Sam Berland

Born

Samuel Berland
October 1, 1903
Poltava, Russia



Died

May 27, 1987 (age 83)
Chicago


Samuel Berland (1907-1987) was a magic dealer and inventor of popular effects and routines, especially using thimbles and dice.





Contents
1 Biography
2 Awards and honors
3 Innovations
4 Books
5 References


Biography

During his life he invented more than 100 effects including the popular "Devil's Dollar" and wrote some 13 books on tricks and illusions.

By 1920 Berland and friend Harry Faber were being published by Sphinx Magazine, using the by-line, The Faberlands.

Starting in 1925, he opened the Princess Magic Shop in Chicago, Illinois with partners Faber and Joe Berg, so named because it was in the same building as the Princess Theater, in Chicago's Loop. Berland was also the founder of the Berland Printing Co. in the late 30s in Chicago.

Also with Joe Berg, they were among the founding members of the The Wizard's Club in Chicago, an organization for magicians.

Many of Berland's silk magic effects are included in Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic. He was featured in the Genii 1973 March, Vol 37, #3 issue.

Awards and honors
In 1986 he received the Creative Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts.
The IBM Ring No. 43 The Harlen Tarbell Ring in Chicago Illinois, gives out the Sam Berland trophy for creativity each year.

Innovations
Sucker Cigarette Box (in Novel Cigarette Tricks)

Books
Novel Cigarette Tricks (1934)
Twenty Tricks with Wiztax (1941)
Amazing Tricks with Paper Cups (1942)
Tricks with Watches (1942)
The Book of Routines (1950)
Berland's Thimble Act (1954)
New Applause Winning Tricks (1956)
Berland’s Tricks and Routines (1963)
Tricks for Today and Tomorrow (1970)
The Magic of Sam Berland (1986)


References
http://www.wizardsclubofchicago.com/history
Cover Genii, Vol. 10, No. 10, June 1946, SAM BERLAND, page 332
Cover Genii 1973 March
M-U-M, Vol. 68, No. 6, November 1978, SAM BERLAND magician-of-the-month by John U. Zweers, page 10
Obit Genii, Vol. 50, No. 12, June 1987, Samuel Berland, page 887
M-U-M, Vol. 77, No. 2, July 1987, BROKEN WANDS, page 33
Obit The Linking Ring, Vol. 67, No. 8, August 1987, SAMUEL BERLAND, page 106