The Sphinx the
long established independent journal of the magical arts that ran from March
1902 to March 1953.
First issue by
A. M. Wilson
It started in
Chicago, Illinois by William Hilliar and moved to Missouri in 1904 when the
Kansas City physician, Dr. A. M. Wilson, took over as editor (Vol. 3 No. 8). The
number of pages per issue varied from twelve to fifty or
more.
1938
issue
In 1906,
Houdini started his own magazine partly in an effort to disparage and destroy
The Sphinx, but the Conjurers' Monthly Magazine went out of business after only
two years.
The 28 years
of Dr. Wilson's ownership, the magazine covered one of golden ages of magic.
Vaudeville was at it's height, bringing a variety magicians from all over the
world to the larger cities of North America.
With Volume 1
Number 9, "The Sphinx" became the western organ of the Society of American
Magicians and starting with Volume 8, it become the official organ of the
Society of American Magicians.
Dr. Wilson
died in April of 1930. William Larsen, who had idolized the doctor, had
entertained hopes of taking over The Sphinx. Instead, that honor went to John
Mulholland of New York. Mulholland established The Sphinx Publishing Corporation
in New York City to assume the liability of producing the The Sphinx magazine
around 1930.
Annemann
attempts to buy the Sphinx in 1938 can be seen in his Jinx magazine (No. 95, No.
114, and No. 115).
Some of the
many contributors over the years were: Ted Annemann, Al Baker, Fred Braue,
Milbourne Christopher, Joseph Dunninger, Ade Duval, Karrell Fox, Robert Harbin,
Guy Jarrett, Dr. Stanley Jaks, Ed Marlo, John Scarne and Harlan
Tarbell.
A complete set
would contain 52 volumes, 597 issues, and almost 17,000
pages.
Another
magazine about the same timeframe and longevity, but published in the UK was the
Magic Wand.
