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julieannjohnson Veteran user 305 Posts |
Hi, I posted this query in the "Penny For Your Thoughts" mentalism area, and someone suggested I briong it here and enquire of Todd Robbins, the Coney Island go-to guy.
There's an item for sale at e*** right now -- a group of unused ride tickets for Luna Park at Coney Island -- and among them is a ticket to "Zancig's Temple of Mystery." This would be the fmaous Danish mentalist Julius Zancig and whoever was his partner at the time the tickets were issued. Probably not his wife Agnes, because she had died by 1916, but perhaps young "Fu Manchu" Bamberg, since the venue was New York City. The price is cheap, and I hope someone bids who really loves this stuff. My question is What was the Temple of Mystery act? I thought the Zancigs only did a mentalism code act (arguably the most complex code act of all time). I can hardly understand a "Temple of Mystery." Does anyone have a clue? I am posting this same question in the Oldies But Goodies area, in case someone from the collector's world has information. |
Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
I don't know too much about the joint but apparently it was a place where Zancig did the act and did readings after the show.
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ringmaster Inner circle Memphis, Down in Dixie 1974 Posts |
Maybe, there was another Zancig who appeared at the Chicago World's Fair.
One of the last living 10-in-one performers. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was it.
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julieannjohnson Veteran user 305 Posts |
Todd, thanks. I agree with you that Zancig always did private readings wherever he toured, so that makes sense.
The tickets that are for sale are undated, but ascribed to the 1920s. I know that after his wife and partner Agnes died, Zancig worked with David "Fu Manchu" Bamberg as his partner (billed as Syko the Psychic). He could not tour while that partnership lasted because David ("Okito" Bamberg's son) was a young teen, so he only worked the NYC area. After the Bambergs went to Europe and took David along with them, Zancig and his second wife Ada worked the act -- and they went to Philadelphia for the Sesqui-Centennial in 1926 and opened a reading office there, then moved to California. So the ticket to Zancig's Temple of Mystery at Luna Park is probably from 1917-1925. I just never knew Zancig to run a "Temple" set-up. The word "temple" made me wonder if David Bamberg was doing some "Okito, Jr." or pre "Fu Manchu" stuff there, in addition to the code act. Ringmaster, pray tell, who was this "other Zancig who appeared at the Chicago World's Fair." Do you mean the Chicago World's Columbia Exposition of 1892-93 ... or the Chicago World's Fair of 1933? If the latter, Julius Zancig was dead by then. He died in 1929. |
ringmaster Inner circle Memphis, Down in Dixie 1974 Posts |
Had to go check my books. The "other Zancig' who spelled his name Zanzic appeared at the Columbia Exposition in 1893. His partner was Billy Robinson. They are remembered for materializing the spirit of a deceased German woman, so that her wealthy husband could have sex with her. Said husband promptly dropped dead. The incident was immortalized in "Nightmare Alley".
One of the last living 10-in-one performers. I wanted to be in show business the worst way, and that was it.
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julieannjohnson Veteran user 305 Posts |
Wow. Thanks for the research. Your spelling hint to the "other" Zanzic" got me to this information by Jim Steinmeyer, in "The glorious deception: the double life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo" available in a google books ppevieew here:
http://tinyurl.com/y8bk9t6 I wonder if Julius Zancig's stage name was a name appropriated from this earlier "Creole" (bi-racial) Zanzic from New Orleans, "whose real name was Robertstein or Brenner" a.k.a. "Henry Andre" -- especially since the earlier Zanzic spelled his name with a flourish underline that made his final letter "c" resemble a "g", as shown here: http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/miscpics/0/1/7/doc/mp017702.shtml Fascinating stuff. Thanks! |
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