The Magic of Dai Vernon
On the spotlight in this week’s History of Magic is Dai Vernon. Most magicians will admit that he made a huge impact on close-up magic and lifted it to a new level. Named David Verner, he was born in Ottawa, Canada in 1894. He learnt his first magic trick from his father at age 7, stating later he had “Wasted the first 6 years”. He later changed his name to Dai Vernon that was to become synonymous with his expert sleight of hand technique and extensive knowledge that garnered him high respect among fellow magicians. His considerable influence among the magic fraternity earned him the title of “The Professor”. Although he studied mechanical engineering, his love affair with magic began early. His first magic book was, The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase, already a classic of its own. By age 13 he had memorized the complete contents of the book. He moved to New York as a young man and worked for a time behind the counter of Clyde Powers Magic Store. Now there’s lesson for us to follow, imagine being able to work in a magic shop demonstrating magic tricks.