Abbott's Get-Together

Abbott's Get-Together is a long running convention for magicians in the United States, which is held each year in Colon, Michigan. It was founded in 1934 by Percy Abbott and his business partner, Recil Bordner. There are routinely multiple stage shows, a "close up magic" gala, lectures, contests, and a dealer's room. The 70th anniversary of the Get-Together took place on August 1-4, 2007.

History

• Percy Abbott, an Australia-born magician who owned several Australian magic supply companies in the early 1900s, co-founded the Blackstone Magic Company in Colon, Michigan with Harry Blackstone Sr. in 1927. Eighteen months later, the two parted ways.
• In 1934 Abbott reopened the business as the "Abbott Magic Company" with Bordner as his partner, and in an attempt to boost poor sales, they decided to hold an open house. Fifty magicians from the area of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio came to watch as Bordner performed with other magicians while Abbott was the MC. This event was closed to the public, but boosted sales so much that the held another open house the following year to even more success.
• In 1936, September 12th, the 3rd gathering is at Colon, Michigan, with Lester Lake (Marvelo) as the MC.
• In 1937 September 11th, the 4th gathering was officially opened to the public and moved to the high school gymnasium.
• In 1938, September 10th, the 5th gathering is at Colon.
• In 1943, September 9 to 11th, the 10th gathering is at Colon.
• In 1944, September 7 to 9th, Dai Vernon comes to the 11th gathering for the first time.
• In 1945, there is no gathering, only an Open House Week from September 3 to 8th with : Cardini, AI Flosso, Monk Watson, Max Holden, Jimmie Trimble, Al Minder, Frank Carter, Dr. Jacob Daley, Herry Cecil, John Booth, Bert Allerton, Clyde Cairy, Russ Walsh, Walter Domzalski, Stewart Judah, Al O'Hagen, Dr. Gene Bulson, Audley Dunham, Donald Ausman, etc., etc.
• In 1946, September 3 to 7th, Milton Kort and Stewart James "cooked up a little joke to play on Ed Marlo" at the 13th gathering. (See page 235 of Kort By Stephen Minch (1999) ).
• In 1947, September 1 to 6th, the 14th gathering was at Colon. Russell Barnhart, Chic Schoke, Paul LePaul and Bert Allerton commit a second joke to play on Ed Marlo. See The Kankakee Card Trick in Genii 2000 July.
• In 1948, September 6 to 11th, unheralded and unannounced appearance on Saturday night's show of Edgar Bergen, famed ventriloquist and radio and screen star, together with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, and his fellow travellers, Pat Patrick and Jim Sherman for the 15th gathering at Colon.
• In 1949, September 6 to 11th, Geraldine Larsen, editor of Genii and Television's Magic Lady, Bob Lund, publisher and editor of Conjuror's Magazine, John Mulholland, editor of The Sphinx and R.C. Buff, editor of Modern Magi are at the 16th gathering.
• In 1950 and 1951, no gathering.
• In 1952, August 18 to 23th, the 17th gathering was at Colon.
• In 1953, August 31 to September 5th, the 18th gathering was at Three Rivers instead of Colon, Michigan.
• In 1954, no gathering.
• In 1955, August 22 to 26th, the 20th gathering was at Sturgis, Michigan.
• In 1956, August 20 to 25th, the 21th gathering was at Battle Creek, Michigan.
• In 1957, August 26 to 31th, the 22th gathering was at Niles, Michigan.

External Links

This page incorporated content from Abbott's_Get_Together, a page hosted on Wikipedia. Please consult the history of the original page to see a list of its authors. Therefor, this article is also available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• http://www.magicgettogether.com/
• List of every performer who has appeared at the Abbott Get Together