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Theodore 'Theo' Annemann (February 22, 1907 – January 12, 1942), born Theodore John Squires, was an American professional magician who specialized in the field of Mentalism. Annemann is most famous for inventing and refining many of the standard mentalism routines that continue to be used by magicians today.

Biography

Theodore Annemann

Born Theodore John Squires in East Waverly, New York, he was adopted by Stanley Anneman. Ted added the second 'n' in 1930. Early in his life, Annemann began working as a railroad clerk and then got into show business as a tenor singer and a magician's assistant. He eventually became interested in mentalism and used his invention and performance skills to become one of the most talented and respected magicians of the 1930s. He invented the "Window Envelope" by 1931 and "Flat Rabbit" in 1937. Annemann perfected his own version of the famous bullet catch illusion, performing the effect outdoors. Accounts of his performance describe the feat as a dramatic effect wherein Annemann would collapse from the apparent force of the gun and then produce the bullet from his blood-drenched mouth. In 1934 he became the editor of the famous magazine The Jinx, published primarily for magicians. The magazine was primarily focused on mentalism, but did also feature ground-breaking effects from other fields of magic. The publication of this magazine ceased after Annemann's death and copies of it have become collector's items. Effects from the magazine have been published in several books and manuscripts, among them Annemann's Practical Mental Magic. This book is considered a classic in the field of mentalism. Annemann also founded and edited The Sign of Exceptional Magic in 1935

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