I made a quick jaunt down to the city which had two drawbacks immediately: 1) I was not meeting up with my partner in art crimes, Stephanie QoE and 2) it was unseasonably hot and how I hate that. Nevertheless, she persisted as one exhibit I quite wanted to see closes this weekend.

First stop was uptown at Lincoln Center — or rather, behind Lincoln Center at the NYPL Performing Arts branch — a new experience for me. On now: Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York. While I am on the whole more interested in the other kind of magic, there is a surprising cross over whether it’s prestidigitators using occult trappings for rizz or spiritualists moving from séances to stage.

Unsurprisingly, NYC was a center for many performers from the well-known like Houdini to less familiar names (to modern audiences) like Adelaide Herman, the Queen of Magic, and Black Hermann, an African-American performer who appears as character in Ishmael Reed’s 1972 novel Mumbo-Jumbo.

The exhibit is nicely laid out over two rooms, mostly in images, but also with a bunch of books from the archives. A few items from these performers are on display as well, including one of Adelaide Hermann’s costumes as she often appeared as historical figures — including Cagliostro! Very enjoyable and there’s an attractive guide you can take away as well.

Here are a few photos: I’ll throw the rest up on FB as I have lots of pix to share and this is only one part.