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[[File: StewartJames2.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ Stewart James]]]]
[[File: JNHilliard.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ John Northern Hilliard]]]]


'''Stewart James''', one of magic's most prolific inventors, was a Canadian postman.
'''John Northern Hilliard''' (1872 - 1935) was a Rochester newspaper man  and clever amateur magician.


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Hilliard was dramatic critic with The Chicago Herald and later on the staff of The Rochester (N. Y.) Post Express. After moving to New York, he met [[Howard Thurston]] while a reporter on The New York World and became interested in magic. John was credited with securing the master magician with his first engagement on the stage. Several years later Thurston induced Hilliard to give up his newspaper work and become his personal representative.


Inspired by imaginary friends to create magic, Stewart James was one of the 20th century’s most prodigious inventors of magic effects and one of the art form’s most prolific authors. Though he was a skilled magician who performed for the allied forces during his Canadian tour of duty during World War II – James is best known in the magic world for his uncanny ability to create.
With the urging of [[Floyd G. Thayer]], John starting writing for [[Thayer's Magical Bulletin]] magazine. In 1925, Hilliard became an advance man for The Thurston show. During this time he accumulated notes on what he was learning about magic. In 1932, Carl Waring Jones urged him to turn his notes into a book, offering to publish it. But Hilliard suddenly died of a heart attack in 1935 while in a hotel room in Indianapolis.
 
Throughout his 88 years of life, he conceived and published over 400 different trick "plots," which have been adapted by countless other magicians for use in their performances. He can be described as a mastermind who focused his energy on imagining new impossibilities at a table backstage instead of presenting them on-stage.
One of his legendary effects was [[Miraskill]] published first in The [[Jinx]], No. 24, September 1936, page 147, then in [[Jean Hugard]]'s [[Encyclopedia of Card Tricks]] (1937). Some of his effects were call Jogestja, using letters from his full name.
 
The collected volumes of his magic written by his Allan Slaight are some of the largest books on magic ever published.  


[[Stewart James|Read more about Stewart James....]]
[[John Northern Hilliard|Read more about John Northern Hilliard…]]

Latest revision as of 10:23, 20 February 2026

Previous featured articles are located in Category:Featured Article

Proposed candidates are listed in Category:Featured Article Candidate

John Northern Hilliard (1872 - 1935) was a Rochester newspaper man and clever amateur magician.

Biography

Hilliard was dramatic critic with The Chicago Herald and later on the staff of The Rochester (N. Y.) Post Express. After moving to New York, he met Howard Thurston while a reporter on The New York World and became interested in magic. John was credited with securing the master magician with his first engagement on the stage. Several years later Thurston induced Hilliard to give up his newspaper work and become his personal representative.

With the urging of Floyd G. Thayer, John starting writing for Thayer's Magical Bulletin magazine. In 1925, Hilliard became an advance man for The Thurston show. During this time he accumulated notes on what he was learning about magic. In 1932, Carl Waring Jones urged him to turn his notes into a book, offering to publish it. But Hilliard suddenly died of a heart attack in 1935 while in a hotel room in Indianapolis.

Read more about John Northern Hilliard…