Tony Corinda

Who was Tony Corinda?

Tony Corinda was an English mentalist, magic dealer, magic inventor and businessman who wrote the book Thirteen Steps To Mentalism. Corinda did not make his birthplace public although it is believed he was born in Mill Hill, London. Born Thomas William Simpson, he took the name Tony Corinda when he began working as a mentalist in the UK. In 1950, he opened a magic studio where he sold all types of magic, but catered especially to mentalists. Later, he took over The Magic Shop in Tottenham Court Road in London. The Magic Shop in Tottenham Court Road was originally run by Dick Chavel, and later taken over by Corinda. This store was at street level so catered mainly to the lay public, so many of the items sold were either practical jokes or beginners' tricks, but other items and small illusions for semi-professional magicians and hobbyists were also sold over the counter. Around the same period, Corinda had the magic concession in Hamleys Toy Shop in Regent Street.

From 1958 to 1960, Corinda wrote a series of thirteen booklets on mentalism, each one dealing with a different aspect of mentalism or an allied art. The booklets were originally published as 13 individual 'courses'.