The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Inc (BAM) is a New Zealand-based non-for-profit organisation and

magic club A magic club is any group of local magicians who meet regularly. A club can be open to all with an interest in magic or it may be only possible to join by invite or by meeting some sort of notability criteria (e.g. professional magicians only). ...

. It was founded in 1946.

Formation and history

The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians (BAM) was founded in July 1946 in

Grey Lynn Grey Lynn is an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located to the west of the city centre. Originally a separate borough, Grey Lynn amalgamated with Auckland City in 1914. Grey Lynn is centred on Grey Lynn Park, which was not part of the ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

and was incorporated in 1979. The first president was John Mitchell. Aims and objectives of the organisation as outlined in the constitution are to promote goodwill, mutual respect and cooperation amongst active performing magicians; to instil respect and loyalty for the personal inventions, specialties and routines of fellow magicians and to enhance professionalism in all areas of the business of magic. The club presents an annual theatre show called the ''Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show'' and a charity show in October to celebrate international Houdini Day. These shows also support local charitable organisations. Patron of the BAM is New Zealand show business journalist David Hartnell MNZM. The position was previously held by international magic superstar

Paul Daniels Newton Edward Daniels (6 April 1938 – 17 March 2016), known professionally as Paul Daniels, was an English magician and television presenter. He achieved international fame through his television series ''The Paul Daniels Magic Show'', which ...

. Awarded for the top twelve minute performance, The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Cup has been competed for at national New Zealand magicians’ conventions since 1956. Published in 2021 to coincide with the anniversary year, the 210 page book ''Seventy-Five Years of Magical Excellence'' by magic historian Bernard Reid chronicles the entire history of the organisation. This combined the two previous works ''The First Twenty-Five Years'' by Ned Kelly and ''The Second Twenty-Five Years'' by Stanley Goudge along with new text from Bernard Reid to bring the narrative up to date.

Grand Master of Magic Award

The

Grand Master of Magic Award The Grand Master of Magic Award is a lifetime achievement award presented by the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Incorporated on behalf of the magicians of New Zealand. It was first awarded in 1969 and to date it has been awarded on nineteen ...

is a lifetime achievement award presented by the BAM on behalf of the magicians of New Zealand. It was first awarded in 1969 and to date it has been awarded on nineteen occasions.

Honorary Members

Several notable international touring magicians attended BAM functions and were made honorary members of the society. These include John Calvert,

Dai Vernon Dai Vernon (pronounced alternatively as "DIE" or as "DAY" as in David; June 11, 1894 – August 21, 1992), a.k.a. The Professor, was a Canadian magician. His sleight of hand technique and knowledge, particularly with card tricks and close ...

, Dick & Diana Zimmerman, Maurice Rooklyn, Virgil, Max Andrews, Vince Carmen and Edgar Benyon.

References

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External links

Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Inc Website

Comrades in Wands : The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Turns 75, The Spinoff, December 2021

Inside the Inner Circle of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Metro Magazine, Spring 2021

75 Years of Magic in Grey Lynn, Ponsonby News, March 2021

Revealing the Tricks of the Magicians' Trade, Stuff Online, 2015
Cultural organisations based in New Zealand Magic organizations Entertainment in New Zealand Performing arts in New Zealand Culture in Auckland 1946 establishments in New Zealand