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Joe Berg

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Joe Berg (1903 - Feb 19, 1984) from Pinsk, Russia was a magic dealer and inventor. He immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1914. He learned magic from Johnny Platt

In the early 20s, with partners Sam Berland and Harry Faber, he spent over 25 years at the Princess Magic Shop in Chicago, Illinois. His customers and friends included Harry Houdini, Harry Blackstonc, Howard Thurston, Carl Rosini, and a host of other greats. Later, in the 1950s, he moved and opened his own shop in Hollywood, California.

Joe, along with Sam Berland, were among the founding members of the The Wizard's Club in Chicago, an organization for magicians, organized at the home of Sam Berman.

He invented many effects including the Ultra-Mental Deck in 1937. His silk magic effects can be found in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic.

Joe named Henry Hardin's Princess Card Trick after the Princess Magic shop. He made special packets of cards where you could do it in front of the spectator (rather then going into your pocket). Later Nick Trost made the packets as specially printed cards. [ need to verify this ]

Joe Berg died five days after he suffered a stroke while walking up a hill to the Magic Castle.

Books

  • Here's Magic (1930)
  • Berg's Private Card Problems (1933)
  • Here's New Magic (1937)
  • Magic For Everyone - The Berg Book by David Avadon and Eric C. Lewis. (1983)