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The Sphinx

An Independent Magazine for Magicians

Various dates

Various Condition

See photographs

The Sphinx the long established independent journal of the magical arts that ran from March 1902 to March 1953.

First issue by A. M. Wilson

It started in Chicago, Illinois by William Hilliar and moved to Missouri in 1904 when the Kansas City physician, Dr. A. M. Wilson, took over as editor (Vol. 3 No. 8). The number of pages per issue varied from twelve to fifty or more.

In 1906, Houdini started his own magazine partly in an effort to disparage and destroy The Sphinx, but the Conjurers' Monthly Magazine went out of business after only two years.

The 28 years of Dr. Wilson's ownership, the magazine covered one of golden ages of magic. Vaudeville was at it's height, bringing a variety magicians from all over the world to the larger cities of North America.

With Volume 1 Number 9, "The Sphinx" became the western organ of the Society of American Magicians and starting with Volume 8, it becomes the official organ of the Society of American Magicians.

Dr. Wilson died in April of 1930. William Larsen, who had idolized the doctor, had entertained hopes of taking over The Sphinx. Instead, that honor went to John Mulholland of New York. Mulholland established The Sphinx Publishing Corporation in New York City to assume the liability of producing the The Sphinx magazine around 1930.

Annemann attempts to buy the Sphinx in 1938 can be seen in his Jinx magazine (No. 95, No. 114, and No. 115).

Some of the many contributors over the years were: Ted Annemann, Al Baker, Fred Braue, Milbourne Christopher, Joseph Dunninger, Ade Duval, Karrell Fox, Robert Harbin, Guy Jarrett, Dr. Stanley Jaks, Ed Marlo, John Scarne and Harlan Tarbell.

A complete set would contain 52 volumes, 597 issues, and almost 17,000 pages.

Another magazine about the same time frame and longevity, but published in the UK was the Magic Wand.