Myers (Willys A.) collection of material about magic, 1900-1960

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Summary

Title:
Willys A. Myers collection of material about magic
Dates:
1900-1960
Creators:
Meyers, Willys A.
Abstract:
Willys A. Myers was a U.S. Vice Consul in the first half of the twentieth century. Also an amateur magician, he collected a number of materials related to magic and magic tricks, covering the years from around 1900 to around 1960. This collection contains letters, instructions, books, catalogs, magazines, newspapers, programs, and promotional items on the subject of magic. Among these materials are both commercial items that Myers collected, and items addressed to or written by Myers himself.
Extent:
3.6 linear ft. (9 document boxes)
Language:
and Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Willys A. Myers Collection of Material about Magic (Collection 972). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of letters, instructions, books, catalogs, magazines, newspapers, programs, and promotional items on the subject of magic and magic tricks. The collection offers descriptions of magic tricks as they were marketed for sale, as well as detailed explanations of how some magic tricks were performed. Many of the included publications also mention original prices for the tricks and items sold. Several publications are associated with specific shops or vendors, such as the Thayer Magic Company and Silk King Studios, or with specific organizations, such as the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Other included materials promote specific magicians or shows. The collection's coverage of magic publications, and especially of catalogs and magazines, is more extensive than its coverage of performers, and it does not contain a great deal of promotional material for any one magician. The highest concentration of promotional material for a single individual is for the Great Sorcar. Some of the material, including letters and plans for magic tricks, also reflects collector Willys A. Myers' own interest in and practice of magic. The collection covers the period from around 1900 to around 1960.

Biographical / historical:

Willys A. Myers was a member of the United States Foreign Service. He served as a Vice Consul in Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico in the 1920s, and in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico in the 1930s. He was also an amateur magician.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Willys A. Myers and Peggy Christian.
Processing information:

Processed in the CFPRT by Alexandra Levitan in 2014 with assistance from Jillian Cuellar.

Arrangement:

This collection has been arranged in the following series:

  • Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1930s-1950s
  • Series 2: Plans and instructions for magic tricks, circa 1930s-1960s
  • Series 3: Publications and ephemera, circa 1900s-1960s
The materials have been arranged by format, and then chronologically within each series.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Magic tricks--Archives.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Alexandra Levitan, 2014; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
Date Prepared:
©2014 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2014-04-28T14:18-0700 . Supplementary encoding and revision by Caroline Cubé using Notetab Pro.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where UCLA Library Special Collections does not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Willys A. Myers Collection of Material about Magic (Collection 972). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website