Lester Lake Magic Collection
SPEC.TRI.LLM
Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
2.3 Cubic feet
1926-1974
Lester “Marvelo” Lake (1904-1977) was an American magician from Indiana who performed under the stage name “The Great Marvelo” during 1925-1960. Lake became an associate of Abbot’s Magic Company in Michigan during his career and is credited with inventing or improving over 300 magic tricks. The Lester Lake Magic Collection includes correspondence, business cards, tax return forms, insurance papers, bills, newspaper clippings, programs, tickets, greeting cards, programs, advertisement flyers, caricatures of Lester Lake, and drawings; materials date from 1926-1974.
(2) 5" legal document boxes; (1) carton; (1) oversize folder
English
Lake, Lester
Arrangement of Materials
This collection is unprocessed. Materials are arranged in the order received.
Acquisitions Information
Purchased, date unknown; Accession No. TRI.2014.0043: Purchased, 2014 April
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], Lester Lake Magic Collection, SPEC.TRI.LLM, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University
Access to Materials
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.
Use of Materials
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processing Information
This collection is unprocessed; Finding aid written by: Beth Kattelman, 2012 May; Beth Crowner, 2019 August
Biographical Note
Lester “Marvelo” Lake (1904-1977) was an American magician from Indiana who performed under the stage name “The Great Marvelo” during 1925-1960. Lake lived in New Trenton, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio. He performed and toured throughout United States at different locations such as theatres, circuses, and schools, as well as for soldiers during World War II. Lake produced the first modern guillotine illusion and invented several other magic tricks such as being buried, burned, or boiled “alive,” and he was a regular performer at Forest Park in Dayton, Ohio. Lake became an associate of Abbot’s Magic Company in Michigan during his career and is credited with inventing or improving over 300 magic tricks.
Scope and Contents
The Lester Lake Magic Collection dates from 1926-1974 and includes typed and handwritten correspondence. Correspondents include business associates, friends and family members, Lake's fiance, the American Guild of Variety Artists, and the Society of American Magicians. The collection also includes business cards, tax return forms, insurance papers, bills, newspaper clippings, programs, tickets, greeting cards, programs, advertisement flyers, caricatures of Lester Lake, and drawings. Lester Lake's ID card from serving in the United Service Organizations during World War II and materials related to his performances with them are also included, as well as music by Sid Bryan with lyrics by Lake.
American Guild of Variety Artists
Lake, Lester
Contracts
Correspondence
Labor unions--United States--20th century
Magic tricks--20th century
Magic--20th century
Magicians--United States--Societies, etc.--20th century
Printed ephemera
Personal correspondence
1
1
1926-1931, undated
Handbills and work related correspondence
1
2
1926-1937, undated
Correspondence from fiance and a letter from Mannheim, Germany from Ruth Drabret
1
3
1928, 1947
Correspondence
1
4
1932-1937
Correspondence from W. Nicola
1
5
1935-1937
Correspondence from Elayne Markeo Little, Bertha E. Little
1
6
1938-1939
Correspondence to Lake, New Trenton, Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio
1
7
1938-1948
Correspondence Jacola (John Cloutman); Family
1
8
1938-1965
Correspondence from Gladdie Abbott, Percy Abbott
1
9
1938-1963
Personal correspondence
1
10
1940-1946
Correspondence from Kay (Ralph) James and her mother, negatives, greeting cards
1
11
1940-1950
Correspondence from Elayne Markeo Little, Bertha Little
1
12
1940-1953
Correspondence from John Calvert
1
13
1940-1968
Correspondence to and from M.O. Brien (Mickey Lake)
1
14
1941-1946
Correspondence, newspaper clipping: Venus Ramey
1
15
1943-1967
Correspondence, documents while with USO
1
16
1944-1946
Correspondence
1
17
1947-1948
Correspondence, clippings
1
18
1947-1949
Correspondence from Rosalie (Ro, Rosinka) and Dave Campbell
1
19
1947-1953
Correspondence from sister, Nancy Marilyn Lake Barkham
1
20
1948-1950
Work-related correspondence
1
21
1948-1967
Tax forms, correspondence
1
22
1950
Correspondence, programs, cards
1
23
1951-1958
Personal correspondence
2
1
1960
Correspondence of his family
2
2
1931-1936
Correspondence from family: legal documents, bills
2
3
1937-1958
American Guild of Variety Artists Foundation: correspondence, notices, membership cards, memos
2
4
1940-1950
American Guild of Variety Artists correspondence, membership, memos
2
5
1950-1954
Correspondence from photo agencies, photo, ads
2
6
1943-1969
Musical scores, manuscript lyrics
2
7
1938,1948
Ads, write-ups, correspondence on magic tricks, supplies, lists of props
3
1
1926-1954
Non-American Guild of Variety Artists contracts
3
2
1930-1940
Bills, receipts
3
3
1931-1965
Magic organizations
3
4
1939-1956
Society of American Magicians, Queen City Mystics
3
5
1929-1957
American Guild of Variety Artists Foundation: contracts
3
6
1940-1950
American Guild of Variety Artists Foundation: correspondence, notices
3
7
1956-1974
Cards, envelopes, business cards
3
8
1936-1963
Prints, flyers
3
9
1931-1953
Newspaper clippings
3
10
1929-1931
Accession No. TRI.2014.0043
1930s
"See 'Marvelo' the Magician!" poster
Accession No. TRI.2014.0043.001
1930s