Magic

The Conjurer, 1475-1480, by Hieronymus Bosch or his workshop. Notice how the man in the back row steals another

man's purse while applying misdirection by looking at the sky. The artist even misdirects us from the thief by drawing us to

the magician.

Magic (sometimes referred to as stage magic to distinguish it from paranormal or ritualmagic) is

a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusionsof seemingly
impossible or supernatural feats using natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects,
or illusions.

A professional who performs such illusions is called a magician or an illusionist. Some performers may
also be referred to by names reflecting the type of magical effects they present, such
as prestidigitators, conjurors, hypnotists, mentalists, or escape artists.

History
The term "magic" is etymologically derived from the Greek word mageia (μαγεία). Greeks
andPersians had been at war for centuries and the Persian priests, called magosh in Persian, came to be
known as magoi in Greek; that which a Persian priest did come to be known as mageia and then magika,
a term which eventually referred to any foreign, unorthodox or illegitimate ritual practice.

Performances which modern observers would recognize as conjuring have probably been practiced
throughout history. For many recorded centuries, magicians were associated with the devil and the occult.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, many stage magicians even capitalized on this notion in their
advertisements. The same level of ingenuity that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions such
as the Trojan Horse would also have been used for entertainment, or at least for cheating
in money games. They were also used by the practitioners of various religions and cults from ancient
times onwards to frighten uneducated people into obedience or turn them into adherents. However, the
profession of the illusionist gained strength only in the 18th century, and has enjoyed several popular
vogues since.

Magic tricks
An early copy of The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584), the first known book of magic tricks, written byReginald Scot

The first book of magic tricks appeared in 1584. Englishman Reginald Scot, published The Discoverie of
Witchcraft, which was devoted to debunking the claims of magicians and showing how their 'magic tricks'
were in reality accomplished. Among the tricks discussed were 'sleight-of-hand' manipulations with rope,
paper and coins. At the time, fear and belief in witchcraft was widespread and the book tried to
demonstrate that these fears were misplaced. All obtainable copies were burned on the accession
of James I in 1603 and those remaining are now rare. It began to reappear in print in 1651.

During the 17th century, many similar books were published that described in detail the methods of a
number of magic tricks, including The Art of Conjuring (1614) and The Anatomy of Legedermain: The Art
of Jugling (c.1675).

Advertisement for Isaac Fawkes' show from 1724 in which he boasts of the success of his performances for the King and
Prince George

Until the 18th century magic shows were a common source of entertainment at fairs, where itinerant
performers would entertain the public with magic tricks, as well as the more traditional spectacles
of sword swallowing, juggling and fire breathing. In the early 18th century, as belief in witchcraft was
waning, the art became increasingly respectable and shows would be put on for rich private patrons. A
notable figure in this transition was the English showman, Isaac Fawkes, who began to promote his act in
advertisements from the 1720s - he even claimed to have performed for King George II. One of Fawkes'
advertisements described his routine in some detail:
He takes an empty bag, lays it on the Table and turns it several times inside out, then commands 100
Eggs out of it and several showers of real Gold and silver, then the Bag beginning to swell several sorts
of wild fowl run out of it upon the Table. He throws up a Pack of Cards, and causes them to be living birds
flying about the room. He causes living Beasts, Birds, and other Creatures to appear upon the Table. He
blows the spots of the Cards off and on, and changes them to any pictures.

From 1756 to 1781, Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic, sometimes under the guise of scientific
exhibitions, throughout Europe and in Russia.

Modern stage magic]

Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, pioneer of modern magical entertainment

A founding figure of modern entertainment magic was Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, originally a
clockmaker, who opened a magic theatre in Paris in 1845. He transformed his art from one performed at
fairs to a performance that the public paid to see at the theatre. His speciality was the construction of
mechanical automata which appeared to move and act as if they were alive. Many of Robert-Houdin's
mechanisms for illusion were pirated by his assistant and ended up in the performances of his
rivals, John Henry Anderson and Alexander Herrmann.

John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London. In 1840 he opened the New Strand
Theatre, where he performed as 'The Great Wizard of the North'. His success came from advertising his
shows and captivating his audience with expert showmanship. He became one of the earliest magicians
to attain a high level of world renown. He opened a second theatre in Glasgow in 1845.
John Nevil Maskelyne, a famous magician and illusionist of the late 19th century.

