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Alma, the Court Magician
Oswald Henry Bishop (November 18, 1880-1956) was an illusionist that performed as "Alma, the Court Magician", "The Mysterios Alma", "Pang Sue Foon" and "Pharos". He was also father of well known magic collector Will Alma.
| Alma, the Court Magician | |
| Born | Oswald Henry Bishop November 18, 1880 |
|---|---|
| Died | 1956 |
Biography
Alma, a tinsmith by trade, performed with his wife, Rose, from about 1900 until 1912.
He had a son Will Alma in 1904. Alma left them in 1913, deciding to go on tour as a full time professional, making his way to American Samoa and finally settling in Hawaii.
Giving up conjuring in 1916, he became the manager of a chain of six theaters. Then in 1918, he was appointed a manager of the insurance department of the Bank of Hawaii, a position he held until his retirement in 1946.
He became a U.S. citizen in 1920, and performed over 2,000 shows for the USO during WWII.
There is some evidence to suggest that initial hostilities caused by the desertion may have given way to some dialogue between father and son on the matter of conjuring.
