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[[File: McDonaldMabelBirch.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ McDonald Birch]]]]
'''McDonald "Mac" Birch''' (b.1902-d.1992) was born George McDonald Birch and grew up in McConnelsville, Ohio. Known as Mac to his friends, he began performing on the [[Lyceum]] and [[Chautauqua]] circuits. He quickly gained a reputation for his work offering a full unassisted two-hour show.


== Biography ==
[[File: RichardPotter.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ Richard Potter]]]]


Later, his wife Mabel Sperry, a xylophonist and also played the marimba , provided the musical interlude in his shows, as well as working as his chief assistant.  Two of his featured acts were the Vanishing Pony and the Silk Mirage.
'''Richard Potter''' (b.1783-d.1835) is credited as the first successful stage magician born in the United States and as the first black magician.  


McDonald Birch was a contemporary of other master illusionists like [[Blackstone]], [[Thurston]] and the great [[Harry Houdini]]In 1924, Howard Thurston made plans to make Birch the successor to the Kellar-Thurston "magic mantle"Thurston, however, never got around to retiring.  
== Biography ==
Reportedly, Potter was the son of an English baronet, Charles Henry Frankland, and an African American woman (some say "slave"). Frankland, however, died years before Potter was born.  Church records from Hopkinton, MA, list his father as George SimpsonHis mother's name was Dinah, who was a slave on the Frankland estate.  Potter went to England around 1798.  There is no record of his actual educationHe returned to the United States around 1801, probably with [[John Rannie]], a professional magician whom he started out working for as an assistant in 1802.


After over 50 years as a headliner, Birch retired from performing in the 1960s.  
One of the earliest records of Potter advertising a show was in Boston, November 2nd, 1811 at the Columbian Museum.  He advertised his show as, "An Evening's Brush to Sweep Away Care, or a Medley to Please."


[[McDonald Birch|Read more about McDonald Birch…]]
[[Richard Potter|Read more about Richard Potter…]]

Latest revision as of 17:27, 1 November 2024

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Richard Potter (b.1783-d.1835) is credited as the first successful stage magician born in the United States and as the first black magician.

Biography

Reportedly, Potter was the son of an English baronet, Charles Henry Frankland, and an African American woman (some say "slave"). Frankland, however, died years before Potter was born. Church records from Hopkinton, MA, list his father as George Simpson. His mother's name was Dinah, who was a slave on the Frankland estate. Potter went to England around 1798. There is no record of his actual education. He returned to the United States around 1801, probably with John Rannie, a professional magician whom he started out working for as an assistant in 1802.

One of the earliest records of Potter advertising a show was in Boston, November 2nd, 1811 at the Columbian Museum. He advertised his show as, "An Evening's Brush to Sweep Away Care, or a Medley to Please."

Read more about Richard Potter…