28/05/2026
This arrived at the Tower, and we couldn’t be more proud.
Gibecière — the world’s foremost magic history journal, published by the Conjuring Arts Research Centre— has just released a long-form piece by Professor Richard Wiseman entirely dedicated to Harry Marvello. Our Harry.
For those who don’t know the story: the Tower was built in 1785 as a private summerhouse — the oldest building in Portobello. By the early 1900s it had become a hotel, and in 1906, a Scottish illusionist called Harry Marvello arrived in Portobello with his concert party, the Geisha Entertainers. He staged the first large open-air show the town had ever seen, and it was so popular he had to double capacity within weeks.
The following year, Marvello bought the Tower Hotel outright. In the garden in front, he built the Tower Pavilion — a music hall designed to hold 700 people, complete with a rooftop tea garden. It became Portobello’s first variety hall, its first roller skating rink, and eventually the arcade that still stands next door today.
Harry Marvello was no ordinary showman. He was a close friend and associate of Harry Houdini. He performed for Queen Victoria. He was one of the most celebrated illusionists of the Edwardian era.
Professor Richard Wiseman — psychologist, Member of the Inner Magic Circle, and holder of Britain’s only professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology — has spent years researching Marvello’s life and legacy. His deep-dive into Harry’s story has now been published in Gibecière, one of the most prestigious publications in the world of magic scholarship. He very kindly dropped a copy off at the Tower for us to enjoy.
240 years of stories. We’re only just uncovering them.
📖 EdinburghHistory Houdini PortobelloBeach
