Milbourne Christopher (1914-1984) was the preeminent historian of magic
in the U.S., and before his death, he amassed one of the largest magic
libraries in the world. George P. Hansen cataloged the collection,
and the catalog was published in the two volumes at the right.
Christopher was an esteemed performer, writer, and
consultant on conjuring. He performed the world over, and in 1957
he arranged The Festival of Magic, one of the very first television magic
specials.
Christopher edited M-U-M, the monthly magazine
of the Society of American Magicians. He also authored innumerable
books, articles, and columns on conjuring.
Christopher had an active interest in the paranormal,
and in the 1970s he served as a consultant to Stanford Research Institute's
investigation of psychic phenomena, which was funded by U.S. intelligence
agencies. He wrote three books on psychic topics: ESP, Seers &
Psychics (1970); Mediums, Mystics & the Occult (1975); and
Search
for the Soul (1979).
The Milbourne Christopher Foundation, under the direction
of his wife, Maurine Brooks Christopher, continues to contribute to the
magic fraternity. The foundation has an active book publication program,
and annually gives awards for magic writing and performing.