" '- The MIhigan Daiy -eekd etC.Magazinde T ursdiy, Febrary 4, 1999 MAGIC Continued from Page 28 The second floor, in addition to housing more apparatus, accommodates the muse- um's sizeable library. Totaling nearly 10,000 volumes, the bulk of Lund's library includes tomes devoted solely to conjuring. Many visitors are unaware that the library includes volumes that make only fleeting references to magic or magi- cians. For example, a biography of Fatty Arbuckle mentions Houdini, as it was Harry Houdini who gave Arbuckle the nick-name "Fatty." Another portion of the second floor is home to the collection of books about fic- tional magicians. Horatio Alger novels that include magicians as characters sit side by side with more recent works like "The Confessor" by John Gardener. For seasoned visitors, the museum's basement is the real source of fascination. While material in the basement is not on display, there are undoubtedly more items stored there than in any other portion of the building, including the library. A long row of Steelcase filing cabinets occupies much of the floor space in the basement. Too many magic aficianadoes, their con- tents are the most valuable commodity in the entire building. Alphabetically organized, the cabinets hold files on thousands of magicians, including all the information Lund had ever gathered about a specific magician. If he owned three or more pieces of paper concerning a specific performer, amateur, collector, or magic enthusiast, a file was opened. Many of the museum's scrap- books and larger files of correspondence, ers are stored in apple boxes. The rest of the basement serves as stor- age for other major museum holdings. These include one of the largest aggrega- tions of magic sets in the world, several illusions and a major collection of unique, original typescript author's manuscripts of various magic books. Robert Lund passed away in 1995, at the age of 70. His death was a serious blow to the magic community - for near- ly 50 years he had been regarded one of the world's foremost authorities on the his- tory of magic, not to mention an outstand- ing writer. In "civilian life" Lund worked as an editor of Motor, an automotive mag- azine, and is the only writer to ever be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. A confidant of magicians both big and small, Lund shared the magic in his life with all who were interested. Robert Lund, with wife and partner Elaine, put his heart and soul into the museum. The couple worked together with a tightly knit group of four friends over a period of several years, to restore the building that now houses the collection, to its former glory. They installed the displays and made the American Museum of Magic part of their lives by moving to Marshall not long after the grand opening on April 1, 1975. Elaine Lund runs the Museum, just as she and Robert did together. It is open by appointment and typically only available to serious researchers and magicians. Elaine Lund's vision of the future is far- reaching -she plans for the institution to outlive us all. For anyone fascinated in conjuring and its remarkable history, the American Museum of Magic is, and always will be, the happiest place on earth. ISpring Break "991 Spring Break Coupon ALL ~~0 Hn~n to tha ~s~a TRIPS INCLUDE: TAKE $50 OFF ; Round trip Air I YOUR VACATION RT Transfers I WITH THIS AD Staff Assistance L_--------------------. Free Side Excursion Hotel Accomodations0 From Party Pack 21 Hours of Free Drinks '0" rsA " 1 home To Te un rea er Cancun 's only parou of open bar and 2 T-shirts! GBt rajurFor the Daily Houdini exhibits make up a sizeable portion of Museum displays. In the foreground stands the great "self-liberator's" original "Milk Can" escape. f 4 - A St lie IS HIRING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES For the Spring/Summer 1999 and Fall 99/Winter 2000 Semesters The Michigan Daily will give you the opportunity to gain valuable business experience in display advertising. As an Account Executive, you will sell advertising to local and national busi- nesses, manage your own account terri- tory, create ad copy and layout, and earn commission-based pay. a BOOK & SUPPLY 317 SOUTH'STATE STREET Application DEAD] Wednesday, February 24 FEB. 1 -5, 1999 top by th LINE 1, 1999 g at 420 Maynar ormation he Student Publications Buildin or call 764-0662 for more info 1lam-4pm y HERFFJONES !, ! T. T- ......... .