I have made my living as a magician since I was 19, and the art of magic has been part of my life ever since. Over the last 22 years, my wife Marion and I have had the privilege of touring theatres and performing arts centers in Canada and the U.S., with a few detours to such exotic places as China, Germany, and the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. In 2018, we moved into the Keyhole House in Smiths Falls with the goal of restoring this grand Victorian structure.

One of the first things I did upon our arrival was to acquire the comprehensive history of Smiths Falls by Glenn Lockwood. Due to my background, I was immediately engrossed in the book, and began searching the index for the term “magician”. I found one entry on page 419. As it turns out, a famous Italian magician by the name of Signor Bosco performed at the Smiths Falls Opera House in January 1888!

The discovery that a world-renowned magician had stood onstage in this town 133 years before me fueled my quest for information about Signor Eugene Bosco (1823–1891). I combed my magic library for anything related to him. His posters claimed he had performed for most of the royalty in Europe. At one point in his career, one of his illusions went horribly wrong and he accidentally shot off several of his fingers. His reaction was to modify his illusions and continue to perform. After all, the show must go on! One of his signature tricks was called the Sand Frame, an ingenious magic prop which caused small flat objects like cards and photos to disappear and reappear. This prop is still in use today by magicians all over the world and the methodology was published in More Magic by Professor Hoffman in 1889. I am grateful to have a copy in my library.

Researching Signor Bosco was relatively easy due to my extensive collection of antique magic books. Acquiring information about the Smiths Falls Opera House was more of a challenge, because nobody I spoke with was aware that it had ever existed. What I am about to share with you comes from a small collection of local history books I have accumulated, combined with the time I have spent in the basement of the Smiths Falls Public Library consulting old newspapers on microfilm. I am also extremely grateful for assistance from the incredible team at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum.

The Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built circa 1839-43 where the Post Office is now located on the corner of Church and Market Street. In 1885, the rapidly growing Methodist congregation moved down the street to a brand-new Trinity Methodist Church which was built on the corner of Russell and Market Street. Ten years later, architect George Thomas Martin was contracted for a complete rebuilding with major additions to the original building. It was the first church in Smiths Falls to feature a large basement which was used for church suppers, rummage sales and Sunday School classes. It is now Trinity United Church.