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[[File: JohnWyman1.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ John Wyman]]]]
[[File: Tampa1.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ Tampa]]]]
'''John Wyman Jr.''' (b.1816-d.1881), born in in Albany, New York, was a successful magician and ventriloquist, billed as '''"Wyman the Wizard"'''. He entertained several U.S. Presidents, including Martin Van Buren, Millard Filmore and four times for Abraham Lincoln. For a time, Wyman was under the management of [[P. T. Barnum]].  
 
'''Tampa''' (b.1887-d.1939) was born Raymond Stanley Sugden in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania.


== Biography ==
== Biography ==


Wyman was one of the first performers to present "Gift Shows". These were performances where the performer gave gifts or prizes like gold and silver watches at the end of his shows. He was known for giving quality prizes. [[Houdini]] called Wyman "one of the most honest men of our profession". He was one of the most financially prosperous entertainers of his time.
He became a professional magician at the age of 30, performing a Chinese act with magician Ray Hartman in the "Chau Tung Mysteries". When Hartman was drafted, Sugden started performing with his wife and two sons under the name "Sugden the Magician". In 1925, Sugden changed his billing to "Sugden England's Court Magician". He was friends with [[Harry Kellar]], [[Houdini]], and [[Howard Thurston]]. He assisted Thurston in the planning of illusions such as his "Ghost in the Blue Room", "Beauty", and "East Indian Rope Trick". He also built effects for Thurston including a version of the "Spirit Painting" effect.
 
During his career, he lived in Baltimore Md, Washington D.C. and made Philadelphia his home where he continued to live after his retirement from the stage. He later moved to New Jersey, where he owned real estate, and died in Burlington.  


Wyman may have been the first performer in the U.S. to present a full evening show as well as the first to perform the [[Bullet Catch]] routine.  
Howard Thurston signed Sugden to a ten year contract on November 2, 1925. In 1926, he traveled with a full evening show under Howard Thurston as "Tampa England's Court Magician". In 1929, the stock market crashed and everything came to a halt for the world of entertainment. Thurston was barely keeping his company paid. He couldn't keep the Tampa show booked, so Ray started to find bookings on his own. Thurston only saw that Sugden was taking business away, not helping to keep the "Thurston" name in the public's mind. Sugden suggested that they part company and end the contract. Thurston kept delaying inevitable.  


[[John Wyman|Read more about John Wyman…]]
[[Tampa|Read more about Tampa…]]

Latest revision as of 18:11, 25 August 2024

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Tampa (b.1887-d.1939) was born Raymond Stanley Sugden in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania.

Biography

He became a professional magician at the age of 30, performing a Chinese act with magician Ray Hartman in the "Chau Tung Mysteries". When Hartman was drafted, Sugden started performing with his wife and two sons under the name "Sugden the Magician". In 1925, Sugden changed his billing to "Sugden England's Court Magician". He was friends with Harry Kellar, Houdini, and Howard Thurston. He assisted Thurston in the planning of illusions such as his "Ghost in the Blue Room", "Beauty", and "East Indian Rope Trick". He also built effects for Thurston including a version of the "Spirit Painting" effect.

Howard Thurston signed Sugden to a ten year contract on November 2, 1925. In 1926, he traveled with a full evening show under Howard Thurston as "Tampa England's Court Magician". In 1929, the stock market crashed and everything came to a halt for the world of entertainment. Thurston was barely keeping his company paid. He couldn't keep the Tampa show booked, so Ray started to find bookings on his own. Thurston only saw that Sugden was taking business away, not helping to keep the "Thurston" name in the public's mind. Sugden suggested that they part company and end the contract. Thurston kept delaying inevitable.

Read more about Tampa…