The Sphinx (subtitled: An Independent Magazine for Magicians) was a magic-related US periodical published from March 1902 through March 1953.
Contents
History and profile
The magazine was started in Chicago by William Hilliar and moved to Missouri in 1904 when a Kansas City physician, 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 Conjurers' Monthly Magazine in competition to The Sphinx, but they went out of business after only two years.
The 28 years of Dr. Wilson's ownership, the magazine covered one of the golden ages of magic. Vaudeville was at its height, bringing a variety of 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 become the official organ of the Society of American Magicians.
When Wilson died in April 1930, William Larsen had entertained hopes of taking over The Sphinx. Instead, that honor went to John Mulholland of New York.
Annemann attempts to buy the Sphinx in 1938 can be seen in his Jinx magazine.
Some of the many contributors over the years were: Theodore Annemann, Al Baker, Milbourne Christopher, Joseph Dunninger, Robert Harbin, Ed Marlo, John Scarne, Harlan Tarbell and Martin Gardner (his first publication, at age 16).
A complete set would contain 52 volumes, 597 issues, and almost 17,000 pages.