The Guardian

Summer of magic: David Copperfield exhibits his collection of wonders

In a new exhibit, artefacts from the magician’s personal collection are on display
A turban, on display at the New-York Historical Society, belonging to the magician Alexander the Man Who Knows. Photograph: Homer Liwag/David Copperfield

Those attending the press preview of the New York Historical Society’s latest exhibition expected a tour of David Copperfield’s personal collection of magic paraphernalia, widely regarded to be the biggest and most comprehensive such archive in the world. What we didn’t expect, however, was a tour guided by Copperfield himself, who emerged from behind a lectern in the museum’s vestibule, in the sleek all-black ensemble he often wears onstage, to unveil Summer of Magic: Treasures from the David Copperfield Collection.

Both an ode to the rich history of magic in New York

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