Wandsworth Times
·Aug 2026
Belsize Park Blue Plaque to Magic Circle Founder David Devant
A heritage blue plaque in Belsize Park commemorates David Devant, a leading theatrical magician and founding president of The Magic Circle. Devant created celebrated illusions, helped elevate stage magic into a sophisticated art form, and introduced moving pictures to UK audiences with a Theatrograph screening at London’s Egyptian Hall in March 1896. He later expanded into touring film presentations, appeared in early films, authored instructional works, and influenced The Magic Circle’s museum and awards. He retired in 1920 after ill health and died in 1941; he is buried in Highgate Cemetery.