The
Great Nicola (William Mozart Nicol) (1880-1946) began his career in magic
performing at the Omaha Exposition in 1900. His father, John McNicol, known as Nicoli,
who was a master magician showed he and his older brother Charles the numerous
ways to create a show that would leave there audiences wanting more. After the
close of the Exposition, he packed up his trunks and toured Europe, first at
the French Exposition in Paris, and then he was onto the United Kingdom. He
returned to the United States working the Lyceum Circuit.
His first tour around
the world was in 1910 that lasted three years. Among the countries on the tour
included China, India, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South
America.
He
continued to perform up until 1939 when the ship that had all of his equipment
hit a mine and sunk off the shore of Singapore. He returned to the United
States, rebuilt his show for smaller theaters, clubs, and he performed for the
USO.
* Older brother Charles Nicol (1871 – 1958) performed under the name of Von Arx, "The Great Chalbert", and Chasan.
Here the examples of Nicola's promotion with the use of cards:
