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Harrie Ensor
| Harrie Ensor | |
| Born | Harrie Francis Ensor September 30, 1901 |
|---|---|
| Died | May 21, 1967 (age 65) Brisbane, Queensland |
| Nationality | Australian |
Harrie Ensor (1901-1967), a magician, was one of Australia’s earliest magic collectors. He left behind a set of scrapbooks containing photographs, program notes, biographical information and promotional material about magicians from the late 1800s to the 1960s.[1]
Biography
His parents associated with many magicians when they passed through the Western state, including Charles Bertram who was their house-guest. His father, Henri Ensor is said to have been a "high class magician of the old school" and possibly toured in 1905 with the original Wirth’s Circus.
Harrie Ensor performed professionally up until the early 1920s, then semi-professionally. His main career was as a police officer in locations such as Parramatta, Newcastle and Broken Hill.
Ensor was a member of the IMPS, the Wizards Club, Sydney Ring 102 of the I.B.M., and theAustralian Magicians Club. He performed professionally up until the early 192
In 1905 he moved to Perth, where his parents entertained the likes of Servais Le Roy, George Stillwell and Howard Thurston.
He wrote a series of articles for The Imp magazine (Independent Magical Performers of Sydney) between 1945-1951, titled “Magical Reminiscences”.
Throughout his life, Ensor was a dedicated collector of magical books and ephemera, often going to great lengths to track down details about a particular performer. He sometimes assisted visiting magicians in their acts, including offstage assistance to Werner Dornfield.
Later in life, Ensor was a steward on a liner sailing between Sydney and New Zealand. After he retired, he won a lottery prize which funded a world tour for himself and his wife.