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Magicians' Biographies - Letter T

Read about the magician who could cure snoring,
the beer drinking magicians,
the magician who told stories with his hat, and more!
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Thorn Dreamland Poster
 
Tabarin
(1584-1633) French comic magician (born Jean Salomon) who was probably the originator of Chapeaugraphy, the act in which the performer creates a number of different characters by simply changing the shape of his hat while telling a story or reciting a comedy monologue. Today, the routine is sometimes called The Tabarin Hat.
 
Taber
(?-?) American magician on the Redpath Chautauqua circuit around 1915. Along with performing the usual prop productions, manipulations and escapes, a big part of his show was his excellent full costume impersonation of Alexander Herrmann. Promoted as "The Miracle Man" and "The Finger Flinger". Also performed Spirit Writing and Spirit Cabinet as part of his show, as well as the Bullet Catch.
 
Taki
(b. 1940) Japanese female magician, born Mariko Taki, specializing in manipulations and taught by Tenkai and his wife Okinu. First wife and stage partner of Johnny Aladdin.
 
Talma
(1868-1944) British-born magician, part of the famous LeRoy-Talma-Bosco act. One of the greatest and most famous female magicians in history. Born Mary Ford, took the professional name of Mercedes Talma, but soon became known simply as Talma, the Queen of Coins. Though she had very small hands, she was one of the greatest coin manipulators ever. Married Servais LeRoy in 1890 after becoming his stage assistant. Moved to the US in retirement in 1930.
 
Tannen, Irv
(?-?) American magician, brother of Louis Tannen. Owner of Tannen's Magic Shop in NYC from 1968-1978.
 
Tannen, Louis
(1909-1982)(birthday February 14) American magician, founder of Tannen's Magic Shop in NYC. Started as assistant to Jon "One Arm" McDonald. His first magic shop was the Nat Louis Fun Shop in Brooklyn, opened in 1920. Opened Tannen's Magic Shop in NYC in 1938, which is still in business. Reprinted the important Tarbell Course In Magic, which is still available today.
 
Tarbell, Harlan
(1890-1960)(birthday February 23) (1890-1960) American stage magician most famous as the author and illustrator of the well-known Tarbell Course in Magic, originally started in 1928 as a 60-lesson correspondence course. It is still considered to be the most important magic instruction course available today. Tarbell also had a strong second career as a stage magician, specializing in mentalism effects, during the 1930s. Billed as "The World Famous Mystery Scientist", he featured his Eyeless Vision act. He is also credited with creating the ideas for over 200 magic tricks.
 
Taylor, Herbert A.
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits.
 
Tenkai
(1889-1972)(birthday December 1) To be added
 
Thayer, Floyd
(1877- 1959)(birthday July 18) To be added
 
Thorn, Chevalier Ernest
(1853-1928) (birthday September 23) Polish magician famous for his "Hour in Dreamland" show.
 
Thorn, Heinrich
(1857-1928) Polish magician, younger brother of Chevalier Ernest Thorn. The first part of his career was spent touring with his brother throughout the world from 1872 until 1885. Heinrich was sometimes billed as "Chevalier Darvin" and other times "Darvin". As a team, they were "Thorn and Darvin, the Royal Illusionists". When Ernest wanted to continue the world tour in 1885, Heinrich chose to remain in the United States. In 1923, he retired to Leipzig, where he died shortly after his brotehr in 1928.
 
Thorpe Brothers
(?-?) The Thorpe Brothers were imitators of the Davenport Brothers, duplicating their "spirit medium" routine, but with a twist- to prove that their hands were not producing the spirit phenomena, they held mugs of beer in their hands during the performance.
 
Thurston, Howard
(1869-1936)(birthday July 20) American born magician who became one of the most famous 20th century magicians. Thurston's biggest break was being chosen as "successor" to Harry Kellar, Dean of American Magicians. Thurston weathered the changing tastes and economic conditions of the 1920's into his retirement in the mid-1930's. His commitment to the finest advertising pieces has left a legacy of amazing high-quality posters chronicling his entire career, as well as custom-minted coins, clever dream interpretation books and advertising tie-ins. Thurston also used scaling cards, custom printed playing cards with publicity photos and advertising; he would "scale", or throw, the cards with impressive skill to specific members of the audience, even some in the balcony or at the back of the theater, Of course, these cards would be kept as souvenirs, and some still exist today. Thurston also was a compulsive investor, pouring his money into such schemes as a patent for a miniature racetrack, a patent for a lifesaving device, and a patent for a nostril extender (an anti-snoring device). The investments cost him dearly. He also held a patent on his Asrah illusion, as well as one for a Floating Accordion and a Spirit Cabinet. Together, Thurston and Dante patented a Four Person Vanish Cabinet.
 
Tobin, T. W
(?-?) Partner of Prof. Pepper. Real name Thomas William Tobin. Invented Sphinx illusion and Palengenesia in 1872.
 
Tomahontas, Princess
1940's female nightclub mentalist who performed as an American Indian
Read the biography of Princess Tomahontas!
 
Totten, James
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits.
 
Trewey, Félicien
(1848-1920) (birthday May 23) French magician and shadow artist. Real name Félicien François Trewey. Most popular during the last quarter of the 19th century, Trewey's show was a fast-paced and comical combination of magic, juggling, shadowography and chapeaugraphy (telling a story while folding a circle of felt into different shapes and wearing the creations to represent the different characters in the story). These were the skills he learned working as a young apprentice in a circus troupe. He wrote several books on shadowgraphy and chapeaugraphy, and his act, called "Twenty Five Heads Under One Hat", was even filmed by his friends at the famous Cinématographe-Lumière company in 1896 for a film called Chapeaux a transformation. Fascinated by cinematography, Trewey received exclusive rights to exhibit the films of Cinématographe-Lumière in Great Britain for several years, becoming the first person to show motion pictures to a British audience.
 
Troke, J. Allen
(?-?) American magician on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits.
 
Trunk, Hans
(1887-1966)(birthday November 10) Austrian magician and magic inventor. He started early, and baffled his friends at school at nine years of age. At that time he saw a magician in the Vienna Prater, an amusement park, and he was "on fire" with magic. In 1905 he gave his first public performance and became a member of the Vienna Magic Club, founded 1908 by Ludwig Brunner (and then-president Ottokar Fischer). In 1931 he founded the "Magische Runde". In the second world war the magic clubs in Vienna were taken over by the Magic Circle of Germany. In 1946 Hans Trunk revived the Magische Klub Wien and was its president until 1956. Hans Trunk invented several magic tricks. Most well known was the Blue Phantom among others. Books "Das Trunk Buch", "...und heute wird gezaubert", "Super Premonition", and "Meine magischen Memoiren". (Biography provided by Magic Christian of Vienna)
 
Turner, Henry Barton
British magician and escape artist who performed as "Leo Houdeen" and "The Great Deville"
Read the biography of Henry Barton Turner- see images!
 
 
 

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