T. Nelson Downs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 16, 1867 |
| Died | September 11, 1938 (aged 71) |
| Resting place | Marshalltown, Iowa, US |
| Other names | Tommy Downs |
| Spouses |
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| Partner | Sam Spiegel |
[1]Thomas Nelson Downs (March 16, 1867 – September 11, 1938) was a manipulative magician known for his coin tricks. Downs was also known as "The King of Koins".[2][3]
Magic historian David Price has written that Downs "was the first of the great manipulative magicians and probably the greatest of them all."[4]
- ^ "Nellie A. Stone 1869-1895 - Ancestry®". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ "T. Nelson Downs". New York Times. September 12, 1938. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
T. Nelson Downs, known thirty years ago in Europe and America as the "King of Koins," died today at his home here. He retired more than ten years ago. ...
- ^ Gill, Robert. (1976). Magic as a Performing Art: A Bibliography of Conjuring. Bowker. p. 51. ISBN 978-0859350389 "T. Nelson Downs was one of the greatest exponents of sleightof-hand and manipulation. Known professionally as the 'King of Koins', he was one of the first performers to specialize in coin manipulation for stage work; he was undoubtedly as accomplished a manipulator with other objects as he was with coins."
- ^ Price, David. (1985). Magic: A Pictorial History of Conjurers in the Theater. Cornwell Books. p. 177. ISBN 978-0845347386