The Genii Forum

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I was reading the New York Times in early January when I happened upon the story of Olmedini El Mago and Jaime Permuth, the photographer who befriended Olmedini years earlier. Olmedini is an elderly magician, and New York City’s subways are his preferred stage. This is elderly magician is blind. He is remarkable man doing dove productions on the subway! Chloe Olewitz rode the rails and tells us the tale.

A famous female magician of the past, Suzy Wandas grew up in the early 1900s in Brussels, Belgium, went into circus work early on (no school for these kids). Listen to this good luck: she met T. Nelson Downs in 1906 and got some tips on handling; in 1910 she saw LeRoy, Talma, and Bosco. It was Talma who caught her attention and she decided to become a manipulator. Shortly after 1911, she met José Frakson, who manipulated cigarettes. Yes, she was young, but she got a lot of practice because she started early. She performed throughout Europe for many decades, eventually marrying Dr. Zina B. Bennett and moving to the United States late in life. I’m fairly certain most of you know little to nothing about Suzy Wandas, so let’s fix that. She was said to be one of the greatest manipulators of her day. Dustin Stinett wrangled the original text into shape for you.

Not done yet. On June 14th, not uncoincidentally Flag Day, David Copperfield performed a magical playlet about Americana and the Star-Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian Museum of American History here in Washington, D.C. How can you perform an illusion with an enormous piece of fabric that is so fragile it’s in a sealed low-oxygen room you cannot enter? David, along with his behind-the-scenes sprites Chris Kenner and Homer Liwag, managed something almost impossible. David tells us more about it, through our Genii spirit guide Ms. Olewitz, along with photos and video.

The rest of our columnists are here, toiling through the heat and humidity for your pleasure. In Jim Steinmeyer’s “Conjuring,” cards fly from one place to another with no sleight of hand; in Jonathan Neal’s “Secrets Within Secrets,” the handiest man in magic explains how to make acro cards; David Britland will explain how to but to the four Aces without breaking a sweat in “Cardopolis”; John Gaughan’s prize this month in “Chamber of Secrets” is something he knows nothing about; David Kaye doesn’t get enough space in “The Expert at the Kid’s Table” to really explain how to create magic from scratch; Jeff Prace explains some sort of fancy envelope thingy in “Left-Handed”; Helge Thun says something in German about “Secrets”; Chloe Olewitz brings us the latest in magic from around the world in “The Eye”; we wrap it up with reviews of books, tricks, and videos from Tom Frame, Brad Henderson, and Ryan Matney. Keep your sweat to yourself—we’re only halfway through summer.

I was indeed fortunate to meet Suzy Wandas Bennett at the American Museum of Magic in August, 1980. I have a photo of the two of us.
I look forward to reading her article. Thank you Dustin.

I'm pretty sure there's a Wandas poster on the ceiling in the showroom at Abbott's in Colon, MI.

My copy arrived in this morning's post - Manchester, U.K.

My copy has arrived in Sacramento.

These Wandas posters are on the ceiling at Abbotts.

Photos courtesy of BJ Mallen:

That's great, Ted!

I'm told that Bob Lund's American Museum of Magic in Marshall, MI has "some very nice (and some very LARGE) posters" of Suzy Wandas as well.

Ted M wrote:I'm told that Bob Lund's American Museum of Magic in Marshall, MI has "some very nice (and some very LARGE) posters" of Suzy Wandas as well.

Indeed they do. I mentioned above meeting her there in 1980. I have a photo of the two of us standing in front of one of her large posters.

Q.Kumber,

Could you possibly post the photo? I'd love to see it!

Ted M wrote:Q.Kumber,

Could you possibly post the photo? I'd love to see it!

I don't know how to upload a photo but if you send me a PM with your email address, I will send it to you.
I'll also put it on my Facebook page.

Quentin, use IMGUR, Upload your photo to IMGUR's site. Then they will give you a code for BBC boards. Paste that in your message and the photo will show up here.

You didn't follow my instructions. You don't copy the url at the top and paste it here. IMGUR gives you a choice of urls on the right if you click on the image once you have uploaded it. Pick the one for BBC boards, which is either on the bottom or second from the bottom.

Thanks, Quentin!