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W.D. LeRoy

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Revision as of 19:49, 24 November 2008 by Philippe billot (Talk | contribs) (Biography)

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W. D. Le Roy (August 5, 1862 - June 10, 1919), born in LaSalle, Illinois, was a Boston area illusionist and manufacturer.

Biography

At the age nine, Le Roy moved to Chicago. Studying music and at sixteen, he visited Virginia City, Nevada, playing violin. By nineteen, he was in San Francisco teaching and playing violin. He also started studying and practicing magic, making his first appearance at the Fountain theatre.

In 1887, he visited Boston and ended up staying there. He started to manufacture magic props. By 1893, he opened his own shop and "School of Magic" at 103 Court Street, Boston, which remained his business address until his death. It was one of the largest stores at the time devoted to the sale of magical apparatus.

As a correspondent for Mahatma he wrote "Boston Items" and "Boston Notes" columns. Later was also the Boston Correspondent for The Wizard magazine.

He was very active in magic organizations. In 1895 he organized The Magic Mystics Fraternity, although it never grew past the founding members. He also organized and became the first President of The Conjurers' Club in Boston. When the Society of American Magicians was founded in 1902, Le Roy became member number 33. The MUM stated that in the first fifteen years of the SAM, he was responsible for recruiting one of every six memberships.

Le Roy stated in the December, 1902 issue of Mahatma that his recent acquisition of a conjuring library, gave him what was likely to be the largest in Boston. Le Roy was also an avid stamp collector.

Le Roy alter the spelling of his surname to "Leroy" within Mahatma in 1906, though no reason was given.

Le Roy died at his home at 10 Hancock Street, Boston, after a long illness. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetary, Glouster, Massachusetts.

References

  • Mahatma July 1895
  • A GALLERY OF EARLY DEALERS By James Hagy in Perennial Mystics Vol. 01 1983