Questions about Royal Road to Card Magic

[Stepanov]

Hi to all.
I need information about book Royal Road to Card Magic.
Of course, I read all what can get but still have questions.
For example. Why Hugard chose Francis Joseph Rigney (I know only date of birth 1882) who before made only work on origami in 1928 (I do not talk about literature books illustrations). He use same painter for "The Fine Art of Magic". May be it can help? So, what happened with Donna Allen who work on previous books? And is it same Donna Allen what found on 1972 WIFP, so her dates 1921-1999? Or she is another woman? Who was Raymond Allen who made photos to Invisible Pass? On some of books written that she made illustration just from hands of Braue. So, did she live near from Hugard and fly to Braue, or Braue fly to Hugard and posed to Allen, or Allen live near Braue? And how many illustrations was inside "Magic Without Apparatus" if on original work was 209 photos?
And finally. Did Braue meet Hugard at all?
Apologize if my questions stupid and got answer on previous posts here.

[Bill Mullins]

Francis Joseph Rigney's draft registration card for WWI is online at Ancestry.com (submitted 12 Sept 1918).

His date of birth was 20 Jan 1882. He listed his occupation as cartoonist for the Boy Scouts of America. Address was 39 Charles St. NY NY. At that time, he was a resident alien and citizen of Great Britain.


He had done illustrations for Irish newspapers before coming to America (he was born in Waterford Ireland). He came to America on the ship Campania on 3 Oct 1914. He had several articles that he illustrated in _The Boy Scouts Yearbook_, edited by Franklin Mathews, NY: D. Appleton & Co., 1921 (available in full on Google Books). Likewise the 1922 volume. A 1946 mention in _The Linking Ring_ said he was Art Director of _Boy's Life_, which is the magazine for the Boy Scouts of America. He wrote and illustrated _Cub Scout Magic_ in 1960. He illustrated _75 Tricks with a Stripper Deck_. He did illustrations for _Hugard's Magic Monthly_ during the 1950's.

He died 20 Apr 1962 in NY. He was survived by his wife, Ella Hoffman Rigney, and his sons, Francis J. Jr., and Peter H. Rigney.

There is a nice article by Chuck Romano in the Sept 1995 Linking Ring about Rigney, part of his "Art of Deception" series which he compiled into a book.

You ask why Hugard chose Rigney to illustrate _Royal Road_. Rigney was a talented illustrator, a magician, and lived in New York. He retired from "Boy's Life" in 1945. About that time, Abril Lamarque, who had been the illustrator fo HMM, moved to Washington DC. Rigney started illustrating the magazine then. So, when H&B did _Royal Road_, Rigney was an obvious choice.

[Stepanov]

Thanks Mr. Mullings.

Your answer more complete than I need. Of course work on magazine is reason.

Left Donna Allen.

[Stepanov]

Aha. Looks like she was another person.

Donna Wold Allen (1903 - 1983)
Born in California on May 2, 1903. Allen was a resident of Alameda in the 1930s. She died in Sonoma, CA on March 18, 1983. Exh: Oakland Art Gallery, 1936-39; Calif. State Fair, 1937; GGIE, 1940.

So. Rigney was painter from Hugard, but Allen painter from Braue...

Thanks for all...

[Bill Mullins]

Donna Wold Allen was married to Raymond H. Allen, whom I assume took the photos.

They lived in Alameda, which is very close to Oakland (where Frederick Braue lived.

[Stepanov]

Thanks Mr. Mullins.
I know than Braue not only live near, but was born there. And I know Alameda and Oakland is county of Frisco. This is how I find Donna Allen.