Women in Magic

Name rings a bell? Many magicians have been part of magical families, and this magician was daughter-in-law to Louis “Pop” Krieger, who famously charmed high-society audiences in New York. Norma’s husband, Willie Krieger, was also a magician and Punch puppeteer, and her brother-in-law was the legendary “Coney Island Fakir,” Al Flosso .

While Dell O’Dell would be an obvious choice for this installment, I’ve already written about her life and career, so come and meet a magician with Irish heritage and a lively onstage persona (several of them, in fact).

One of the first female members of The Magic Circle, Paula Baird was a skilled manipulator, and consistently impressed both lay audiences and her peers with her flawless magic. Meet this two-time FISM award winner and find out how she charmed the crowd with card manipulation, despite following Cardini.

Lupe embodies the diversity of talents those of her gender bring to magic. A skilled close-up artist, a successful business person and a highly accomplished builder—these are but a few of the incredible skills Lupe Nielsen offers the magic community.

It’s clear that all female magicians who came afterward stand on the shoulders of Madame Herrmann (1853-1932), whose lavish stage show was graceful, elegantly costumed, and mysterious.

There are very few magic manufacturing businesses owned and operated by women, and one highly respected name in the industry is Lynetta Welch of Fabric Manipulation. Lynetta was first influenced by Ricky Jay and Doug Henning—drawn to them by their wonderful magic, and also because they rejected the traditional image of the magician in white tie and tails.

This is a summary of the profiles featured in A Celestial Celebration. As this exhibition evolves, we hope to add more and more names. If you are a star champion and have information to share about a performer, please consider reaching out to Magicana!

She enjoyed a brief but highly successful career in the Forties as the Midwest's Leading Lady Magician. She had a two-hour show with illusions—and wisely featured the production of a huge rabbit named Johnnie, which often afforded her great publicity pictures for the local newspaper.

At nine years old she was told, "Girls can't do magic." Well, the brash boy who dismissed the young girl's question without a second thought sparked an undying flame of passion and perseverance within Celeste Evans. She would go on and become one of the most celebrated magicians of her era.