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Photograph

Houdini on a Rope in "Terror Island"

Date: 1920
Description: Escape artist Harry Houdini being tortured by cannibals in the silent film "Terror Island." Like the other films in which Houdini stared, the plot was desi...
Photograph

Joe Berg

Date: 
Description: Joe Berg, a professional magician and magic dealer, who was based in Chicago. This autographed picture was presented to Ben Bergor, a Madison area magician...
Photograph

Dorny Dornfeld

Date: 1929
Description: Quarter-length studio portrait of Werner "Dorny" Dornfeld, a Chicago area magician who was a leader in several national organizations of magicians. The "Be...
Photograph

Dick DeYoung

Date: 
Description: Professional magician Dick DeYoung of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on a stage with three other people. DeYoung had over five decades of experience as a club and s...
Photograph

Ben Bergor Escapes

Date: 1940
Description: Madison magician Ben Bergor, standing in the trunk, and his wife, Alvina, standing nearby, getting ready to perform an amazing escape act. The act had Berg...
Photograph

Straightjacketed Escape

Date: 
Description: View from street of Madison magician Ben Bergor being raised feet first (upside down) and in a straightjacket to perform an escape act outside a LaCrosse, ...
Photograph

Straightjacketed Escape

Date: 
Description: View from window looking down at the escape act of Madison magician Ben Bergor. He is beginning to make the escape from the straightjacket while the crowd ...
Photograph

Sleight of Hand

Date: 
Description: Outdoor portrait of Madison magician Ben Bergor, who performed as Bennie Golden Berger during the early years of his career. He billed himself as the faste...
Print

Thurston Good Luck Card

Date: 
Description: Two-sided playing card used for advertising by magician Howard Thurston (d. 1936), arguably the greatest magician of his day. The reverse side of the card ...
Photograph

Ben Bergor with Lighted Cigarettes

Date: 
Description: Formal publicity portrait of magician Ben Bergor of Madison performing one of his sleight of hand tricks with lighted cigarettes. Bergor was billed as the ...
Photograph

Mandu the Magician

Date: 
Description: Doc Mann of Beloit, Wisconsin, who performed novelty entertainment and "top hat magic" as Mandu the magician.
Photograph

Houdini Award Presentation

Date: 1942
Description: Mrs. Beatrice Houdini presenting the Houdini Award Album to Ben Bergor, a Madison magician. The award was made annually by the Houdini Club of Wisconsin to...
Photograph

Master of Ceremonies

Date: 
Description: During his career as an entertainer and magician, Ben Bergor of Madison also booked the acts and served as master of ceremonies for many sports shows aroun...
Photograph

Ben Bergor Billboard

Date: 
Description: Madison magician Ben Bergor standing in front of the Leota Theatre. Bergor was born Ben Goldenberger, and first performed in vaudeville as Bennie Golden Be...
Print

Dell O'Dell

Date: 
Description: Advertising brochure for Dell O'Dell, one of a few professional female magicians.
Photograph

Eddie Tullock

Date: 
Description: Magician Eddie Tullock (1919-2007) performing at a restaurant. Minnesota-born Tullock was the originator of "trade show magic," the concept of presenting a...
Photograph

Ben and Olivia Goldenberger

Date: 1910
Description: Ben Goldenberger and his sister Olivia face each other over a small table. There is a menorah on the bookcase in the background. Ben would later change his...
Photograph

Second Annual Convention of The International Brotherhood of Magicians

Date: 06 09 1927
Description: The Second Annual convention, referred to as "The Greatest Gathering of Magicians in the History of the World," of the International Brotherhood of Magicia...
Photograph

Still from "The Show"

Date: 
Description: A production still from the 1927 film "The Show." Cock Robin (John Gilbert) is on a small stage with a woman floating on her side next to him. Another man ...
Manuscript

Ben Bergor Letterhead

Date: 
Description: Letterhead of magician and entertainer Ben Bergor, promoting his availability as an after dinner speaker ("a truly new and humorous approach in storytellin...

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