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:
Royal Shakespeare Company Aldwych Theatre Programme, March 1981
Passion Play by Peter Nichols, Louise Jameson, Benjamin Whitrow, Billie Whitelaw and others. Contains illustrations and photographs of the acts, 24p.p.
Royal Variety Performance Programme, 17 November 1980
The London Palladium. Dame Anna Neagle, Danny Kaye and many others. Contains colour photographs of the acts, 104p.p.
Sally Chipperfield's Circus Poster, c1990 - 1999
Bingley Hall, Birmingham. Contains colour photograph. Printed by Peerless Press Limited, Spoon Lane, West Bromwich.
Scrapbook, c1930 - 1969
Conatins mainly newspaper clippings. Some lose pages.
Scrapbook on Ohmy Circus, 1872 - 1875
Scrapbook on Ohmy Circus. Contains newspaper cuttings, two items loose, 22p.p.
Second World War Related Documents, 1942 - 1946
John E. Sanger's Second World War related documents.
Secrets of Conjuring, Ventriloquism Handbill, c1900 - 1999
Blackpool. Charles Du Carlo, wizard and illusionist, Carl Sterling, the Premier Ventriloquist, Lessons given in Conjuring and Ventriloquism. 2p.p.
Secrets of Magic Booklet, 1936
Horace Goldin Creator of Wonders. Contains illustations, 24p.p
Secrets of Magic Booklet, 1936
Horace Goldin Creator of Wonders. Contains illustations, 24p.p.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Poster, c1990 - 1999
Theatre Royal Nottingham. Colour illustration of the act on mount board.
Siegfreid and Roy at The Mirage Programme, 1990
Las Vegas. Contains colour photographs, 36p.p.
Siegfried and Roy at the Mirage Poster, c1990 - 1999
Las Vegas USA. Colour photograph.
Signed Handbill, 2002
Grand Churchgate Theatre, Bolton. Handbill copy from Mark Raffles to Cyril Critchlow with inscription.
Sketch, 1837 original
Colour Sketch of Grimaldi the clown. Published by Dyer Senr, 109 Aldersgate Street.
Solicitor's Bill, February 1929
Solicitors bill for extracting probate and distributing the estate of Herbert Sanger plus covering letter. Typescript, 8p.p.
Sooty Poster, Monday 16 - Saturday 21 February 1981
Civic theatre, Barnsley. Colour illustation on mount board.
Sorcar Programme, c1970 - 1979
Sorcar Junior presents Indrajal: The Greatest Magical Musical Extravaganza. Contains black and white photographs and biography, 20p.p.
Sorcar Programme, c1970 - 1979
Sorcar Junior presents Indrajal: The Greatest Magical Musical Extravaganza. Contains black and white photographs and biography, 16p.p.
Sorcar Souvenir Programme, c1950 -1959
Contains coloured photographs of acts and illusions, 28p.p.
Sorcar World’s Greatest Magician Poster, c1950 - 1959
Colour lithograph containing photograph of the act and illustrations. Printed in India.
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