Magic Worlds 2012
Hamilton Kaye, local magician.
As part of the National Fairground Archive's outreach work in the city we are collaborating with Museums Sheffield on their new exhibition - Magic Worlds - which opens in Weston Park Museum on Saturday 28th April. Magic Worlds is a National touring exhibition from the V&A Museum of Childhood and it will be at Weston Park Museum until the beginning of January 2013. The museum has borrowed various magical items from the NFA's collections including books, ephemera and photographs.
To give the exhibition a local flavour the NFA has advised the museum on where to source material and information relating to magic in Sheffield. This has included a visit to Russell Hall's magic shop in the town centre to meet and borrow items from Russell and other local magicians. We have also borrowed some fabulous items and conducted an interview with Marian Kaye who is the great Sheffield magician and collector Hamilton Kaye's widow. These items are being added to the national exhibition making it unique to Sheffield.
Another part of the NFA's work with the museum has been to fund and sponsor the public programme of activities. We have managed to book the wonderful Steve Faulkner to perform at the opening event on 28th April and also booked local magicians to perform on "Magic Saturdays" which will take place in Weston Park Museum on the first Saturday of each month.
We have organised speakers for the "Thursday lunchtime talks" which take place on the fourth Thursday of each month at Weston Park Museum. The speakers include our very own Professor Vanessa Toulmin who will talk about the magic collections in the NFA and history of fairground magic shows and Russell Hall from the magic shop who will talk about the history of magic in Sheffield. There will be other events later in the year including October half term, Halloween and Christmas.
Watch for news and updates on the NFA website and follow us on Twitter @fairarchives
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