Today marks an important anniversary in the history of American magic. On September 1, 1946, the Texas Association of Magicians officially came into existence at Herman Yerger’s lodge in Austin, Texas.
Now celebrating its 80th anniversary, TAOM has grown from a friendly Labor Day gathering into one of the country’s most enduring and respected magic organizations.
The Labor Day Picnic That Started It All
The story of TAOM began with Austin magician and druggist Herman Yerger. Along with his wife, Emilie, Yerger had performed magic in a traveling tent show, at carnivals, and inside vaudeville theaters. He was also a tightrope walker until a fall left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
Despite that life-changing injury, Yerger remained dedicated to magic and the fellowship shared among magicians.
During World War II, Austin did not have its own formal magic club. Local performers were invited to attend meetings with magicians in San Antonio, with some of those gatherings also taking place in Austin.
Yerger eventually came up with the idea of holding an annual Labor Day weekend picnic for his magic friends. He purchased property near Austin and added a clubhouse, an outdoor stage, and a barbecue pit.
Invitations were sent to magicians throughout the area, and the first picnic was held in 1944.
A Magic Organization Is Born
The gatherings quickly became popular. By the second picnic in 1945, an impressive 169 people were in attendance.
Participants soon suggested transforming the annual picnic into a formal statewide organization for magicians. Yerger was reportedly hesitant at first, but he eventually supported the idea—especially after it was proposed that he serve as its first president.
According to TAOM’s first newsletter, the Texas Association of Magicians officially came into existence at Yerger’s lodge on September 1, 1946.
The organization’s second business session was called to order the following day at Austin’s Stephen F. Austin Hotel. In 1947, Fort Worth hosted the first convention promoted exclusively under the Texas Association of Magicians name.
Eight Decades of Texas Magic
Over the following decades, the TAOM convention traveled among major cities throughout Texas while maintaining its traditional place on Labor Day weekend.
The gathering eventually grew to attract more than 1,500 magicians, dealers, lecturers, performers, collectors, and magic enthusiasts. Its conventions have provided generations of performers with opportunities to learn, compete, share ideas, discover new magic, and form lifelong friendships.
What started as a picnic among a group of magic friends became an annual tradition that has helped preserve and strengthen the art of magic throughout Texas and beyond.
Herman Yerger could not have known how far his simple Labor Day gathering would go. Eighty years later, however, the fellowship he encouraged continues to bring the magic community together.
Happy 80th anniversary to the Texas Association of Magicians!
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