Antonia McDill Collection

Antonia McDill was born in Lake Village, Arkansas in 1948 to parents Joel McDill, an Arkansas native, and Thelma McDill (Nesmith), a Mississippi native. Antonia grew up as an avid reader and applied her love for liberal arts by embarking on a film career at Columbia College in Chicago. During her young adulthood in the 1960s, the Gay Rights Revolution, a component of the larger Sexual Revolution, pushed for LGBTQ peoples’ acceptance into mainstream society. It was an uphill battle, as even stalwart feminists like Betty Friedan rejected LGBTQ activism as a legitimate part of the liberal push to change conventional sex and gender norms. As a young lesbian and Southern transplant in Chicago, Antonia witnessed the turbulent struggle for sexual liberation in a diverse, metropolitan campus, an atmosphere far removed from the rural stomping grounds of her early days. After college, Antonia McDill parlayed her education into photography and film work but enjoyed particular success as a professional magician. Reflecting her performing talents, Antonia was elected to the post of President of the Wizard’s Club of Chicago. She won many accolades for her skills and was also a member of various national magician’s associations. Antonia remained connected to the LGBTQ community and engaged in political activism to advance same-sex rights. Having lived through pivotal moments in LGBTQ history and established a long-lived career in professional magic, Antonia died on September 27, 2019.