Wyman the Wizard (John Wyman, Jr)
Today is the birthday of John Wyman, Jr. (1816-1881), one of the first American-born magician/ventriloquists, billed as “Wyman the Wizard”. A favorite entertainer of Abraham Lincoln, for a time he was managed and presented by P.T. Barnum. He was a pioneer of “gift shows”, giving door prizes to ticketholders based on number drawings. Some say he was [...]