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Max Sterling

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Max Sterling
BornJohn George Englehart MacLachlan
1870
DiedNovember 18, 1941
Resting placeBroadhembury Churchyard, Devonshire, UK
Known forSterling Egg Trick
CategoriesBooks by Max Sterling

Max Sterling (1870 - 1941) Publisher, editor and performer who presented an original and artistic act entitled "The Magic of Japan" comprising of production and transformation effects, accomplished by pure sleight-of hand.

Biography

The high-spot of his act was juggling a ball of torn paper on a fan which gradually changed into an egg.

Max Sterlings act, ‘The Magic of Japan’ used a ‘special’ egg[1] that Sterling specially developed and is still in use today. One of British televisions first magicians, David Nixon, used it on ‘Showtime’ to produce an egg in a brandy glass.[2]

Sterling, whose real name was John George Englehart MacLachlan, started out as a war correspondent covering the Boer War in South Africa. Instantly recognised by his grand navel beard and gleaming pince-nez, Sterling was quick to anger, with his artistic temperament occasionally getting the better of him. Describing himself as a ‘free-lance in magic’ he successfully produced one of the first magical weekly magazines, The Magical World from 1910 to 1911.

From 1911 to 1913 Sterling was under contract to Servais Le Roy at the City Magical Company in Hatton Garden, London, where he was the editor for Servais Le Roy’s Magical Monthly. Le Roy also ‘loaned’ Sterling to Harry Cameron, the Great Carmo, with the view to producing Carmo’s new act.

In 1913-14 Sterling then published Magical World, New Series.[3] As shown in his writing, Sterling was always keen to ensure that the originator or owner of a trick or effect was always attributed with the correct compensation. He was also on the executive committee of the Variety Artists' Federation.[4]

In 1916 while performing ‘The Magic of Japan’, at the Granville theatre in Walham Green, all the lights went out; with the fear of a bomb or Zeppelin attack in their minds the audience became restless. Sterling immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation and to allay the panic which would have ensued called out in his cheeriest tone,

“Don’t go away, I had this done so that I could deceive you more easily!”

and then he continued with more witticisms. The audience began to laugh; many thought that the darkness was indeed part of the magician’s joke. Eventually the lights were restored and the audience realised that the performer had averted a potential disaster by keeping them in their seats and avoiding a dangerous rush to the doors. At this point the audience spontaneously gave Mr Sterling a resounding ovation; this was later echoed by the management of the Granville who were grateful for the magician’s presence of mind on what could have proved a potentially perilous occasion.[5]

Editor

Sterling was editor of these Magic Periodicals:

Books

References

  1. Grimshaw, Bayard. “About the Great Carmo Egg History.” Genii 1981 December: 799–800.
  2. Goodiffe, ed. “News, Reviews and Things.” Abracadabra 30, no. 774 (1960): 306.
  3. Naldrett, P. “The Late Max Sterling.” The Magic Circular 36 (1941): 96–97.
  4. Sterling, Max. “Between Ourselves.” The Magical World, New Series 1, no. 1 (1913): 4.
  5. Irving, B. “The Doings of Magicians in England and Other Countries.” The Magician Monthly 12 (May 1916): 86.