Towards the end of the century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre venues became
[7]
the norm. The British performer J N Maskelyne and his partner Cooke established their own theatre,
the Egyptian Hall, in London's Piccadilly, in 1873. The show incorporated stage illusions and reinvented
traditional tricks with exotic (often Oriental) imagery. The potential of the stage was exploited for hidden
mechanisms and assistants, and the control it offers over the audience's point of view. Maskelyne and
Cooke invented many of the illusions still performed today - one of his best-known being levitation.

The model for the look of a 'typical' magician—a man with wavy hair, a top hat, a goatee, and a tailcoat—
was Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 – December 17, 1896), also known as Herrmann the Great.
Herrmann was a French magician and was part of the Herrmann family name that is the "first-family of
magic".

The escapologist and magician Harry Houdini took his stage name from Robert-Houdin and developed a
range of stage magic tricks, many of them based on what became known after his death as escapology.
Houdini was genuinely skilled in techniques such as lockpicking and escaping straitjackets, but also made
full use of the range of conjuring techniques, including fake equipment and collusion with individuals in
the audience. Houdini's show business savvy was great as well as his performance skill. There is
a Houdini Museumdedicated to him in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The Magic Circle was formed in London in 1905 to promote and advance the art of stage magic.

As a form of entertainment, magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television specials, which
opened up new opportunities for deceptions, and brought stage magic to huge audiences. Famous
magicians of the 20th century included Okito, David Devant, Harry Blackstone Sr., Harry Blackstone
Jr., Howard Thurston, Theodore Annemann, Cardini, Joseph Dunninger, Dai Vernon, Fred Culpitt,Tommy
Wonder, Siegfried & Roy, and Doug Henning. Popular 20th and 21st century magicians include David
Copperfield, Lance Burton, James Randi, Penn and Teller, David Blaine, Criss Angel, Hans Klok, Derren
Brown and Dynamo. Well known women would include Dell O'Dell and Dorothy Dietrich. Most TV
magicians perform before a live audience, who provide the remote viewer with a reassurance that the
illusions are not obtained with post-production visual effects.

Many of the principles of stage magic are old. There is an expression, "it's all done with smoke and
mirrors", used to explain something baffling, but effects seldom use mirrors today, due to the amount of
installation work and transport difficulties. For example, the famousPepper's Ghost, a stage illusion first
used in 19th-century London, required a specially built theatre. Modern performers have vanished objects
as large as the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and a space shuttle, using other kinds of optical
deceptions.

Categories of effects
There is discussion among magicians as to how a given effect is to be categorized, and disagreement as
to what categories actually exist—for instance, some magicians consider "penetrations" to be a separate
category, while others consider penetrations a form of restoration or teleportation. Some magicians today,
such as Guy Hollingworth and Tom Stone have begun to challenge the notion that all magic effects fit into
a limited number of categories. Among magicians who believe in a limited number of categories (such
asDariel Fitzkee, Harlan Tarbell, S.H. Sharpe), there has been disagreement as to how many different
types of effects there are. Some of these are listed below.

 Production: The magician produces something from nothing—a rabbit from an empty hat, a fan of
cards from thin air, a shower of coins from an empty bucket, a dove from a pan, or the magician him
or herself, appearing in a puff of smoke on an empty stage—all of these effects are productions.

 Vanish: The magician makes something disappear—a coin, a cage of doves, milk from a newspaper,
an assistant from a cabinet, or even the Statue of Liberty. A vanish, being the reverse of a
production, may use a similar technique, in reverse.

 Transformation: The magician transforms something from one state into another—a silk
handkerchief changes colour, a lady turns into a tiger, an indifferent card changes to the spectator's
chosen card.

 Restoration: The magician destroys an object, then restores it back to its original state—a rope is
cut, a newspaper is torn, a woman is sawn in half, a borrowed watch is smashed to pieces—then
they are all restored to their original state.

 Teleportation: The magician causes something to move from one place to another—a borrowed ring
is found inside a ball of wool, a canary inside a light bulb, an assistant from a cabinet to the back of
the theatre, a coin from one hand to the other. When two objects exchange places, it is called a
transposition: a simultaneous, double teleportation. A teleportation can be seen as a combination of a
vanish and a production.

 Escape: The magician (an assistant may participate, but the magician himself is by far the most
common) is placed in a restraining device (i.e., handcuffs or a straitjacket) or a death trap, and
 escapes to safety. Examples include being put in a straitjacket and into an overflowing tank of water,
and being tied up and placed in a car being sent through a car crusher.

 Levitation: The magician defies gravity, either by making something float in the air, or with the aid of
another object (suspension)—a silver ball floats around a cloth, an assistant floats in mid-air, another
is suspended from a broom, a scarf dances in a sealed bottle, the magician hovers a few inches off
the floor. There are many popular ways to create this illusion, including Asrah levitation,Balducci
levitation, and King levitation. The flying illusion is often performed by David Copperfield and more
recently by Peter Marvey(who may or may not be using a technique similar to that of David
Copperfield). Harry Blackstone's floating light bulb, in which the light bulb floats over the heads of the
public, is also spectacular.

 Penetration: The magician makes a solid object pass through another—a set of steel rings link and
unlink, a candle penetrates an arm, swords pass through an assistant in a basket, a saltshaker
penetrates the table-top, a man walks through a mirror. Sometimes referred to as "solid-through-
solid".

 Prediction: The magician predicts the choice of a spectator, or the outcome of an event under
seemingly impossible circumstances—a newspaper headline is predicted, the total amount of loose
change in the spectator's pocket, a picture drawn on a slate.
Many magical routines use combinations of effects. For example, in "cups and balls" a magician may use
vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportation and transformations as part of the one presentation.

The methodology behind magic is often referred to as a science (often a branch of physics) whilst the
performance aspect is more of an art form.

Secrecy
Traditionally, magicians refuse to reveal the methods behind their tricks to the audience. Reasons for
secrecy include the following:

 Exposure is claimed to "kill" magic as an artform and transforms it into mere intellectual puzzles and
riddles. It is argued that once the secret of a trick is revealed to a person, that one can no longer fully
enjoy subsequent performances of that magic, as the amazement is missing. Sometimes the secret
is so simple that the audience feels let down and disappointed it was taken in so easily.
 Keeping the secrets preserves the mystery of professional magicians.
Membership in professional magicians' organizations often requires a solemn commitment to
the Magician's Oath never to reveal the secrets of magic to non-magicians. The Magician's Oath may
vary, but typically takes the following or similar form:

"As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that
one swears to uphold the Magician's Oath in turn. I promise never to perform any illusion for any
non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the
illusion of magic."
Once sworn to the Oath, one is considered a magician, and is expected to live up to this promise.
Magicians who reveal secrets, either purposely or through insufficient practice, may find that other
magicians are unwilling to teach them any more secrets. They will then no longer be eligible to join
IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians) and will be banned from magic society.

However, it is considered permissible to reveal secrets to individuals who are determined to learn
magic and become magicians. It is typically a sequential process of increasingly valuable and lesser
known secrets. The secrets of almost all magical effects are available to the public through numerous
books and magazines devoted to magic, available from the specialized magic trade. There are also
web sites which offer videos, DVDs and instructional materials. In this sense, there are very few
classical illusions left unrevealed, but this does not appear to have diminished the appeal of
performances. In addition, magic is a living art, and new illusions are devised with surprising
regularity. Sometimes a 'new' illusion will be built on an illusion that is old enough to have become
unfamiliar.

Some magicians have taken the position that revealing the methods used in certain works of magic
can enhance the appreciation of the audience for cleverness of magic. Penn and Teller frequently
perform tricks using transparent props to reveal how they are done, for example, although they
almost always include additional unexplained effects at the end that are made even more astonishing
by the revealing props being used.

Often, what seems to be a revelation of a magical secret is merely another form of misdirection. For
instance, a magician may explain to an audience member that the linking rings "have a hole in them"
and hand the volunteer two unlinked rings, which the volunteer finds to have become linked as soon
as he handles them. At this point the magician may shove his arm through the ring ('the hole in the
ring'), proclaiming: "See? Once you know that every ring has a hole, it's easy!"

Learning magic
Dedication to magic can teach confidence and creativity, as well as the work ethic associated with
regular practice and the responsibility that comes with devotion to an art. The teaching of
performance magic was once a secretive practice. Professional magicians were unwilling to share
knowledge with anyone outside the profession to prevent the laity from learning their secrets. This
often made it difficult for an interested apprentice to learn anything but the basics of magic. Some
had strict rules against members discussing magic secrets with anyone but established magicians.

From the 1584 publication of Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft until the end of the 19th
century, only a few books were available for magicians to learn the craft, whereas today mass-market
books offer a myriad titles. Videos and DVDs are a newer medium of tuition, but many of the methods
found in this format are readily found in previously published books. However, they can serve as a
visual demonstration.

