Philip Reed Willmarth (August 19, 1931 - September 16, 2014) was an American magician, magic historian, lecturer, author and editor.
Wilmarth began performing magic while studying at Allegheny College, where he received a bachelor's degree in Arts in Communications in 1953.
Wilmarth relocated to Durham, North Carolina, in 1998, and died there of cancer on September 16, 2014, aged 83.
[2] Willmarth wrote numerous books and articles on the field of magic and its performance including "The Magic of Matt Schulien" (1959), "Fun With a Handkerchief" (1969), "The Ring and Rope Book" (1975), "Jim Ryan Close-up" (four volumes, 1980–81), "The Knot Collector" (1989) and "The Impostress Princess Expanded" (2011).
[1][2] He was a member of the Order of Merlin Shield and received a Literary Fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts in 2007.