Submitted by Charles Anderson on
Special Edition of Magicol
Open Sesame: Celebrating 50 years of the Magic Castle
$20, while supplies last.
We are delighted to announce that a special edition of Magicol No. 185 – featuring the Magic Castle – is now available for sale!
Included in this issue:
(A new) Words of Welcome, by David Ben
Turning Fifty, by Dustin Stinett
If Walls Could Talk, by Mike Caveney
The W. W. Larsen Memorial Library, by William Goodwin
Castle Collectibles by Lisa Cousins; and
The Professor, featuring silhouettes of Dai Vernon cut by other artists
This beautiful softcover souvenir booklet on The Magic Castle is in full colour, 68 pages in length and retails for $20 (plus shipping where applicable). It is also now available at the Magic Castle gift shop.
The contents are all things Castle and celebrates its 50th anniversary, with a focus on its history and collectibles.
Dustin Stinett starts us off with a walking tour of the Castle both as it was, and as it is today. He also provides personal insight from the Larsens as to how, exactly, the Castle was put together – literally, piece by piece. Then, Mike Caveney gives us a peek at the coverings that adorn the Castle. From rare Horace Goldin posters used to cover the loo walls ( it was cheaper than wallpaper – at the time), to the beautiful Friedlander one-sheet of LeRoy Talma Bosco one-sheet – “The Devil Gets the Worst of It” – that keeps guests company in the dining room. (It’s a sublime treat, so much so that we have these wonderful images in color!)
Next, a visit to the Library. Librarian Bill Goodwin gives us a sampling of some of the more interesting items in its holdings along with several images detailing the incredible history of both authors and their past owners. This Castle-themed issue would not be complete without something from The Professor. Well this time, it is of him. We have some never-before-seen silhouettes of Dai Vernon’s profile cut by other artists. Magnificent.
To round out our the Castle’s corner of the issue is a contribution by Lisa Cousins, who has selected a few eclectic Castle-related souvenirs (range from the infamous Inferno Glasses to the tickets for Senator Crandall’s X-Rated show) to share with our readers.
But you must act now. We only have a few of these left, so get them before they will disappear.
