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[[File: Amac1.png|right|thumb|200px|[[Bill Amac]]]]
[[File: JNHilliard.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ John Northern Hilliard]]]]


'''Bill Amac''' (ca. 1890 - 1961), born Robert William McFarlane, was a Birmingham mechanical engineer and British magician who presented an original illusion called the "[[Elusive Lady]]".
'''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.


Known as 'Mac', hence his stage name "Amac", was also said to be for "A Most Amazing Conjuror".
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.
 
Amac began performing around 1916 in English theaters. In 1921, he presented his original illusion "[[Find the Lady]]" (also known as the "Elusive Lady"). The illusion using three huge cards suspended from the flies and his lady assistant on stools behind them. As in the Three-card Monte, she could never be found, and finally she vanishes and reappears from the back of the theater.
 
During the 1920s, he toured America's [[Vaudeville]] theaters, with just this one act, and also did a European tour with his "Elusive Lady". The illusion and sole performing rights were bought by The [[Great Lyle]] for his "CAVALCADE OF MYSTERY" show in 1941, when Amac became his stage director.
Amac also create the pocket tricks: ''Educated Pencil'', ''It's That Girl Again'' (1951) and ''Third Man''.
 
At the 38th Annual [[Magic Collectors' Weekend]] in Schaumburg Illinois in 2007, Jim Steinmeyer delivered a keynote lecture entitled "Why Amac Drank."


[[Bill Amac|Read more about Bill Amac...]]
[[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…