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Sid Lorraine was, among other things, a magician, artist, filmmaker, historian, and humorist. Born Sidney Johnson in St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, England in 1905, he immigrated to Toronto, Canada with his family in 1914.
Sid Lorraine (April 24, 1905 - October 15, 1989 ) was born Sidney Richard Johnson in England, but emigrated to Canada. His magic name was inspired by his attraction to the words Alsace-Lorraine (a territory in France).
He was a commercial artist and amateur magician. Lorraine was deeply involved with our International Brotherhood of Magicians from its beginnings in 1922 and was named "official artist" in 1925. He was a founding member on I.B.M. Ring 17 of Toronto and a member of the Order of Merlin Excalibur.
Biography
Lorraine knew Doug Henning when Doug was a teenager and acted as adviser on Spellbound. Lorraine also wrote the prospectus for Henning when applying for his Canada Council grant.
During the late 1920s and into the 1930s, he appeared on Canadian radio as "The Magical Chatterbox."
Lorraine created many effects including Created Snakes Alive, The Liquor Cards and Thumb Fun. He also invented the Slop Shuffle.
Sid was expert in the use of a Troublewit. However not magical it was a joy to watch in his hands.
In 1926, he attended the first I.B.M. Convention in Ohio and met Percy Abbott, which brought about him doing a monthly column in the initial issue of Abbott's TOPS magazine. Eventually became the book reviewer for New Tops and also wrote columns for the Linking Ring. Sid drew thousands of illustrations for Abbott catalogs and publications. He illustrated Stewart James' rope encyclopedia.
He was considered as a "historical encyclopedia of magic " by John Booth. See The Linking Ring, Vol. 16, no. 6, August 1936, page 458
Sid was not only a professional entertainer, acting as a comedic magician and master of ceremonies in variety theatre and private concerts in and around Toronto, but he was also a dedicated amateur, passionate about magic and a fixture at magic conventions and magic societies. Because he straddled both camps – the professional and the amateur – and two continents, Europe and North America, Sid was the hub of the wheel for much magic of the twentieth century. He passed away on October 15, 1989.
Two years ago David Ben, Artistic Director of Magicana, acquired the bulk of Sid’s magic collection from Sid’s wife, Rene Johnson. David found amongst many buried treasures, Sid’s handwritten memoirs. Magicana is pleased to parcel out these memoirs – augmented with images and ephemera from Sid’s archives –
as Sid’s Blog: The Magical Chatterbox.
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