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You searched for: More Like: 'The magic of the Lairig Ghru'
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A School of Dolphins: Magic at Central Library
2185 Our dolphin is designed around Magic Mouth language therapy which supports children with Specific Language Impairment. It's a fun strategy we teach children.
All the red sounds on Magic are lip sounds because lips are red.
All the blue sounds on Magic are made using your pointy tongue.
All yellow sounds on Magic are made at the back of our tongue.
All the green sounds are vowels.
Being able to listen to one sound at a time and being able to explain where it is made is an important skill for helping children to achieve clearer speech and is a foundation skill for literacy. Walford Bodie
2996 In the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, at the height of music hall variety, Dr Walford Bodie M.D. was one of the most famous and highly paid entertainers in Britain.
He remains an enigmatic and charismatic figure in the history of the North East. Born Samuel Murphy Bodie at 33 George Street, Aberdeen on 11 June 1869, he was the son of a journeyman baker called William Bodie and his wife Margaret and received his education at Robert Gordon's College.
He went on to become a leading showman, hypnotist, ventriloquist, controversial 'bloodless surgeon' and was billed variously as The Electric Wizard, The Modern Miracle Worker of the North, and The Most Remarkable Man on the Earth.
At Aberdeen City Libraries we hold a family photograph album that offers an insight into the life and times of Bodie and his amazing family.
The inscription on this image reads "To Dear Nan with Fondest Love Sam". Jeannie Henry Bodie a.k.a. Princess Rubie
2997 In 1890 the magician Walford Bodie married Jeannie Henry (1869-1931), eldest daughter of David Henry (1839-1903), a road surveyor from Macduff, and Margaret Skene Henry (1843-1912). Jeannie performed with Walford as an illusionist and mind-reader called Princess Rubie until her retirement in 1930.
Jeannie was one of as many of eight daughters and four of them went on to play important parts in the Bodie show. One of her sisters was Annie "Nan" Henry (1880-1970) and this image comes from an album of hers we hold at Aberdeen City Libraries. Isabella Henry as La Belle Electra
2998 Isabella Henry was famous to the theatrical world as La Bella Electra. For a long time she was Walford Bodie's foremost performing assistant.
As part of the act she would have electricity passed through her body to illuminate arc lights in her mouth or to be dramatically emitted from her fingertips.
She also regularly faced death by electric chair. This image comes from an album of her sister, Annie Henry, held by Aberdeen City Libraries.
Isabella also performed as a chorus comedienne under the name Miss Bella Skene, and signed the postcards to her sister as "Lib". Isabella died in Glasgow in 1919 aged 42. Annie "Nan" Henry
2999 Annie "Nan" Henry (1880-1970) was one of the Henry sisters who worked with the magician Walford Bodie.
We hold a photograph album of hers at Aberdeen City Libraries. A handwritten inscription inside the front cover reads "To My Dear Sister 'Nurse Nan', From her loving Sis Loo, With Fondest Love." The inscription is dated 8 April 1912. "Loo" is Louisa Henry (1888-1912).
The album is a large volume, bound in dark green leather. The volume has seen damage over the years and now lacks some of this intriguing covering. Within floral endpapers is around 101 pages each containing approximately three photographs. The images are a mixture of postcards and photographic prints. Most appear to have been sent to Nan Henry while she was living in the Bodie family home in Macduff. Many have signed endearments on front and carry short messages on the reverse.
The life of variety performers was one of perpetual travel and many of the postcards are clearly missives sent back home. The majority of the images are studio portraits but there are also some outdoor scenes and views of home life in MacDuff. While it is difficult to establish exact information, the images look to date primarily from the 1910s with some perhaps reaching into the following two decades. As the album progresses we see new people, uniformed individuals clearly off to World War I and children who are likely to be the next generation of the family. Mary Walford Henry
3001 Mary Walford Henry, who worked for six years as a musical director and performer in the Walford Bodie Show under the name "Mystic Marie". Known as The Real Trilby, in reference to George du Maurier's 1895 scandalous hypnosis based novel, or The Human Marconigraph, Marie's specialism was mental telepathy and by all accounts she was a hugely popular performer. She sadly died aged 21 from tuberculosis in 1906.
This photograph comes from a family photograph album, originally owned by Annie "Nan" Henry, held by Aberdeen City Libraries. Aberdeen Theatres: The Great Wizard of the North
3389 A George Washington Wilson portrait of John Henry Anderson (1814-1874), better known as "The Great Wizard of the North." Anderson, born at Craigmile, Kincardine, was the foremost Scottish magician of the 19th century and achieved considerable world renown. Harry Houdini called him "unique in the annals of magic as a doer of daring things." He is buried in the graveyard of St. Nicholas Kirk in central Aberdeen. Treasure 37: George Kemp Lantern Slides Collection
206 2016 is the year of Innovation, Architecture and Design in Scotland and we will be highlighting some innovative items from our archive and collections throughout the year. This month we are showcasing Aberdeen City Libraries' unique collection of George Kemp lantern slides.
