H. (Harold) Adrian Smith was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on September 17, 1908 to Alvin H. Smith and Jennie Bryant. He became interested in magic as a young boy, and his magic performances helped to pay for his tuition to Brown University. He earned a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, graduating in 1930 and continued performing as a magician throughout Southern New England. Smith married Anna Fuller, and moved to North Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1934. In 1941 Smith enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps, serving on the Okinawa campaign. He was discharged in 1946, and immediately resumed his magic career.
An avid collector of magic memorabilia, Smith also became an internationally known bibliographer of conjuring literature and author of four books on conjuring and mnemonics. In the course of time, the H. Adrian Smith Collection of Conjuring Books and Magicana become one of the finest private collections of magicana in the world. A frequent contributor to books and periodicals in the United States and abroad, he served as editorial consultant to The Journal of Magic History and was elected to the Magic Hall of Fame in October 1976. Mr. Smith was a member of the Inner Magic Circle of London; national president, Society of American Magicians from 1940-1941; international president, International Brotherhood of Magicians in 1948; past president New England Council of Magicians; and past president, New England Magic Collectors Association. In 1988, he became one of the first recipients of the William Williams Award presented in recognition of his many years of outstanding service to Brown University Library. Upon his death in 1992, Smith bequeathed his library, including his personal correspondence and photographs, to Brown University. He is buried in the Smith family plot at Riverside Cemetery in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Citation: Books at Brown, Volume 34, 1987
The Smith Magic Objects Collection offers a rare look into the life of a practicing magician. The collection contains a number of the objects and props employed in Smith’s performances, most of which are in good condition. Additionally, the collection contains a number of objects belonging to other prominent magicians that were collected by Smith during his lifetime, including items that were previously owned by Howard Thurston and Harry Kellar. Many of the magic tricks include detailed instructions, and some are still in their original packaging. Others appear to be homemade. A practitioner of close-up magic, Smith owned a number of decks of cards, props for sleight of hand tricks, and silk cloths. He also owned a number of wands, constructed for various purposes from different materials.
Of particular interest are the various awards and commemorative objects in the collection. Although not remembered as a famous magician, Smith made a name for himself in his own right. He was one of the few people to ever achieve the presidency of both the International Brotherhood of Magicians and of the Society of American Magicians. He was also a member of a number of smaller organizations pertaining to magic and magic collecting. His collection contains a number of medals, trophies, and buttons, representing these affiliations, most of them dated with reference to the conference at which they were obtained. The collection also contains a number of decorative objects of a magical nature. There are a number of porcelain statuettes featuring rabbits and magicians, as well as several decorative boxes and two heavy mugs carved to resemble skulls. There are also several objects that appear to be innocuous, but contain hidden abilities; one, a bronze statue of a french conjuror, has moveable pieces, enabling the conjuror to actually “perform” his trick. This magician appears several times within the collection, once as a trophy, and another time on a holiday card.
Of special significance is the Keller head, a large, delicate prop used in the famous “Blue Room” illusion by Harry Keller. The head is a remarkable likeness of the magician’s own, and was used to allow him to move to another area of the trick while appearing to remain in the same place. Its presence in this collection is remarkable; it is a valuable piece of magic history.
The objects in this series fall into a number of categories, but most pertain to magic tricks and were used in performances. There are a number of props and small tricks with instructions for close-up magic, including decks of cards, coins, and various balls. There are also a number of wands of various sizes and materials, some commemorative. Other objects in the series include magical memorabilia, various items that represent magicians or certain tricks that were not used in performances. Many more items appear unrelated to magic, but have been maintained because their significance is not apparent. These include several cribbage boards because Smith was a avid cribbage player. Several items once belonged to prominent magicians, and were acquired by Smith for his personal collection of memorabilia.
H. Adrian Smith Magic Objects collection, Ms. 2011.001, Brown University Library.
The objects have been divided into six series and are stored according to size. Each object was assigned a unique item number.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 24 hours advance notice.
Gift of the estate of H. Adrian Smith in 1992.
See also:
A list of all the books and published materials in the Smith Magic Collection can be accessed through the Brown University Library online catalog. To see the list, search for the term “Smith Magic Collection (Brown University)”.