Women in Magic

Starting a career in magic around 1948, she presented colourful bird act that was presented elegantly, beautifully, garnering high praise for her glowing performances. She was also an integral part of her and her husband's electrifying act—setting the stage for Mr. Electric and Carol to emerge.

When she wrote in her 1944 high school yearbook that she wanted to be a performer, Ruth Taylor had little idea that her wish would come true. Her natural out-going personality and flare for the stage, forged her and her husband a successful career in magic.

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.

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.

Mary Ann has to be one of the busiest women in magic. As a performer, she is, of course, a model for female magicians; but it is her creative use of magic as a financial teaching tool that can be an inspiration for any performer.

She was a resilient, pioneering magician who had a family with strong magic ties. She also grew up performing on stage. When her father died in 1939, she took over his show and as a young, Black woman, she toured successfully through the segregated South.

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.

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!

Learn more about Dell O’Dell, the glamorous, comedy magicienne and television pioneer, and discover how she became to be known as “The World’s Leading Lady Magician.”