On April 1, Indiana University's Lilly Library announced Wednesday its acquisition of the collection of Canadian writer, historian and self-proclaimed conjuror of magic David Ben. The collection is filled with items that display all aspects of stage magic and more.
Ben has studied and collected in the field of magic for 50 years, starting when he was a teenager. He has performed thousands of shows and is a master of sleight-of-hand illusion.
The collection includes materials ranging from the late 19th century to the early 21st. It includes manuscripts, photographs, puzzles, films, postcards, rare books and magazines, offering a comprehensive look at the history and practice of stage magic.
Ben donated hundreds of boxes filled with magic materials collected over decades to the library. He acquired their contents from other collectors and at auctions. He received some pieces directly from fellow magicians.
“The collection at The Lilly really represents the core of magic from the 1890s to the 2020s and is virtually complete,” Ben said. “You’ll see that magicians have had magical periodicals pretty much consistently since the 1890s. I have monthly magic magazines from that time all the way to almost the present.”
One of the shelves of magic books is pictured in David Ben’s studio in 2025. Ben donated magic artifacts to the Lilly Library, many being first editions or manuscripts covering a wide range of topics in magic.
Ben donated a complete run of “Chaos,” a magazine published by Winnipeg, Canada’s Mel Stover that features puzzles and materials inspired by stage magic.
Puzzles have long been a focus for The Lilly Library, particularly with The Jerry Slocum Collection, which includes more than 30,000 puzzles. Andrew Rhoda, Curator of Puzzles at The Lilly Library, has worked on The Jerry Slocum Collection for years and was excited to see the connections between the two collections.
“Both The Slocum Collection and the Ben Collection are examples of intellectual history that takes an unconventional form,” Rhoda said. “The Lilly is a prime place to connect these academic disciplines to these collections. Making these connections provides students at IU with unique opportunities for research and to innovate.”
Suzanne Godby Ingalsbe, interim director of IU’s Institute for Advanced Study, was brought by The Lilly Library to explore the research potential of the David Ben collection. While she is not responsible for managing the materials, Godby Ingalsbe examines how researchers from IU and beyond can use and engage with the collection.
She said IU is an ideal home for materials such as these because of the university’s wide array of resources and previous collections that explore unexpected categories like stage magic.
“Not only do we have these materials, which are great in and of themselves, but they've been really carefully collected and brought together by these experts,” Godby Ingalsbe said.
Godby Ingalsbe also highlighted the versatile research value of the field of magic.
“Magic is not just the stage performance that we think of,” Godby Ingalsbe said. “It’s also physics and engineering and art, sometimes chemistry, and its choreography, narrative, psychology and mathematics, as well as history and cultural study. It brings all of these things together.”
For Ben, the dedication and thoughtful curation demonstrated in The Ricky Jay collection, which was acquired in 2023 by The Lilly Library for materials collected by American magician Ricky Jay stood out when he considered where his own collection should go. He wanted it to be accessible to students, academics and the public, honoring the many items he had acquired from other collectors while continuing that spirit of shared knowledge.
“I think that The Lilly's objective should be to become a 10-year overnight sensation with magic as an epicenter in the world of academia, and I think they have that opportunity,” Ben said. “I want my collection to be with Ricky Jay’s collection to leave more rare materials to The Lilly, so it really becomes an international center for this.”
Unlike the donors of other collections, Ben is still alive and actively collaborating with the Lilly Library team. His involvement allows him to connect with collectors, share his expertise and help ensure the materials are cataloged with his input.
Now that the collection is in The Lilly Library’s possession, the process of cataloging thousands of materials and items has begun. Experts will handle the materials with care, taking the time to prepare them for display or research.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Suzanne Godby's name.
