The Upchurch Collection of Magic

About the Founder

The Upchurch Collection of Magic was founded by Wesley Upchurch as a long-term historical preservation project devoted to the material culture and history of magic.

Upchurch has a background in live entertainment, creative production, digital publishing, research, and working with performers and performance-based organizations. The collection grew from a broader interest in preserving not only famous names and iconic objects, but also the programs, photographs, correspondence, props, books, promotional materials, and everyday artifacts through which the history of working magicians survives.

The long-term goal is to continue developing the collection into a publicly accessible museum and research resource while preserving the stories and provenance behind the objects in the collection.

Collection Philosophy

The goal is not simply to accumulate autographs or large numbers of objects. The collection seeks historically meaningful material with documented provenance, strong stories, or significance to the development and performance of magic. Each object is researched, cataloged, and preserved as part of the documentary record of the magical arts.

Tennessee & Mid-South Magic

A special collecting focus is the history of magic in Memphis, Nashville, Tennessee, and the broader Mid-South, including local performers, magic clubs, television history, shops, conventions, and regional archives. This regional focus forms a distinctive specialty within the larger collection.

The Long-Term Vision

The long-term vision is to establish a physical public museum and exhibition where visitors can experience the history of magic through original artifacts and stories — a dedicated space for the preservation, study, and public display of the material culture of the magical arts.