Lantern slides were manufactured in the mid-19th Century and were small pieces of glass featuring a painted image and measuring 3 ΒΌ inches square. A suitable light source and a combination of lenses created the 'magic lantern', also known as an optical lantern.
Dating back to the 17th Century, optical lanterns enlarged small images painted on glass and projected them onto a screen or wall, just as the slide projector does today.
Our lantern slide collection belonged to George Kemp, a native of Aberdeen and Town Council member at the turn of the 20th Century. Mr Kemp served in the council for 25 years from 1890 and as Governor of Robert Gordon's College from 1892. Upon his death in 1914, George Kemp's extensive collection of lantern slides was donated to the public library and is currently stored in Aberdeen Central Library. His obituary, published in the Aberdeen Journal, 26 October 1914, mentions the collection:
"[He] did much to preserve memories of ancient Aberdeen landmarks by his industry in collecting views, which he used in illustrating his admirable lecture on "Vanished and Vanishing Aberdeen", a lecture which has given delight to many audiences. He spent a good deal of money in making this interesting collection which he publicly stated his intention of leaving to the library for public purposes, and never to be broken up. The collection extends to over 500 slides."
The minutes of the Public library Committee from 1914-15 references the donation:
"The slides are now available in separate boxes in the Reference Department, and may be borrowed by any one who wishes to lecture on the subject. It may be expected that the value of the collection will increase with time, and although they may not be borrowed much for the present the possession of these historical slides by the Library will be a real educational asset to the city." (In Aberdeen Public Library. Thirsty-first annual report of the Committee for the year 1914-1915. Aberdeen: Central Press (John Milne), [1915], pages 8-9).
Treasure 80: The Great Wizard of the North's Hand-Book of Natural Magic by John Henry Anderson
291 Ninety years since the Aberdeen Magical Society was founded, we feature a rare edition of the Hand-book of Natural Magic written and published by the famous 'Wizard of the North', John Henry Anderson, one of the best magicians of the 19th Century.
The book reveals 128 experiments "adapted for performance at the parlour or drawing-room table or fire-side? practicable without expensive chemical or mechanical apparatus".
The book features tricks such as The Conjuror's Table, The Gun Trick, and The Self-Balancing Pail, in addition to a number of card tricks and ruses.
For nearly forty years of his life, John Henry Anderson baffled appreciative audiences with his popular performances, which often featured advanced and intricate props. The 'Wizard of the North' travelled around the world delighting audiences in many countries, including Australia and America.
John Henry Anderson died in February 1874 and was buried alongside his mother Mary Robertson, in Mither Kirk graveyard in Aberdeen. He had many imitators and the great Houdini himself said he was one of his mentors. Houdini paid his respects to John Henry Anderson when he visited the Granite City in 1909.
In 1930, the Aberdeen Magical Society arranged to have the gravestone of Professor Anderson restored "as a mark of respect to this past-master in the art of conjuring entertainment" (Press and Journal, 8 August 1930).
Explore the life and work of the great wizard, and find out more about Aberdeen Magical Society in our interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries. The Bodie Electric Drug Company
395 Macduff magician Walford Bodie signed a lucrative sponsorship deal which saw the creation of The Bodie Electric Drug Company of London and the production of 'Dr Bodie's Famous Electric Liniment' and 'Dr Bodie's Renowned Electric Life Pills', advertised variously as the only sure cure for all manner of conditions. This advert is from the Evening Express of 2nd June 1907. Professor Anderson at the Royal Lyceum Theatre
424 A programme/advertisement for performances of John Henry Anderson (1814-1874) at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, London in November 1855.
Anderson, better known as "The Great Wizard of the North", was born at Craigmyle in Kincardine and became a prominent 19th century magician.
This large programme (50 x 26 cm) details the various acts in the performance and those involved. Most of the performers are given exotic pseudonyms like Hermes Trismagistus, the Wizard of Greece. The Wizard of Scotland, however, is simply called Michael Scott.
The other side of the programme features a reprinted article about Anderson from The Times of 4th September 1855 and one on 'Spiritualism in London' from the Hartford Times of 10th August. Wizard of the North! A Tale.
500 This broadside is an advertisement for seeing the performance of the Wizard of the North. The Wizard of the North was the stage-name for the magician John Henry Anderson (14th July 1814 to 5th February 1874).
The text purports to tell a tale. It takes the reader to Crail, a port-town in Fife. In Crail lived John Tamson (likely an arbitrary name akin to John Smith) and his wife Janet. Out of boredom, Janet suggests that the two visit the town 'Auld Reekie' (also known as Edinburgh), for she had read in books of magical beasts and wizards residing there.
The two thus departed for Auld Reekie. After wondering around the town for a while, John saw an advertisement for the Wizard off the North. Janet recalls tales of the wizard being dark and satanic. Janet says that they should visit him. John is against the idea for fear of his dark magic. Janet points out that the Queen saw him, so they may as well. They decided to go. The two were dazzled by the magic performed in the show. |