Showing His Cards

Lee Asher is a celebrated, second-generation magician, magic consultant, and playing card historian who will be sharing his obsessions on the Victorian Chautauqua stage. All the way from Canada, Asher will escort you on a deep dive into one of the world’s earliest forms of tabletop recreation and conjuring tools. Once considered an unsavory temptation by devout Methodists, playing cards and gambling were disallowed in Mountain Lake Park’s early list of restrictions. The rules of morality prohibiting card games eventually faded away making this compact, affordable, and decorative form of entertainment part of nearly every household. Some card games from the early 1900s included 500, a popular trick-taking game, Touring, and Gin Rummy. Today, Bridge is so popular that a local club bears its name.

Also, as president of 52 Plus Joker, Asher heads up a national organization of card historians, collectors, card handlers, card designers, publishers, and magicians. At their annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio, Asher took a moment to talk about his excitement over being a part of the 2024 Victorian Chautauqua.

In the video above, see how Asher first got involved with playing cards, his love of magic, and why he finds unique and treasured decks from history so fascinating.