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Academy of the Art of Magic

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The Academy of the Art of Magic was a magic organization formed and funded by one of Dai Vernon's student Garrick Spencer in New York in 1936.

The original members were also known as the New York Inner Circle, which started out as five prominent magicians in the mid 1920s which included Vernon, S. Leo Horowitz, Al Baker, Arthur Finley, Leipzig.

The Academy was created in the hope of putting a hallmark on magicians that people would recognize as a Legion of Honor. There was no dues or elections, but the group met once a year for a dinner at the Waldorf in New York. The group even created a medallion to give to members. On the front were the initials 'AAM' and on the back was the date the person was elected into the group.

The initial selection in 1936 were Cardini, Dr. Jacob Daley, Charlie Miller (while living in El Paso), J. Warren Keane, Max Malini, Paul Fox, Ed Balducci and G. W. Hunter (as an absentee member).

David Bamberg was selected by 1937.

Rufus Steele, William H. McCaffrey, Faucett Ross, John Scarne, Annemann, Julius Dresbach, Cliff Green, and Stewart Judah were selected by 1940.

Ottokar Fischer was voted in as an absentee member of the New York "Inner Circle" around 1940.

Hugard's Magic Monthly reported on much of the activities of this New York "Inner Circle".

The group disbanded after Spencer died. Doc Daley talked about starting it back up but passed away before he could.


Many of the members were also selected as "Card Stars of the U.S.A.".

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