SVA Archives

Poster for German magician Kalanag (Helmut Schreiber), whose reputation was tainted by connections to the Nazi regime.

August 28, 2013

You can do magic

While visiting family in Michigan last week, I found myself at the American Museum of Magic, thanks to the prodding of my kids. Marshall, Michigan is probably best-known for this curious piece of architecture, but it is also home to a wonderful collection of magic paraphernalia and posters collected by Robert Lund. I was captivated by the posters, which are remarkably stylistically diverse.

Poster for the Magic Circle Festival at the Scala Theatre, London, 1959.

As far as I can gather, little is known about Italian illusionist Roody, who worked in the 1920s and 30s, but his posters are surpassingly elegant.

André Kole, magician, illusion inventor, and public speaker for Campus Crusade for Christ International, went all-in for psychedelia.

When I think of magic posters, this is what comes to mind: a bearded man sporting a ruffled tuxedo shirt and a penetrating gaze.

Posters for “Impossibilist” and self-hypnosis master Peter Reveen, 1970s.

Danny Korem’s poster has a distinct early Push Pin flavor to it. Korem is also an investigative journalist and developer of the Random Actor behavioral profile.

Speaking of Push Pin, of course I spotted works by founder Seymour Chwast and former member Isadore Seltzer.

Seymour Chwast’s poster for Doug Henning.

Isadore Seltzer’s poster for a demonstration of “the world’s first and only three-level memory Microwave Wizard” at the St. Regis Hotel in New York, 1976.