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Pittsburgh Association of Magicians

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Pittsburgh Association of Magicians was a magic organization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania organized by Robert H. Hartley in February, 1914.

Hartley was a trick shot artist for Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show and a prominent local magician. The charter members included: Wm. S. Carpenter, H. A. Weitzel, J. T. Weir, Silent Mora, Charles A. (Baffles) Brush, Burdette Harrison, Chas. Hasek, R. C. Hayden, Chris Franke, Jean Foley, Bill Wilson (Will de Seive), Tony Mascaro, Sam Margules, Jack Gwynne, T. H. Lowry, Charles J. Colta, and J. P. Kramer.

In 1921 the organization moved to its own club rooms atop the Savoy Theater, which had a stage.

James Stewart (the actor) and Bill Neff, both from nearby Indiana, Pennsylvania, were initiated into the group.

Houdini became interested in the group as National President of the Society of American Magicians, wanting to start an assembly in the area. On March 6, 1925, when Houdini was playing Pittsburgh, it became Assembly No. 18 of SAM.

In February 1968, it was then combined with Mystic 52. [1]

References

  1. Bill Beatty and Hal Steele. "A History of Assembly No. 18 and the Mystic 52." M-U-M, Volume 59, No. 11, April 1970, p. 8.