George P. Sanderson 1904–1986

Biography

George was born in Sheffield, England on the 23rd of June 1904.  Since his early schooldays, he was interested in magic and at the age of thirteen he began to take it quite seriously. Two years later he accepted his first paid booking.  But in view of the fact that he wanted to pursue a professional career in engineering he adopted a different persona called ‘Sigma’.  His early job was that of a draughtsman in an engineering office and he didn’t earn enough money to squander on expensive magic paraphernalia.  This triggered his ingenuity to devise many of the effects that he performed.

In 1926, because of his job, he had to move to Essex where he found excellent opportunities to perform semi-professionally for private engagements as ‘Sigma’ and to utilize the props he had previously created.  But this activity lasted only ten years because promotion in his job and building up his own business implied less time on his hands to dedicate to magic and reluctantly he had to abandon public performances.

In 1970 he retired and moved to Malta where he immediately got in touch with the newly formed IBM Ring no 202.  He instantly became a very committed secretary of the Ring and was involved in the organization of the meetings and other activities.  Drawing on his youthful creativity, through Goodliffe, in 1972 he published his first book , ‘The Concealed Art of Magic’ which describes effects that get away from “purpose-made” and “garishly decorated… tin cans and boxes” and advocates more direct magical effects. The profits from this book were donated to the benevolent fund of the British Ring.

While in Malta he never performed publicly but he was very keen on encouraging this outlook on magic in his private performances and lectures.  He also worked very hard to encourage the ethics of originality and avoidance of plagiarism.  He still kept in touch with the British Ring whose secretary was William (Bill) Stickland and he attended quite a few Conventions.  After John Calvert’s visit to Malta, he introduced the latter to the British Ring that eventually booked Calvert for one of their Conventions.

He published several articles and two more books: Right Under Their Noses (1977), & Priceless Magic (1981).   The Malta Ring became temporarily inactive in 1976 and George preferred to take a back seat and enjoy the company of his wife Pat who was at that time not in the best of health.  She died some years later and George passed away in August 1986 in Malta.