Where’s Waldo?

What? Are readers of this blog now being asked to find this favorite children’s character in his red-and-white-striped shirt, bobble hat, and glasses, hidden among throwing cards? No, but that’s not a bad idea. Rather our subject in this post is Waldo the magician and wonder worker. And the question is not “Where’s Waldo?” but “Who’s Waldo?”

Waldo was obviously a magician and proud member of the Society of American Magicians as evidenced by his scaling card above which includes the S.A.M. logo. In addition to working wonders, he also offered, “Merry Moments of Modern Magic, Mirth and Mystery.” The reverse side of his card features the Mahatma design as sold by Martinka. So, in coming upon this card in the “W” section of my accumulation, I wondered whether Waldo was his real name or stage name. It appears to be the later.

A search through Ask Alexander turns up a number of Waldo’s in early reports of the S.A.M. There’s Waldo E. Holbrook and Waldo O. Ege, but none really from the New York metropolitan/state area. And, there were hundreds of references to some guy named Ralph Waldo Emerson. The clue, I believe to Waldo’s identity lies in his business agent, George W. Quirk, 41 Sarah Ann St., Tompkinsville, Staten Island, N.Y.

I found a George Washington Quirk being recommended for membership at the seventy-fifth monthly meeting of the S.A.M. in September 1908 at Martinka’s Magical Palace in their renovated and redecorated little theater. A few minutes after his membership recommendation, the society elected a new vice president to replace Harry Houdini who had resigned. Houdini’s replacement was William A. Ransom who was elected without opposition. No further mention of Waldo nor his S.A.M. membership number was published.

Now, if the conjuror in question had simply been “George W. Quirk,” it might have been difficult to find out more information, but with “Washington” as his middle name, a search on Ancestry.com uncovered our guy. He was born June 23, 1886 in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, NY. This would have made him 22 years old when he joined the S.A.M. Quirk joined the U.S. Navy during World War I, and was trained at the Naval Training Station at Pelham Bay Park, in New York. The training lasted from April 24, 1918 to November 11, 1918, when the war officially ended. He was a Seaman Second Class and Ship’s Cook. The only other information available on Quirk is the fact that at one time he worked on the New York Stock Exchange at 11 Wall Street.

He must have performed magic in his early years though because his scaling card indicates he could be secured for, “Churches, Clubs, Societies, Lodges and Entertainments of all kinds.” No obituary could be found on him and no further references in magic periodicals. 

Update 

Some years ago magic collector and historian Sal Perrotta discovered Waldo's trunk in an attic on Staten Island. The owner told Perrotta that Waldo's actual name was (as noted above), George Washington Quirk. There was some nice equipment but only a few newspaper clippings regarding his shows. Included among the items in the trunk was Quirk's WW I dog tag. 

Also, Perrotta found a wonderful decorated set of Passe Passe Bottles from the early part of the past century. Given Quirk's induction into the S.A.M. taking place in Martinka's Palace of Magic, it is almost entirely certain the set of bottles came from Martinka's. 

Thanks for Sal Perrotta for sharing this new information on Waldo/Quirk. What a great and sharing world is found among magic historians and collectors. 

Tom Ewing