A note from your Editor: Folks, I will be giving a short lecture on Saturday, November 8 at 1:00 p.m. at the Queens Museum, as part of The Magic of World's Fair Collecting, an afternoon event presented in conjunction with the museum's current exhibition, Behind the Curtain: Collecting the New York Fairs. My talk will have to do with materials relating to magic and the world's fairs. One of the topics I will discuss is the General Cigar Pavilion's Hall of Magic, a feature of the 1964 Fair. The attraction was developed in collaboration with magician Mark Wilson who helped create what amounted to nearly an automated magic show. Although it featured a live magician, the show was performed to Wilson's pre-recorded narration and was structured so that it would fit into a precisely timed format. Numerous conjurors and actors appeared as the magician in the piece, including James Randi and Coe Norton. Since many of the items on display relate to the Society of American Magicians, I will touch on information relating to one of the founders of the organization, Dr. Saram Ellison, who was himself an avid collector of magic-related materials. The lecture is included in the regular museum admission. Although an $8 fee is suggested, visitors may pay what they wish. For more information click here.
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