Charles Wesley Cameron (31 October 1927 – 1 January 2001) was a professional magician who specialized in a style known as bizarre magic. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the eldest of 2 brothers.
He was a magician, and commonly dubbed as the Godfather of Bizarre Magic
Early life
Born on Halloween, 31 October 1927, Charles took a keen interest in magic from very early on in his life, and started conducting his own experiments at age seven. He was educated at Edinburgh's Royal High School and served with the Royal Air Force in the Middle East during World War II.
His only leaning to convention was when he became an accountant and worked with different commercial outlets throughout Edinburgh including the Sports Council. His brother George became highly qualified in the insurance field and is a published photographer and cartoonist.
At one stage in Charles’ varied career he studied psychology, but this was not completed due to the need to study medicine and the dissections that this route entailed.
Magic career
In 1947, Charles became one of the founding members of the Edinburgh Magic Circle[8]. Working in tandem with Roy Scott and Harry Burnside, he took part in mentalism, straight magic, close-up magic etc. He has been elected President of the Edinburgh Magic Circle at least three times.
In the early days he performed on the club circuit with his own magic shows, cabaret spots at home and abroad, tarot readings, TV shows, newspaper and magazine features and numerous interviews. He was devastated when his close friend and mentor, Tony Andruzzi, died in tragic circumstances. Charles and Tony shared many likings – Famous Grouse whisky, smoking, and a deep interest in the bizarre to name a few.
Always interested in the weird, supernatural and mysterious, and a keen student of the occult, he had a regular slot on Radio Forth doing daily predictions and ghost stories. His home in Haddington housed his great collection of unusual artifacts and books.
Edinburgh Wax Museum
Charles was made Curator of the Edinburgh Wax Museum on Royal Mile in 1976. Here, he really came into his own, bringing in friends and family as supporting artistes. At night, the top floor of the museum was turned into Castle Dracula Theatre and Charles enjoyed some of the happiest days of his life. Working in the museum and entertaining visiting dignitaries and stars of stage and screen by day, Charles took on the mantle of “Count Dracula” - complete with his own coffin and cloak - by night. Performing mind-reading and mock ghostly seances, the theatre ran for almost three years in the mid 1980s.
The Wax Museum closed in 1989 and all the wax models were disposed of. The museum had been one of the highlights of the Edinburgh tourist trail.
Radio and Television
Charles scripted and narrated his own weekly show, titled “Friday Frighteners” on Radio Forth. In addition, he prepared daily and weekly horoscopes for Radio Forth for several years and did a weekly hour long phone in show on astrology. He scripted and narrated numerous programs on the supernatural for Radio Forth and the BBC. On Radio Forth he also had his own show “Beyond the Unknown”. “Beyond the Unknown” lasted for four series. The first three series consisted of twenty-five programs and the fourth was a collection of ghost stories.
Charles appeared on Scottish television on numerous occasions and also on some French, German, Italian and American shows. He was a member of the Lothian Players, an amateur theatrical group, in which he took lead roles in various pantomimes and musical reviews. He had also been an extra in the films, 'Chariots of Fire', 'Lucia', 'Conquest of The South Pole' and 'Looking After Jo Jo'.
Magical Societies
Charles was a member of many magical societies during his life.
* The Edinburgh Magic Circle (past President).
* International Brotherhood of Sorcerers.
* The Esoteric Order of Pan (Arch Mage Ipsissimus).
* The Immortals.
* Scottish Association of Magical Societies, ( Lecturer).
* Also retained for many years by the El Project
* The Magik Club (Patron).
Personal life
Charles met and married Nan Sandilands. The couple settled in Haddington, East Lothian and raised two daughters Fiona and Lesley who, between them, gave Charles two grandchildren, Hannah and Jacob. Sadly Nan died of cancer in 1993. Charles subsequently moved back to Edinburgh in 1997.
With his clear diction and enunciation, he did readings for the blind while he lived in Haddington and was also a firm supporter of the Community Day Centre in the town. In any spare time available, he rattled collecting cans for various charities including the Poppy Appeal.
