Speaker Mike Bamford on his distant relative Signor Arvi
Wed, Jun 29th 2016 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Speaker Finder Tony Gill, Visitors Host Grace and Banners Derek O'Hearne, Cash Desk Gerald Sanderson
Signor Arvi was an internationally famous illusionist for over twenty years, from 1910. Appearing in England, Scotland, France, the United States and Canada, usually as the headliner on every bill, yet he has been largely forgotten. His show was entertaining and baffling, risqué yet tasteful. Signor Edouin Arvi was, in fact Edwin Hargreaves, who was born at 60, Garden street, Blackburn.
Edwin started off selling photographic equipment but this business went bust so he started out as a magician in Music Halls where he performed a version of Pepper's Ghost. This well know illusion produces a ghost effect by reflecting light from off stage through a glass onto the stage to produce the image. Arvi's version showed images of naked women.
The glass used in the act was quite special and expensive. One day Edwin tripped coming out of a theatre and broke his glass. His mother owned several houses in Blackburn that she rented out so she took out a ortgage on them for Edwin to buy new glass. When Edwin died in the 1940's the mortgage was still in place on the houses which passed down the line to Joseph Hunt and then eventually to Mike's father. By this time the houses had very little value but Mik'es father was left with sorting out the debt.
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