Howard Thurston
Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1869, Howard Thurston was one of America's greatest magicians. He ran away from home and performed in a circus sideshow. The first magician Thurston saw was Bro. Alexander Herrmann, the then reigning "King of Magic." Thurston was determined to match the style of his idol, but he briefly studied for the ministry before taking up a magician's wand.

With a small show Thurston first toured the United States . Eventually he toured Europe with his Europeon Vaudeville Show; this put him on the path to magical fame. Having done well financially in Europe, Thurston was able to build an illusion show which he took around the world. He took his show to Australia, India, and the Orient. Thurston then returned to the United States to to become Harry Kellar's new successor.

Thurston performed only a few of Kellar's illusions while making full use of the fame that came from being Kellar's successor. He produced lavish shows, utilizing beautiful women and comedy where Kellar had more formal presentations. New effects were added every year as old ones took a rest. Thurston's original fame rested on card manipulations, but his later reputation was built with large stage illusions.

Towards the end of his career, Thurston presented a scaled-down version of his famous show in conjunction with a feature film; a movie and a magic show for one price! His last years on the stage were during the difficult times of the Great Depression, but from 1908, when he succeeded Harry Kellar, until 1936, the year of his death, Howard Thurston was the top magician in the United States.