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David Baldwin

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David Baldwin
BornDavid M. Baldwin
October 6, 1928
East Orange, New Jersey
DiedFebruary 16, 2014 (age 85)
Vero Beach, Florida

David Baldwin (1928-2014), an accomplished New York real estate investor, was a regular at magic collectors events, published biographies on magicians and commissioned a bronze of David Devant for the Magic Circle.

Biography

He graduated from the Pingry School in 1947 before attending William and Mary College and graduating in 1951 from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

Baldwin served his country in a counterintelligence unit of the army.

In 1954, he became a real estate broker with the former Charles F. Noyes Company, Inc and at the age of 35 became the President and Chief Executive of the company.

Magic was his fascination from early childhood and he would eventually assembled one of the most prominent personal collections of magic apparatus in the world. A member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Baldwin has published biographies of magicians. One of his most cherished friends and confident was Del-Ray.

He would attend most magic collectors conferences including Magic Collectors Association, Los Angeles Conference on Magic History and the Yankee Gathering.

Baldwin was the single most important individual donor to the The Magic Circle in London and his name is firmly associated with The Devant Room and the Library. He took an enormous interest in the refurbishment process and enabled the creation of a new headquarters.[1] In 1977, he commissioned a bronze figure of David Deviant that has become a coveted award for distinguished magicians.[2]

His collection of magic extended to items relating to The Shadow and "Maxwell Grant" (Walter Gibson)[3]

Awards

In 2006 as an Honorary Lifetime Member he was awarded the Magic Circle's Silver Wand for outstanding service.

Books (as publisher)

References

  1. Circle Without End the Magic Circle 1905-2005 by Edwin A Dawes (2005)
  2. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=david-m-baldwin&pid=169785923&fhid=29244
  3. http://forums.geniimagazine.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=44018