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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts 
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I'm looking for the Devlin who is listed by Harold Rice as the inventor of the last effect in Volume 1 of his "Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic". The effect Devlin invented is simply called "Silk Mystery," and I worked out a variation on it many years ago which I recently found in my notes. Now I want to write up my variation for The Wizards' Journal and I want to give proper credit to Devlin, but Google fails me. There are many modern magicians named Devlin, but this cannot be any of them. Rice mentions a credit to the magazine "Abracadabra" but does not give the issue number or date.
If anyone can fill in information on who this Devlin was, I would appreciate it.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
hugmagic Inner circle 7665 Posts
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I believe this may be Jack Devlin. He was also a contributor to the Dove Encyclopedias. You might want to check through the Magic circle.
Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts
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There are many magicians whose surname is Devlin, but only a few who use as a stage name the single word "Devlin." The Jack Devlin that Richard mentions always goes by the name "Jack Devlin" and usually mentions "of The Magic Circle" as a credit by way of identifying himself from the other Devlins of the world. The "Devlin" for which I am searching is probably much older, and used only the one word "Devlin" as his name (much like mentalist "Kennedy" does).
Mark Damon has discovered a Devlin who has a published article in Abracadabra from the year 1946 (which puts him in the right time period to be included in Rice's Volume 1 - copyright 1948). Unfortunately the trick published is not the Silk Mystery shown in Rice, but I feel Mark is on the right track. I found an American in the Magician's Guild of America, Meyer Silberstein, whose stage name was "Devlin," but he seems to have been a local performer, and not noted nor remembered in his obituary as an author or inventor. He died in 1969. So the search continues....
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Damon Regular user 108 Posts
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Spellbinder,
I just found the write-up in Abracadabra (Vol-2 No-51 - Jan 18, 1947) for Devlin’s “Silk Mystery”. I will e-mail you a copy shortly. I can find nothing else other than a number of other trick contributions that would shed any light on who “this” Devlin actually was. Maybe one of our friends from across the pond could help us out with this one. Regards, Mark |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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Quote:
On 2007-12-08 23:30, Spellbinder wrote: The Jack Devlin of the Magic Circle is actually Jack Delvin. There is no Jack Devlin in the Magic Circle. I just checked the membership rolls.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts
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Thanks for the correction, Mr. Palmer. I was obviously led astray by this Video tape title on e-bay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Children-are-Magic-J......ViewItem and this article in The Magic Times: http://www.magictimes.com/archives/2001/2001-01_29-04.htm and this article on the Bradford Magic Circle's web site: http://bradfordmagiccircle.co.uk/bmc-magazine-233.html Mark: Thanks for finding the original article upon which the Rice Encyclopedia entry is based. I noticed that Rice made a few changes and missed a few of Devlin's subtleties, which I will be sure to mention in my article. I have sent off a letter to Goodliffe Publications to get permission to reprint the article in its original form, and have asked them if they have any additional biographical information about Devlin, the author of "Devlin's Silk Mystery."
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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If you look at the title on the cover of the videotape, it says Delvin.
Ebay listers are sometimes notoriously horrible spellers. I saw a set of "Coppar" cups for sale recently. I've also seen books about Hofzinger. I know that Jack has basically given up on people spelling his name correctly.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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As a followup on this, Jack Devlin and Jack Delvin both appear in many back issues of Abra. If you would contact Abra, Donald might be able to give you some information on both of them.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts
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I have sent a letter to Goodliffe Publications and am awaiting a response from them.
In the meantime, Tony James has contacted Donald Bevan, former and long time editor of Abra and has gotten some information that suggests that the name Devlin was a "nom de plume" rather than a stage name. It might have been used to conceal the identity of an early staff writer for Abra, possibly Dan Keen. It was also suggested that the actual effect (silks on spider legs)called "Silk Mystery" might have been the invention of David Budd, of "David Budd and Rita" fame in the UK. So for now, I am researching those two gentlemen rather than the list of Devlins, Delvins and Devolyns beginning to pile up, and am awaiting a response from the current editor of Abra who may be able to shed more light on the subject... or not.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts
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I received a reply from Walt Lees, editor of Abracadabra. After giving me permission to republish the Devlin Silk Mystery from 1947, he suggested that around the time period of the effect there was a well-known magician called Ralph Delvin. Then he adds that he doesn't think that the trick came from from him, and that he would see if there are others around who might remember who Devlin was.
I notice that the original effect's illustration was signed by someone named Dennis, so that is one more lead to look into.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Posted: Dec 8, 2007 04:01 am 
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