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Victorian conjuror's collection goes on show at British Library Victorian conjuror's collection goes on show at British Library
(about 2 hours later)
In 1895 the British Library did something extraordinary: it bought, for 20 shillings, the entire collection of a down-on-his-luck conjurer and collector, the Great Evanion, “the royal conjurer and humourist”.In 1895 the British Library did something extraordinary: it bought, for 20 shillings, the entire collection of a down-on-his-luck conjurer and collector, the Great Evanion, “the royal conjurer and humourist”.
By then Evanion, real name Harry Evans, was living in a basement flat in Kennington, but he brought a whole world of Victorian popular entertainment to the library packed into several suitcases. Now treasures from his collection are going on display for the first time after more than a century in a new, free, exhibition opening at the library this week. By then Evanion, real name Harry Evans, was living in a basement flat in Kennington, south London, but he brought a whole world of Victorian popular entertainment to the library packed into several suitcases. Now treasures from his collection are going on display for the first time after more than a century in a free exhibition opening at the library this week.
The displays include photographs, tickets, trade cards, receipts, playbills and hundreds of brilliantly colourful posters for menageries, pantomimes, magic shows, music halls and mesmerism. There are also many posters, poignantly, from Evanion’s own glory days when as a suave figure in evening dress he entranced packed houses: one shows him in an elegant drawing room, where he is producing not just a bunch but a torrent of roses out of thin air.The displays include photographs, tickets, trade cards, receipts, playbills and hundreds of brilliantly colourful posters for menageries, pantomimes, magic shows, music halls and mesmerism. There are also many posters, poignantly, from Evanion’s own glory days when as a suave figure in evening dress he entranced packed houses: one shows him in an elegant drawing room, where he is producing not just a bunch but a torrent of roses out of thin air.
When the American illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini met Evanion and saw his collection, he said he was “dazzled by a sudden shower of diamonds”.When the American illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini met Evanion and saw his collection, he said he was “dazzled by a sudden shower of diamonds”.
The co-curator Helen Peden said: “It was a remarkable purchase because in those days the library would have had very little interest in ephemera, but Evanion had a reader’s ticket for researching the history of magic, so it may have been partly an act of kindness to him. The price the library paid might not seem very much but it was quite a lot of money in those days, and if it had been more than 20 shillings it would have had to go before the trustees – who would certainly have rejected it.” The exhibition’s co-curator Helen Peden said: “It was a remarkable purchase because in those days the library would have had very little interest in ephemera, but Evanion had a reader’s ticket for researching the history of magic, so it may have been partly an act of kindness to him. The price the library paid might not seem very much but it was quite a lot of money in those days, and if it had been more than 20 shillings it would have had to go before the trustees – who would certainly have rejected it.”
The exhibition also has vintage film and archive recordings of stars including a 1902 home movie of Dan Leno, regarded as the greatest pantomime dame of all time. Magicians’ props have been loaned by the Magic Circle, including some invented and made by John Nevil Maskelyne, who also invented the penny-in-the-slot lock for public toilets that remained in use into the 1960s.The exhibition also has vintage film and archive recordings of stars including a 1902 home movie of Dan Leno, regarded as the greatest pantomime dame of all time. Magicians’ props have been loaned by the Magic Circle, including some invented and made by John Nevil Maskelyne, who also invented the penny-in-the-slot lock for public toilets that remained in use into the 1960s.
The performer and writer Christopher Green, who co-curated the exhibition, went on to develop his own stage act after his time as artist in residence at the library, as the Singing Hypnotist – “the only one in the world”, he says proudly. Having once performed to royalty himself, he particularly likes Evanion’s posters showing a royal audience, all closely resembling Victoria and Albert. “He actually performed once to some very minor royals – never to Victoria or Albert – but billed himself as the Royal Conjurer for the rest of his life.” The performer and writer Christopher Green, who co-curated the exhibition, went on to develop his own stage act after his time as artist in residence at the library, as the Singing Hypnotist – “the only one in the world”, he said proudly. Having once performed to royalty himself, he said he particularly liked Evanion’s posters showing a royal audience, all closely resembling Victoria and Albert. “He actually performed once to some very minor royals – never to Victoria or Albert – but billed himself as the Royal Conjurer for the rest of his life.”
Green has worked with contemporary performers to recreate many of the acts that are on film in the exhibition, and they will be performed live at evening events that will also feature the Queen musician Brian May and his 3D Victorian photographs, the ventriloquist Nina Conti and the illusionist Derren Brown.Green has worked with contemporary performers to recreate many of the acts that are on film in the exhibition, and they will be performed live at evening events that will also feature the Queen musician Brian May and his 3D Victorian photographs, the ventriloquist Nina Conti and the illusionist Derren Brown.
Many of the stars made enormous sums of money, but few managed to hang on to it, Green says ruefully. The showman “Lord” George Sanger was murdered with a hatchet by an employee. Leno, once paid the astounding sum of £300 a week, died aged 43 after his alcoholism led to his being confined to a mental hospital. Witty, clever Evanion, his voice lost to throat cancer, died in poverty in 1905. Many of the stars made enormous sums of money, but few managed to hang on to it, Green said ruefully. The showman “Lord” George Sanger was murdered with a hatchet by an employee. Leno, once paid the astounding sum of £300 a week, died aged 43 after his alcoholism led to his being confined to a mental hospital. Witty, clever Evanion, his voice lost to throat cancer, died in poverty in 1905.