Coming from the Customs house after collecting one of these purchases, I always passed the Japanese Magic and Novelty Store. One day, I took my latest magical acquisition and showed it to Mrs. Whitlam, the proprietor, explaining that this sort of thing was much more magical than the Japanese wooden puzzles.

I left one of the Quackenbush circulars with her and that, I believe, was their first introduction to the magic being sold by mail. The follow up was that, within a few months they acquired a small stock of ten-cent card tricks like Deland’s Phantom Cards and Disappearing Spots, The Ball Vase and, eventually, The Multiplying Orbs.

Their graduated introduction into magic shop supply sources resulted in their hiring a magician demonstrator who would stand in the window and demonstrate the magic for noon hour crowds. This window watching audience became a noon hour custom for many downtown workers and continued with different magicians for many, many years.

The first magician was an American who had worked with the Lyons Magic Company, of Philadelphia. The year was about 1917 and this young fellow was a fine demonstrator and he was extremely kind and helpful to me. His name was Bob Sherman. The same Bob Sherman who years later had a magic shop in New York and, eventually, established The Shermans Magic Company of Bridgeport, Conn.

Bob and I became good friends. He would make deals with me. He would demonstrate a new trick and if I could explain how it was done, he allowed me to receive a discount on the price. If I couldn’t explain it, I’d pay 10 cents above the regular price. I can’t recall what my rate of success was but I think I came out ahead, as Bob would, on many occasions, make a slight error and expose a part of the trick that ended with me guessing how it was done. During those days, I acquired such magical masterpieces as the Aladdin Matches, The Cards on the Velvet Banner, The Egg Bag and the Marble Vase.

Throughout the years, many magicians worked behind the counter and carried on the window demonstrations. Among

them was Bob Cook, Ross Bertram, John Giordmaine, Harry Gibbs, Harry Smith and others. Eventually Harry Smith took over the store.