The Magic Capital of the World - Page 3Written by
Patrick West
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During the war years, Abbott’s continued
to host the Get-Togethers, which had become too
large for the high school auditorium. In 1942, there were three public shows held in the opera
house. Also in that year Skippy LaMore died, and Abbott’s purchased the
tent theater used by the road show. The 1943 and 1944 Get-Togethers were hosted in this tent.
The tent theater was set up on a vacant lot. The work was supervised by the "boss canvas man"
who had worked with the Skippy LaMore Show, Harley Otis from Hodunk,
Michigan.
In 1945 the Get-Together’s public
performances were canceled due to "uncertain conditions"
concerning the end of the war. However, there was a one-night open house, for magicians only,
at the Abbott plant where a small tent was set up to accommodate the crowd. With the
end of the war, the partners anticipated a return to the pre-war prosperity which the company
had experienced.
The post-war era proved to be one of
boom and expansion for the Abbott Magic
Novelty Company. Abbott and Bordner increased the size of their building
almost once and again with a $2,600.00 addition. The Get-Together, which had grown to three
public shows, plus the Night Before Show for magicians only, was more successful than ever
before. The big tent was especially suited for the Get-Together activities, and helped to create
a carnival atmosphere. Saturday night performances were followed by special midnight spook
shows. The official capacity of the tent was 1,100, consisting of 700 folding canvas seats and
400 bleacher seats. Actually, however, by show time, the audience surpassed this number
when an extra 100 folding chairs were crowded into the tent and standing admissions were sold.
The gross sales for the business
surpassed $200,000 for the first time in 1946. This increase in
sales was due in part to a renewed interest in magic following the war and more directly to the
expansion activities of the Abbott firm which had opened branch retail shops across the country.
The New York shop was managed by Jim Renaux and Ken Allen. Karrell
Fox and Ron Kissel ran the Detroit shop. In Indianapolis, Duke Stern
was manager and salesman. George Coon and Doug O’Day operated the
Chicago outlet. The Los Angeles store was managed by Geo. Boston. The late forties were
indeed exciting and prosperous years for the partners in magic.
The hopes and expectations of the late
forties dispersed in the first years of the fifties.
The magic business declined for assorted reasons to the end of the decade. In 1950, a dance
instructor in Los Angeles, purchased a device called "Pufferoo" from Abbott’s branch
store located there. The device was operated by a foot pedal which ignited black powder
producing a harmless puff of smoke. It was used by magicians for flash appearances. This
Pufferoo was to be used to enhance a dance recital. It seems that the customer was not satisfied
with the amount of smoke produced and, thus, a stage hand added either more powder that was
recommended or perhaps some other material to increase the flash. The result was a large
flash of fire which badly burned the legs of a 13-year-old student dancer. The student’s parents
filed a damage suit against Percy Abbott and Recil Bordner for $52,000. The
suit dragged out over the nest two years. The partners had no insurance to cover such an
incident. They could not find a carrier for their unusual business. Only Lloyds of London
would consider a policy and the partners had found the premium too expensive. Needless
to say, such a sum as asked for in the suit would have been a great loss to the company and Percy
feared that it would actually mean the end of the business. This uncertainty led the partners to
cancel plans for the 1950 and 1951 Get-Togethers. Finally, the case was settled out of court
with a considerably smaller judgment award to the family.
With the anxiety of the law suit behind them,
the partners decided to host a Get-Together once
again in 1952. The convention, which was held in the tent theater, was well attended with over
600 magicians registered. Magicians were eager to attend, and those appearing on the programs
for the public performances were happy to have been booked. Following the event, however,
Percy vowed not to have another Get-Together in Colon because he felt the local citizens had
taken advantage of the magicians by raising room rents from $1.00 to $2.00 a night. Percy also
expressed disappointment with the lack of cooperation on the part of local businessmen, whom
he felt should cosponsor the event. After all, the local businessmen did benefit by the tourist
trade during the week of the Get-Together. Businessmen in nearby towns had made offers
to cosponsor the event, and in October, 1952 Percy and Recil accepted such an offer from
the Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce for the 1953 Get-Together. The "Magic Capital
of the World" had lost the most prestigious gathering in magical circles.
Misfortune again struck the Abbott
Magic company in the early morning hours of
Saturday, November 15, 1952. Once again, it came in the form of a fire which leveled a building
that had been recently purchased to house the metal shop. In addition to losing the stock and
some of the metal working equipment, the firm lost the tent theater and stage equipment which
had been stored in the building. The cause of the fire was never fully discovered, but faulty wiring
was suspected. The building was only partly covered by insurance and, because of the faltering
financial situation of the business, the partners decided not to replace the structure. The metal
shop tools were moved into the basement of the cement block building.
A period of decline in the popularity of
magic set in, and the expansion of the late 1940’s were
contrasted by the atrophy of the business in the early 1950’s. The business was failing to get the
orders it had in the past. Magicians were not buying new tricks. Some magicians were not even
replacing worn out equipment. Magicians, in general, were finding it difficult to find bookings.
Some professional magicians were forced into other lines of work to earn a living. One major
reason for all this, as explained by Percy, was the advent of television. When he found out that
one of his employees had purchased a television set, he exclaimed, "Don’t you know that is
bad for business?" In his opinion (Bordner concurred), people would simply not turn
out to see a live entertainment when they could sit in the comfort of their own homes and be
entertained by the "magic box". He was correct. Working magicians became fewer and fewer.
