Harry A. Sears

Harry A. Sears
Born	circa 1883 United States
Died	?
Nationality	American
Flourished	1904 - 1911

Harry A. Sears (c.1883-?) was an illusionist from Philadelphia that performed from around 1904 until 1911.

Biography

Dr. A. M. Wilson commented in a 1908 issue of his Sphinx magazine that Sears was "a young man of about twenty-five years" and that his young wife "takes a prominent part in his great illusions." He was described as the only real rival of Horace Goldin. Sears also worked England and Italy.

By the end of his career his production called "The Blue Pearl" included an elephant, a camel, a horse, several snakes and forty-five people in costume.

In the July 1913, Magician Monthly a note from Sears is printed in which he tells that he is Morocco, studying life and performing.

Soon afterward, Sears mysteriously disappeared from the magic scene. Dr. Wilson in the March, 1929 Sphinx stated "Harry Sears, who twenty years ago was one of the best vaudeville magicians on the stage, is now the owner of a gold mine in California and tells me he is prospering and out of magic as a performer."

References

• Magic Doings - "Philadelphia" , Sphinx April 15, 1904, page 22
• Magic Doings - "Philadelphia" , Sphinx August 15, 1904, page 72
• Cover - Sphinx April 1908
• Thayer's Magical Bulletin, Vol. XI, No. 10, (August, 1924)
• A RECENT LETTER FROM CHARLTON F. CHUTE, Linking Ring April 1961, page 26
• Vaudville magicians by Bill Weldon, Linking Ring December, 1999
• The Illustrated History of Magic by Milbourne Christopher (1973), page 299
• HARRY SEARS The Man of Mystery By STANLEY PALM, Magicol No. 152 (August 2004)