Paying proper tribute to Dante the Magician is a near-impossible task. Dante himself might describe the undertaking as a “problem,” the same word he often used to introduce a masterfully staged illusion to his audience.
Dante not only invited close examination of his stagecraft and showmanship, by fans and competitors alike, he commanded it for weeks at a time in a decades-long career marked by public triumphs and private tragedies. Attempting to distill for readers the experiences of Harry A. Jansen, his wife Edna Herr and their magical offspring presents a problem with no immediate or satisfactory solution.
Yet here we are. Seventy years after Jansen’s death in 1955, this website strives to share and celebrate what is known about Dante the Magician, and to explore the larger territory of what is undiscovered. Harry A. Jansen left a legacy and paper trail that circled the globe several times. Never has there been a better time to collate far-flung dates and anecdotes into a more fully realized portrait of the artist and his family. Through crowd-sourcing materials hidden in the public domain, and by pleading with magic collectors and historians to share their treasures, we will work this problem together.
— Michael S. Green, curator
How you can help
- Explore the website and share ways it can be improved or expanded.
- Research Dante’s travels in your country and native language.
- Document timelines, venues, programs, lithography and photos.
- Contribute or share your original content. We gladly backlink.
- Become an editor on Dante’s Magicpedia and/or Jansen’s Wikipedia pages.
- Credit Dante where appropriate in magic performances and references.
Contact the curator to get started.