Eugen El Cester

These two identically-faced mini playing cards, with back designs rendered in red and blue, are artifacts of the career of Swedish illusionist Eugen El Cester, (b. Gerhard Lindgren 1913-1980).   Unsurprisingly, these cards were part of the collection provided by the Swedish Magic Archives which also maintains the handsomeposter of El Cester seen here. 

El Cester picked up the wand at age 11, growing most popular in the post-war years.  He performed in variety theater, competed in many competitions and offered an array of magic miracles, most notably swallowing razor blades.  He lived in Katrineholm, Sweden.   

In 1947, L'Escamoteur, a French-language magic periodical, commented on his performance at the Congrès Magique Internationale (the precursor to FISM) in Barcelona.  Other magic periodicals of that era are replete with reports of his participation in international magic events, often winning prizes for his performances.  

El Cester competed in many magic competitions including the FISM competitions in Paris in 1947 and Barcelona in 1950.  He was a member of The Swedish Magic Circle.