with equipment and bookings. He ended his career
working for an American hotel chain in the 1960's. |
Opel, John Henry "Harry"
(1883-1955) Early 20th Century
magician and juggler. Editor and publisher of two magic publications, The
Voice From the Attic (1929-1952) and Fax (1939). The unique
thing about these publications was that each issue was a handwritten
copy sent to a small circle of magic enthusiasts. |
Opré
(?-1846) Holland-born magician
who built illusions and automata for Pinetti, deGrisy and the Bambergs. |
Orben, Robert
(b.1927) American magician and
professional comedy writer. Prolific
author of books on patter for magicians. Speech writer for President
Nixon and President Ford. |
Ormonde
(1841-1902) English magician who
toured Europe, Australia and India, then later became an assistant to Signor
Blitz (the son). Real name Andrew Omond. |
Ornson
(1873-?) American magician,
juggler (one half of the "Ornson Brothers" with John Zimmer)
and spiritualist. |
Orrin, James F.
(1897-1976) British magician, magic
inventor and author. |
Ortiz, Darwin
(b.1948) American magician
specializing in card handling and gambling sleights. Expert on card
cheats and scams. Respected lecturer and instructor. |
Osborn, Norm
(1928-?) American magician and
onetime magic manufacturer (O'Lantern Magic) making glass items for Sam
Berland. |
Osborne, Paul
(b.1948) American magician and
illusion designer from the age of eight. Inventor of scores of
illusions, especially designed for amusement park stages. Owner of
Illusion Systems in Dallas, Texas. |
Osborne, Tom
(1901-1963) American closeup
magician who authored a number of books as well as penned columns for Jinx
and The Phoenix. |
Ose, Jay
(?-1967) American magician
specializing in closeup work. Was the first Resident Magician at the
Magic Castle in 1963. |
Osey, N
Pen name used by Harry
Houdini when he acted as Overseas Correspondent for the magazine Mahatma.
N. Osey = Nosey. Get it? |
O'Shan
(1926-?) French magician and
mentalist. Real name Yves Chanot. Partnered
with wife "Naga" (real name Huguette) to perform a
two-person mentalism act. |
Osmann, Alexander
(?-?) African magician who toured England and Europe in the 1870s, then became an
assistant to Alexander Hermann. |
Otto, Adolph
(?-?) German magic prop
maker. |
Otto, Harry
(1881-?) American comedy
magician who actually got his start by running off to join the circus
at age 13. Had a long career, retiring in the 1950s. |
Ouellet, Gary
(1945-2002) Canadian magician and
producer of a number of successful television magic specials,
including The World's Greatest Magic series. He also served as
instructions translator for the Tenyo Magic Company of Japan. |
Oursler, Charles Fulton
(1893-1952) American magician and
well-known mainstream writer. Performed as "Samri Frickell",
"Anthony Abbot" and "Sandalwood the Magician".
Onetime editor of Liberty magazine (from 1931 to 1942) and Reader's
Digest (1944). His 1949 novel, The Greatest Story Ever Told,
was a bestseller. |
Overing, Merton
(?-?) American magician performing on the Lyceum
and Chautauqua circuits who included in his act an odd art form he
called "fabric painting" in which he speedily took scraps of
cloth and applied them to a board, quickly creating an artwork which
apparently closely resembled an oil painting. See
one of his publicity pamphlets in entirety here. |
Ovette, Joseph
(1885-1946)(birthday January 20) Italian-born stage magician who gained fame as
vaudeville's "The Great Ovette" (real name Giuseppi Olivio). In later years, he performed in Oriental costume as
"Lung
Tchang Yuen", staying in character even after performances, in the style of Chung Ling Soo.
Author of Tricks and Illusionettes (1935). During his lifetime,
he put together an impressive collection of important magic books,
which was sold to Lloyd E. Jones. |
Owen, Carl
(1889-1975)(birthday
August 22) American magic
manufacturer and inventor. Started work as an illusion builder with Floyd
Thayer, then co-founded his own Owen Brothers Magic Company with
brother H. Emmett in 1933. Sold to Les
Smith in 1963, the magic company, now Owen Magic Supreme in
California, continues to produce the highest quality props and
equipment for professional magicians. Credited with inventing Dr.
Q Slates. |
Owen, Henry Emmett
(1891-1955) Younger brother of
Carl Owen, and co-founder of Owen Magic Company. Also began his
illusion building career in 1919 at Floyd Thayer's company. |
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