John Giordmaine

Born Giovanni Nicola Giordmaina
September 26, 1898
Rabato on the Island of Malta

Died January 19, 1974 (age 75)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality Canadian

John Giordmaine (1898-1974) was one of Canada's most beloved children's magician.

Biography
Born Giovanni Nicola Giordmaina in Malta, he immigrated to Canada in 1919. He started as an electrician, but went onto a successful career as a professional magician after a serious injury in an electrical accident.

He became friends with Sid Lorraine who got him to join the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He changed his name to Giordmaine to rhyme with legerdemain.

In the late 1930s, Giordmaine worked at The Arcade Magic and Novelty Shop and the T. Eaton Company of Toronto. While at Eaton's toy department during the 1940s, he developed and sold a magic kit.

He became the first magician on television in 1933 and appeared on the Howdy-Doody show, Captain Kangaroo, Paul Winchell's Circus Time. He had been described as "the world's greatest little magician artist" in an early television show for children.

Giordmaine was a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1957 and played the New York World's Fair.

His Comedy Rope Trick can be found in Stewart James' Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks, Vol. 2 (1968) and his The Stamp Album: Magic Coloring Book in Tarbell Course in Magic, Volume 4.[1][2] [3][4]

A 30-minute documentary film directed by York Professor Laurence Green documentary film about his life was called "Sleight of Hand".[5]

Awards
IBM Star of Magic Award (1963)[6]
References
↑ The Sphinx, Vol. 31, No. 12, February 1932, Who’s Who in Magic, page 496
↑ Cover, Genii Magazine, Vol. 28, No. 9, May 1964, Our Cover, John Giordmaine "The Guy Magician", by WWL (Jr.), page 319
↑ Genii Magazine, Vol. 37, No. 10, October 1973, Obituary, John Giordmaine, page 431
↑ http://canadianmagiciansarchive.homestead.com/G.html
↑ Tribute site
↑ http://www.johngiordmaine.com/Page%2047.html
Cover, The Linking Ring, Vol. 15, No. 2, April 1935, John Giordmaine, page 96
Cover, Tops Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 10, October 1945, John Giordmaine - "The Gay Magician", page 4
Cover, M-U-M, Vol. 41, No. 6, November 1951, Johnny Giordmaine, magician-of-the-month, by Leslie P. Guest, page 152
Goodliffe's Abracadabra, Vol. 45, No. 1151, February 1968, Robert Lund .. Detroit, Johnny Giordmaine, page 99
Cover, The Linking Ring, Vol. 54, No. 3, March 1974, Our Cover, John Giordmaine 1898-1974, by Sid Lorraine, page 63; Broken Wand, John Giordmaine, by Elizabeth Warlock, page 104
The Magic Circular, Vol. 68, No. 751, March-April 1974, Obituary, JOHN GIORDMAINE, by Bruce Posgate, page 68
The New Tops, Vol. 14, No. 3, March 1974, Final Curtain, John Giordmaine, page 20
The Linking Ring, Vol. 89, No. 2, February 2009, Pictures from the Pasts, page 22; Answers to Pictures from the Past – from page 22 - John Giordmaine, page 91