Magic Exhibit at New York Public Library

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is hosting an exhibit called Mystery and Wonder: a Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City, and it has been 15 years in the making.

A decade-and-a-half ago, curator Annemarie van Roessel first started working for the library. “One of the very first collections that came across my desk, almost literally that first week, was the collection of Dr. Saram Ellison,” she told THE EYE. Ellison was one of the cofounders of the SAM, and in the 1910s he bequeathed his extensive collection of books, scrapbooks, wands, and other artifacts to NYPL. “I started opening Ellison’s scrapbooks and my mind was blown,” van Roessel continued. “They were so extraordinary. They were windows into a moment in New York history and performing arts history, and magic history.”

Ellison’s collection held almost 500 rare books and 24 scrapbooks, many of which make up the exhibit’s 300 artifacts on display. It was the start, but not the end, of NYPL’s collection of magic; several posters made their way to the library over the decades, as well as additional books and materials. Van Roessel, in fact, was originally going to start with putting the library’s impressive magic poster collection on display, but realized there was an opportunity to do more: “I really wanted to tell the story of the Golden Age of magic, specifically here in New York City, and the community of magicians and enthusiasts who flourished in that moment because of this incredible social network.”

The exhibition is in NYPL’s Astor Gallery and is divided into three spaces. Visitors will first enter what van Roessel calls “the Ellison den.” That room introduces Ellison and his collection; several of his rare books are on display, including the first magic book printed in the U.S. (an edition of 1805’s The Expositor by William Pinchbeck), and his scrapbooks, which include letters from Houdini, Harry Kellar, Will Goldston, notes from the first SAM meeting in April 1902, and more. “A lot of these letters are also pointing to another aspect of Ellison’s collection, which was his famous wand collection,” van Roessel added, explaining that these well-known magicians were sending Ellison their wands.

The next room focuses on the history of magic shops in New York City and how they served as a locus of communication during the Golden Age. It starts with the Martinkas, who took a shine to Ellison, connected him with other magicians, and also hosted the first SAM meetings in their shop, and goes on from there. 

The last and largest room showcases major names in magic at the time through various artifacts and 48 lithographic posters from around 1875 to the early ‘40s—some are the only copies known in existence, including one of Adelaide Herrmann and two of Leon Herrmann. In addition to Adelaide, magicians featured include Anna Eva Fay, Alexander Herrmann, Harry Kellar, Thurston, the Zancigs, Talma, Harry Blackstone Sr., Dante, Dell O’Dell, and Horace Goldin, just to name a few. 

“What I want people to understand is how much material is here at the library that exists here for everyone,” van Roessel said. On the magic front, NYPL is delivering on that promise.

The exhibit, which runs from February 12 to July 11, 2026, is self-guided, though there will be curator tours that people can sign up for on NYPL’s website. The library is also hosting programming around the event, including a theatrical production of Houdini Speaks to the Living on March 6, Margaret Steele performing Queen of Magic, An Homage to Madame Adelaide Herrmann on April 17, and on May 15, a screening of Houdini’s The Grim Game with a live piano accompaniment by Makia Matsumura.

Photos courtesy of the Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts