Wizard Wednesday: Doug Henning

In our second Wizard Wednesday, our new series where we show photographs from the walls of our store, we bring you Doug Henning seen visiting the shop in 1976. This photo, which has been marked for cropping by its editor, accompanied a New York Times piece about Doug's favorite places in NYC. “To Mr. Henning, one of the best places to go in New York for magic things is Lou Tannen's, frequented by professional sorcerers and their apprentices. 'It's great for beginners, too,' he said as he pressed the button for the elevator that would whisk him there.” Doug eschewed the then commonplace tuxedo and bunnies, setting himself apart with his contemporary look and joyful personality. He starred in seven television specials and multiple Broadway shows, including The Magic Show, Merlin, and his eponymous World of Magic. When Doug would come to Tannen's, whether it was to obtain a prop or look for new material for an upcoming TV special, he always made a point to befriend staff and customers. When he met a kid who was a fan, he would give them advice and recommend tricks, though he insisted that magicians should strive to learn from books. His energy and attitude towards magic influenced a generation of magicians and continues to inspire us.