I WAS RECENTLY INVITED to give my 0ne hour  lecture/show “Behind the Doors of the Magic Circle”to patients at The Putney Hospital for the Neuro-Disabled in London. At the time I didn’t remember that this used to be called The Putney Home for Incurables which is where the first president of The Magic Circle David Devant spent his last days.

It is a grand, Victorian building high on a hill overlooking the City of London where many disabled people are tended by a very dedicated and caring staff. And it was a delight to find that the nurses, carers and doctors, largely a younger generation, all knew of David Devant and his connection with the home. They also spoke of the visits by The Magic Circle to present shows that have continued since Devant’s time, when a story hit the press when he proclaimed that he was baffled by a trick performed by the then president Francis White which gleaned much publicity for him.

It all confirms the wide awareness and esteem held by the public today about possibly the most famous magic society in the world.

Filed under: Magic Miscellanea