Clayton George Campbell Jr.
October 9, 1926 - April 9, 1998
All the pictures on this page are links to a larger photo.
Simply click on any photograph for a larger picture.
Clayton was the son of Clayton and Henrietta (Scoville) Campbell of Glens Falls, New York. Furthermore, he is the eldest of three boys and was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from South Glens Falls High School.
Clayton was a student of Magic beginning at the age of twelve under the direction of a gifted mentor Dr. Gordon Peck, a dentist and long time friend of the family and resident of Glens Falls. During this time he developed and formulated a professional philosophy of "close-up" and "stage" magic. Working with Dr. Peck and an assistant they would conduct performances throughout the Adirondack region. While in High School he perfected the art of Hypnotism and often conducted sidewalk window shows of putting people asleep in a local furniture store. I remember one occasion where the subject behaved like a chicken and barked like a dog. A real hilarious performance.
During
World War II he served aboard the USS Antietam CV36.
I have been told that he helped
many sailors to give up smoking through hypnotism.
As
a young man he was a gifted ventriloquist, and clown. Clayton traveled
with the King Ried Shows and the O.C. Buck Shows for several years and
working in the side show as a fire eater and as a ventriloquist.
He
later became the operator of a Fun House and help his parents with the
Photo Lab Concession.
Clayton operated
a magic shop, selling magic tricks and books to magicians from New York
State to Vermont. He once said, "I have always been excited about
magic; I would be lonesome without it."
He was a member of the International
Brotherhood of Magicians. For many years he also operated a
new and used appliance store from his home. He became well known
throughout the Adirondack area as the man that would make you smile as
he sold you the appliance or part.
Survivors
include his wife, Jane (Hackendorn)(Click
on the first picture - Clayton) Campbell,
six children, twenty-four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
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