Jimmy Findlay's (1904 - 1973) name looms large in the world of magic collecting. He built an enviable assembly of rarities including unique material relating to Professor John Henry Anderson, the "Great Wizard of the North" as well as a gigantic archive of lithographs, early books and playbills.

Three sales of his collection in 1979 and 1980 were landmark events in the history of the hobby. Findlay's bookplate, bearing his motto, "On Bookes for to Rede is my Delyte" is reproduced below.

From the Hotel Firbank, which he operated with his wife on the Isle of Wight, Findlay wrote, published and produced many early and important books on the history of conjuring, most specifically the ten-volume Collectors Annual series. At one time, these books were sought after and valuable resources. Today, the market is somewhat "soft" as far as the prices of these privately printed books are concerned. Regardless of their lessened commercial value, the information and images they contain are still of significant worth.

Findlay also issued sale lists of duplicate or surplus material from his collection occasionally. They make for fascinating and somewhat frustrating reading to modern collectors, in much the same way that Leo Rullman's catalogs do. Rare conjuring books, prints and posters were generally advertised for sale by Findlay in the $1 - $5 range. Of course, that was then and this is now. Even so, if a time machine existed...

The next best thing, in the case of learning more about Mr. Findlay, is the Internet. IA website called House of Deception uses snippets from Findlay's correspondence with Duff Johnson to paint a portrait of the man. Findlay's observations and opinions on magicians, magic history, collecting and the disposition of a collection should be of great interest to anyone browsing this blog.

Happy 'Rede'-ing.