Critchlow, Cyril, 1923 - 2008
Dates
- Existence: 1923 - 2008
Biography
Cyril Critchlow was born in Staffordshire in 1923 and moved to Blackpool with his family as a teenager in the late 1930s.
Cyril developed an interest in magic from an early age and became known as a magician during the Second World War under the stage name of Reval.
Throughout his life in Blackpool, Critchlow became an avid collector of ephemera relating to Blackpool’s entertainment heritage from the 1860s to the present day and wrote several books on the subject. He was also a passionate heritage campaigner and in 1977 he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he opened The Museum of Entertainment on Coronation Street, where he displayed his personal collection of entertainment ephemera.
Critchlow presented magic shows and gave talks on Blackpool history of entertainment at the ‘Witches Café’ which he also ran. In 1980 he became the proprietor of a small theatre of variety and he even worked as a spotlight operator at the Winter Gardens Theatre for a while. In the mid-sixties he was elected town Councillor. Additionally, he was a founder member of the Blackpool Magicians’ club, becoming at one point President and Honorary Life Member. He was a member of Equity, The Magic Circle, Blackpool Heritage Forum and he was President of the North West Music Hall and Variety Friendship Society.
He was still entertaining with his magic act in his 80s performing as Wizardo, Harry Potter's grandfather and took part in Sheffield University’s Cabinet of Curiosities held at Blackpool in 2008.
Cyril Critchlow died after a short illness in 2008.
Found in 620 Collections and/or Records:
Empire Theatre Programme, Week commencing Monday 23 October 1959
Liverpool. Milbourne Christopher in Christophers Wonders. Contains photographs, 16p.p.
Ensenada Club Card, 1943
Card for the Ensenada Club with illegible pencil handwriting.
Evgeniy Voronin Poster, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration.
Faust, London Great Magic Show Handbill, c1970 - 1979
Japanese poster.
Faust's Festival of Magic Programme, c1975 - 1979
British Tour. Fold our programme with photographs and biography, 6p.p.
Feldmans Theatre Handbill, Summer season 1951
Blackpool. Mix of popular entertainment throughout the season. Red and blue print. Printed By: King & Co. (Printers) Ltd., Blackpool.
Fiesta of Magic Ken Brooke testimonial Souvenir Programme, Saturday 23 February 1980
Blackpool. Fiesta of Magic Ken Brooke testimonial. Blackpool Magicians’ Club. Contains photographs, 8p.p.
Financial Records, c1900 - 1959
Bank account and savings books belonging to John Everton Sanger.
Finsbury Park Empire Programme, Week commencing Monday 31 May 1937
Dante The World’s Master of Mystery Magic. Red and blue print, 4p.p.
Fossetts Circus Poster, c1980 - 1989
Illustration of lions and photo of boy tamer. Left blank for overprinting location and date.
Fossetts Circus Poster, c1900 - 1999
Ireland. Sponsored by Smarties. Colour illustration of clown juggling smarties, features stars from the Hungarian State Circus. Left blank for overprinting location and date.
Fossett's Circus Poster, c1980 - 1989
Portaferry, Ireland. Chy Fu Deys Chinese acrobatics. Contains colour illustration and black and white photograph.
Fossett's Circus Poster, c1980 - 1999
Ireland. Colour illustration of clown and other acts. Left blank for overprinting location and date.
Fun at the Circus Film, c1930 - 1999
Black and white film on circus with sound. 16mm D-BETA.
Funeral Bills, 10 June 1941
Bill and receipt of payment addressed to J. E. Sanger from sculptors for engraving inscription on memorial. Typescript and manuscript.
Gamagic Gamages Brouchure, c1930 - 1939
Holborn London. Includes order form and contains illustration, 28p.p.
Gandey's Circus Poster, c1900 - 1999
Colour illustration of lion and other acts by Derek Simpson. Left blank for overprinting location and date. Printed by Evans of the Kinder Press, New Mills, Nr Stockport.
Gandey's Circus Poster, c1980 - 1989
Contains Illustration of roaring lion. Printed by Derek Simpson.
Gandey's Circus Poster, 8 July - 6 September 1992
Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth. Contains colour illustration.
Gandey's Circus Poster, c1990 - 1999
Llangefni. Colour illustration of clown and animals.
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 619
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Acrobats 15
- Aerialists 3
- Animal trainers 3
- Animals 40
- Business 52
- Circus 126
- Clowning 37
- Comedians 49
- Dance 36
- Equestrians 4
- Fairs 4
- Fakirs 3
- Family 9
- Fire eating 3
- Freak shows 3
- Gymnasts 1
- Jugglers 8
- Magic 104
- Male impersonators 3
- Menageries 2
- Mimes 3
- Minstrel shows 4
- Motion pictures 8
- Music 3
- Music-halls 12
- Musical performances 42
- Pantomime 31
- Performers 357
- Pierrot 9
- Puppets 24
- Showman 26
- Showwoman 12
- Singing 29
- Skating 3
- Stunt performers 3
- Travel 9
- Variety 267
- Ventriloquists 9
- Wild west 3
- World War, 1914-1918 5
- World War, 1939-1945 8
- Wrestling 4
- Zoos 3 + ∧ less