Nate Leipzig Close-Up Magic Contest

Nate Leipzig, (Nathan Leipziger), was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1873, the third youngest of a family of eight children. He began his career in magic in Detroit, performing in theaters and clubs. In his early years his talent as an entertainer was evident, but his magic skills were humble. Upon seeing a theatrical performance featuring other magicians, he became devoted to sleight of hand, improving many effects that he learned, and inventing entirely new ones. Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston, and T. Nelson Downs taught him magic and became lifelong friends. Dai Vernon met Leipzig in New York City in the early 1900s, and admired him greatly. Leipzig granted Vernon permission to document his magic in the book Vernon on Leipzig.

Leipzig set himself apart from other magicians with his ability to entertain. His performances were noted for their easy grace and natural movement. His regal bearing and continental stage presence set him apart from most vaudeville entertainers, and he was swept up into performing prestigious engagements in Europe, including performances for royalty. Dai Vernon said of Leipzig, "there will never be another one like him."

The Nate Leipzig Close-Up Magic Contest shall be held according to the following rules.

Date of Contest. The Nate Leipzig Close-Up Magic Contest shall be held annually on a date set by the Board.

Contest Officials. There shall be at least one Contest Official who is a Ring member. This Contest Official is eligible to be a contestant. It shall be the responsibility of the Contest Official(s) to see that the rules of the Close-Up Magic Contest are correctly followed. Contest Official(s) shall be appointed by the President at least three months before the date of the competition.

Contestants. Those wishing to attempt the Nate Leipzig Close-Up Magic Contest shall be Ring members or guests; in either case, they must be members in good standing of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. There shall be at least three contestants.

Registration. Contestants shall register no later than one week prior to the competition by contacting a Contest Official specifically charged with registration. There shall be no registration fee.

Selection of Contestants. If more than six contestants have registered, the Contest Official shall draw names randomly to rank contestants, marking the order in which names are drawn. Only the top six contestants shall be allowed to compete. In the event that any of the chosen contestants fail to appear for the contest, alternative contestants shall be substituted based upon the order in which names were drawn.

Order of performance. Contestants shall move from one performing station to another in rotation. In the event that there are more performers than performing stations, the order of entry into the rotation shall be determined by chance.

Judging. The Nate Leipzig Close-Up Magic Contest shall be judged by balloting of all audience members present at the performing stations. Audience members must have witnessed each contestant's performance in order to vote. Each audience member shall rank the performers by secret ballot. The rankings on all the ballots shall be averaged by a Contest Official to determine the final rankings.

Timer. There will be a timer, a Contest Official who is not a judge. The timer shall be responsible for recording the duration of each performance. Performances exceeding the maximum of ten minutes shall be disqualified from receiving an award, although they may still be evaluated by audience members.

Awards. If there are at least two contestants who have not been disqualified, the Contest Official(s) shall award a first place award. If there are at least three contestants who have not been disqualified, the Contest Official(s) shall award first and second place awards. If there are at least four contestants who have not been disqualified, the Contest Official(s) shall award first, second, and third place awards.

Awards for the Nate Leipzig Close-Up Magic Contest shall be recognized by the awarding of a trophy for first place (the Nate Leipzig Award), and awards for first, second, and third place. The exact nature and design of these awards shall be up to the Contest Official(s).

Award recipients shall be recognized in the Ring report to be published in The Linking Ring, and reported in the Ring newsletter and web site. A list of the winners of the awards shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter.