Michel Velleman left his native Groningen for Amsterdam. From the twenties, he performed as a 'humorous magician, professor Ben Ali Libi'.
In 1924, the 'Nieuwsblad van het Zuiden' wrote about him: 'Ben Ali Libi is a handy magician who dumbfounds anyone present with his incredible tricks. All those tricks are naturally too numerous to mention, but he was very popular. No-one would be bored spending an entire evening with this magician'.
He performed in variety shows, mainly in Amsterdam, but also elsewhere, in the Roman-Catholic Institute for the Deaf and Dumb in Sint Michielsgestel, in the Apeldoornse Bos etc. His agent was the famous Max van Gelder. He performed in front of Prince Hendrik and the German ex-emperor Wilhelm, among others.
Ben Ali Libi published a booklet with simple magic tricks. The booklet cost 25 cent.
During a raid in June 1943, he was caught in his house at the Biesboschstraat in Amsterdam.
Nieuwsblad van het Zuiden, 29 August 1924;
Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad, 24 May 2002, 12-13
The text and song writer Willem Wilmink wrote a poem dedicated to Ben Ali Libi.
Addition of a visitor of the website