- Lived
- 1914–1979
- Real Name
- Ellen E. Armstrong
- Birthday
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- United States
- Buried
- Unknown
ABOUT ELLEN ARMSTRONG
Ellen Armstrong was a Black female magician and the daughter of Prof. John Hartford Armstrong. She got her start at the age of six as an assistant in her father's show.
As a young child, she showed great skill as a "psychic" performer and even had her own mindreading segment in the show. By her teens, she was also performing a routine known as "Chalk Talk," in which she told stories by drawing characters on a chalkboard. With the addition of a few strokes of chalk, each picture would completely change into a new character, adding to the story.
When her father died suddenly in 1939, Ellen took over his show, becoming the first Black female magician touring with her own show. For 31 years, she continued to perform the Armstrong show up and down the East Coast, mainly at Black churches and schools.
Her tricks were common magic fare, but some had a cultural twist. For example, when she magically produced a photograph in the Sand Frame illusion, the photograph was of boxer Joe Louis, the Black sports hero.
Her cartooning skills became increasingly popular and eventually became the major part of the show. She spent her final years in retirement in South Carolina.
