The World of 1936

It was an Olympic year, and Jesse Owens would win the 100-meter dash in the first Olympics that was broadcast live, from Hitlers Berlin Germany. Later in the year the Berlin/Rome axis would be formed while Japans Emperor Hirohito would execute 19 Japanese conspirators as the world began taking sides for World War 2. A female reporter named Margaret Mitchell, known for interviewing Civil War soldiers for newspapers and magazines, published a book based on these interviews called "Gone with the Wind". Max Schmeling would knock out Joe Louis in the 12th round in New York while in Moscow "Peter and the Wolf" debuts at the Nezlobin Theater in the Soviet Union.

But before any of these events in 1936 would occur, an Australian magician named Percy Abbott and his partner Recil Bordner had an idea in a small Michigan town called Colon. In January of 1936 their magic shop "Abbott Magic" printed "An Independent Magazine of Magic" called "Tops". The magazine was printed on a monthly basis on a press that was purchased from Frank Damon (who was publisher of the Colon Express, the local newspaper). Percy Abbott was the editor until 1941, when he was succeeded by Mel Melson (who did many of the illustrations in the Abbott magic catalog). The magazine was a big hit, being reasonably priced at $1 per year and you did not have to belong to a magic fraternity to subscribe. The magazine was about 40 to 60 pages in length and was filled with articles written by magicians giving instructions for performing their favorite tricks and illusions; gripe and advice columns; advertisements for all types of tricks and magic; and written materials concerning the presentation of magic.

The last issue of Tops was made in March 1957, Percy Abbott would pass on in 1960.

In the pages that follow you will find the complete 1st issue of Tops from January 1936.