Wilford Hutchinson

Wilford Hutchinson
Born	October 08, 1888 Ashton-under-Lyne, England
Died	October 07, 1963 (age 74)

Wilford Hutchinson Sr. (October 8, 1888 - October 7, 1963), born in Ashton-under-Lyne near Manchester, England, was a magician and popular magic dealer.

Biography

Hutchinson became interested around 1908 after by reading Professor Hoffmann's Modern Magic and Hercat's Chapeaugraphy, Shadowgraphy and Paper-Folding. He began performing magic shows, billed as "The Unique Conjurer", specializing in paper folding and paper tearing.

He joined the The Order of the Magi and by 1915, he was advertising items for sale in the Magic Wand. He started producing products under the trade name of 'Ashlyn' (a contraction of Ashton-under-Lyne).

After the paper restrictions ended with the World War in 1919, he started the publication of his monthly house organ Conjurers Chronicle. Hutchinson also sold items from his friend Harry Leat.

Hutchinson was a collector of Rising Card boxes and contributor to Wilfred Huggins' The Midget Magician. He was also a member of the Huggins' exclusive Hocus Pocus Society.

In 1957 it was revealed that Hutchinson was a member of the Council of Nine, a secret Magic Organization formed by Hugh MacKay of Scotland in 1927.

In 1961, he began the 'London Notes' column in New Tops magazine describing the current British magic scene. He continued until his death with the final article being a report on the British Ring Convention at Southport in the Vol. 3, No. 11 (November 1963), an issue which also carried his obituary.

His eldest son, Wilford Hutchinson, Jr., also became interested in magic and continued with the 'London Notes' column in New Tops in 1964.

References

• Complete Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities by Edwin A. Dawes (2005)