The ultimate "trick" could be purchased at the electrical appliance store. How could pulling a
rabbit out of a hat compete with a magical tube that could transport the viewer into fantasy land?
The orders continued to decline and
business fell off. The branch and retail stores were closed.
Gradually, Abbott and Bordner were forced to lay-off many of their employees.
Though not a large number, under normal circumstances about 30, the number of employees dropped
to an all-time low in 1957. There were two people in the wood shop, one painter, one printer,
and one employee in the sewing department. Recil and Percy handled all the office work,
including the shipping. In March of 1957, the last issue of Tops was published and the following
year the annual Abbott catalogue was simply a reissue of the 1957 edition with no new material.
Gross sales in 1959 had dropped to $55,000.00.
The only bright spot for the magical
enterprise during these years was the Get-together,
which brought many magicians into contact with Abbott merchandise. These Get-Togethers
were held in various nearby cities including Sturgis in 1955, Battle Creek in 1956, Niles in 1957
and 1958, and Coldwater in 1959. Regardless of the good attendance at the Get-Togethers,
Colon had suffered greatly during the decade which some writers now characterize as the "Good
Times" era.
![]() ![]() | ![]() Percy Abbott finally arrives in England in 1959... |
![]() Television's "This is Your Life Blackstone", was aired March 9, 1960. Pictured here is Ralph Edwards interviewing Sally Banks, while a surprised Mr. Blackstone looks on. Sally became a nanny for the Blackstones. | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() Percy and Gladys Abbott, at their home in Colon | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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In the production of magic, Colon has a unique place in
Michigan history. No other town its size can
claim such wide-spread notoriety. No matter where you go, it seems that someone has heard or read
about Colon, "The Magic Capital of the World". Just whether this is a legitimate claim or not, is
answered only in the affirmative by the citizens of Colon. It appears to this writer that such a claim is valid.
The 1600-plus magicians registered for the 1975 Get-Together in Colon, demonstrated by their attendance,
that Abbott’s Magic Manufacturing Company is the oldest and most reliable source of magical effects
in the world.
To illustrate: F. A. Peller from Nigeria first came to
Colon in August of 1972 and returned to
the 1975 Get-Together. His trip to Colon in 1975 was primarily a business excursion. He ordered a
number of large illusions valued at several thousand dollars. When asked why he had traveled all the way
to Colon, Michigan to buy his magical effects, he replied: "Abbott’s is the oldest company and has a
reputation for building the best magical equipment in the world."
What lies ahead for the magic business in Colon? This
question has been asked more frequently in
the last couple of years. Considering the success of the Get-Togethers and recent expansion of the
workshops, it is evident that the business is economically sound. At the time of the preparation of
this paper, sales for the company were at an all-time high and there were no signs indicating a tapering
off. The business provides employment for about 35 local people and has substantial influence on the
economy of Colon. In addition to providing a livelihood for its own employees, Abbott's is a principal
customer for the local hardware store and lumber year. During the Get-together, all businesses in
Colon had an added opportunity for profit because of the influx of people attending the event.
Recil Bordner has brought his son, Greg (a business school graduate from Michigan State
University) into the firm. Some rumors indicate that Recil will soon retire. Regardless of his retirement
date, it appears that the magic industry will continue in Colon for many years and Recil will undoubtedly
be involved directly or indirectly with the magic business.
The Abbott company has brought several professional magicians to Colon who have decided to make
their homes in the serene little town. At the time of this writing, there were no fewer than 12 professional
magicians residing in Colon. Through the work of these men and the efforts of Recil Bordner and
all the employees at Abbott’s Magic Manufacturing Company, Colon’s reputations as the "Magic Capital
of the World" will be sustained for many years to come.
Fortunately for the study of the History of the "Magic Capital of the World", there is a wealth of primary
sources. The best is Recil Bordner, present owner of the Abbott Magic Manufacturing Company.
Bordner is also a good source concerning Percy Abbott. For contemporary accounts of
Harry Blackstone for the years 1917 through 1927, Inez Blackstone, his first
wife, is the most reliable source. Sally Banks, box hopper (a girl who appears and disappears
in illusions), a nanny for Harry, Jr. and a personal friend of Harry Blackstone, is a good
source for the years 1927 through 1949. Good material on Blackstone can also be obtained
from Monk Watson, a contemporary entertainer of Blackstone’s era who was
acquainted with him at the early date of 1917. Wade Drake, the company’s first bookkeeper,
is useful for details about the business from 1934 through 1941. The most knowledgeable source for
material concerning Tops is Neil Foster, the magazine’s present editor. Arthur West,
the longest active employee of the magic company, is the best source for material concerning details
of the Get-Togethers and on construction of special effects. Information concerning all areas of the
business and men who made it can be gleaned from The Colon ExpressL. Percy Abbott’s
biography, A lifetime In Magic, is a good source for personal background material, but
unfortunately it stops with the founding of the business. Articles appearing in other magazines and
newspapers must be scrutinized carefully, to separate fact from fiction.
The author of this work can currently be contacted at:
Patrick West /
203 N Athletic /
White Pigeon, MI 49099 /
(616) 483-7358
The content of these pages was thoughtfully submitted by Joe Ganger, President
of the Colon Community Historical Society after permission was granted by the author, Patrick West.
Many thanks!
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