Ellen E. Armstrong: Going Fine Since 1889

Ellen Armstrong was the daughter of J. Hartford Armstrong (1876 -1939), one of the few African-American magicians performing from the 1880s through the early 20th century. He primarily toured the eastern seaboard of the U.S. from 1889 until his death in 1939. Ellen Armstrong started as an assistant to her father at the age of six and eventually had her own mentalist segment during the performance. After her father’s death, Armstrong took over and continued to perform, making her the first and only black woman of her time to run an independent touring magic show.