Who is Louis Lam?

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Joe Pecore
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Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Joe Pecore » May 22nd, 2006, 11:05 am

I picked up a bunch of magic pamphlets on ebay which included these from the 1930s:

"Be Deceived" by Louis Lam
and
"Brunel White presents Would you Believe it? by Louis Lam"

Some pretty interesting stuff. Would like to know a little more about Louis Lam if anyone knows more about him.

Did some internet searching but did not come up with much.

From the above books I've found that he was a friend and great admirer of The Great Lavante.
Lived in Amsterdam Holland.
Was a member of the London's "Institute of Magicians"
Also authored these books:
"Watch me Closely"
"Mentalla"
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Guest

Re: Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Guest » May 22nd, 2006, 11:12 am

I have those booklets, there's some nice ideas in them. I know he was Jewish, born in 1903 and died in the concentration camps in the mid 40's, but that's all I know.

Euan

Jim Maloney_dup1
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Re: Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » May 22nd, 2006, 11:16 am

In the November 1945 Genii:

Dr. Leo Levi ... also says that Louis Lam has disappeared after having been confined to a prison camp in Poland. Deep is our regret about both tragedies.
-Jim

Jim Maloney_dup1
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Re: Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » May 22nd, 2006, 11:28 am

Also, some interesting info from the New Phoenix, dated March 30th, 1961:

Several issues back we asked what happened to Louis Lam of Holland. Since then we have received letters from Brurio (Des Moines, Iowa), Henk Vermeyden (Holland), R.A.M. Driebeek (Holland), and E. W. Chinn (Brighton, England). All letters but one contained essentially the same information - that Louis Lam was arrested by the Nazi police, transported to an unknown destination and executed. One letter expressed the belief that Louis may still be alive. All four letters were received about two months ago. Just this past week we received a letter from Clive Hawthorne (Reid Hotel, Madeira) saying that on his last trip to the continent he was informed by reliable sources
that Louis Lam may have been the victim of a 'deal' between supposed friends of his and the Nazis, Louis Fortune figuring in the 'deal.' We would like to receive factual information which anyone may have as to the fate of Louis Lam. We have also been told that a gentleman in the Furniture business in New York City knows the real story and tried to communicate it at one time to a Dutch magician visiting this country. Not wanting to become involved, the Dutch magi did not accept the information.
-Jim

Guest

Re: Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Guest » June 20th, 2006, 12:48 pm

In Hannes Hller "European Jewish Magicians 1933 -1945" (1999), pp. 38 -39 is an article about Louis Lam (Amsterdam 1903 - Sobibor 1943), the partner of Henk Vermeyden.
He learned the job of a Trade Correspondent in Holland, he was elegant and successful and professional.
In 1943 he was seen in Holland for the last time. Lam was deported via the so called 'collection' storage depot at Westerbork, to Sobibor in Poland, where he later died in the concentration camp.

His books: Be Deceived - Could You Believe It? - Watch Me Closely - Mentalia

Reinhard

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Joe Pecore
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Favorite Magician: Paul Harris
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Joe Pecore » June 20th, 2006, 12:59 pm

Very very interesting. Thanks for all the info.
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Re: Who is Louis Lam?

Postby Guest » June 20th, 2006, 6:18 pm

Below is the write-up from Whaley's Who's Who on Lam.

Lam, Louis
(Holland: fl.1930s-early 40s) Expert card magician. Wrote 3 booklets: Would You Believe It? (1935, 21pp), Watch Me Closely (1937, 30pp), & Be Deceived (1939, 27pp), all showing Lam's originality. Reportedly arrested by the Gestapo and executed during WW II. REF: New Phoenix #357 (1961), 258.


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