Persons interested in learning to perform magic can join magic clubs. Here magicians, both
seasoned and novitiate, can work together and help one another for mutual improvement, to learn
new techniques, to discuss all aspects of magic, to perform for each other—sharing advice,
encouragement, and criticism. Before a magician can join one of these clubs, they usually have to
audition. The purpose is to show to the membership they are a magician and not just someone off the
street wanting to discover magical secrets.
The world's largest magic organization is the International Brotherhood of Magicians; it publishes a
monthly journal, The Linking Ring. The oldest organization is the Society of American Magicians, of
which Houdini was a member and president for several years. In London, England, there is The
Magic Circle which houses the largest magic library in Europe. Also PSYCRETS – The British
Society of Mystery Entertainers, which caters specifically to mentalists, bizarrists, storytellers,
readers, spiritualist performers, and other mystery entertainers. The Magic Castle in Hollywood is
home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

Types of magic performance

Magic performances tend to fall into a few specialties or genres.

A mentalist on stage in a mind-reading performance, 1900

 Stage illusions are performed for large audiences, typically within a theatre or auditorium. This
type of magic is distinguished by large-scale props, the use of assistants and often exotic
animals such as elephants and tigers. Some famous stage illusionists, past and present, include
Harry Blackstone, Sr., Howard Thurston, Chung Ling Soo, David Copperfield, Lance Burton,
Siegfried & Roy, and Harry Blackstone, Jr..
 Parlor magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic (which is for a few people or even
one person) and for smaller audiences than stage magic. In parlor magic, the performer is
usually standing and on the same level as the audience, which may be seated on chairs or even
on the floor. According to the Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians by T.A. Waters, "The phrase
[parlor magic] is often used as a pejorative to imply that an effect under discussion is not suitable
for professional performance." Also, many magicians consider the term "parlor" to be old
fashioned and limiting, since this type of magic is often done in rooms much larger than the
traditional parlor, or even outdoors. A better term for this branch of magic may be "platform,"
"club" or "cabaret."
 Platform magic (also known as cabaret magic or stand-up magic) is performed for a medium
to large audience. Nightclub magic and comedy club magic are also examples of this form. The
use of illusionettes (small tabletop illusions) is common. This genre includes the skilled
manipulation of props such as billiard balls, card fans, doves, rabbits, silks, and rope. Examples
 of such magicians include Jeff McBride, Penn & Teller, David Abbott, Channing Pollock, Black
Herman, and Fred Kaps.
 Micromagic (also known as close-up magic or table magic) is performed with the audience
close to the magician, sometimes even one-on-one. It usually makes use of everyday items as
props, such as cards (see Card manipulation), coins (see Coin magic), and seemingly
'impromptu' effects. This may be called "table magic", particularly when performed as dinner
entertainment. Ricky Jay, Mahdi Moudini and Lee Asher, following in the traditions of Dai
Vernon,Slydini, and Max Malini, are considered among the foremost practitioners of close-up
magic.
 Escapology is the branch of magic that deals with escapes from confinement or restraints. Harry
Houdini is a well-known example of an escape artist or escapologist.
 Pickpocket magicians use magic to misdirect the audience while removing wallets, belts, ties
and other personal effects. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small
close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Well-known pickpockets of the past and present
include James Freedman, David Avadon, Bob Arno, and Apollo Robbins.
 Mentalism creates the impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses
special powers to read thoughts, predict events, control other minds, and similar feats. It can be
presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one
spectator. Well-known mentalists of the past and present include Alexander, The Zancigs, Axel
Hellstrom,Dunninger, Kreskin, Derren Brown, Rich Ferguson, Guy Bavli and Banachek.
 Theatrical séances simulate spiritualistic or mediumistic phenomena for theatrical effect. This
genre of stage magic has been misused at times by charlatans pretending to actually be in
contact with spirits.
 Children's magic is performed for an audience primarily composed of children. It is typically
performed at birthday parties, preschools, elementary schools, Sunday schools or libraries. This
type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer
assistants.
 Online magic tricks were designed to function on a computer screen. The computer essentially
replaces the magician. Some online magic tricks recreate traditional card tricks and require user
participation, while others, like Plato's Cursed Triangle, are based on mathematical, geometrical
and/or optical illusions. One such online magic trick, called Esmeralda's Crystal Ball, became
a viral phenomenon that fooled so many computer users into believing that their computer had
supernatural powers, thatSnopes dedicated a page to debunking the trick.
 Mathemagic is a genre of stage magic that combines magic and mathematics. It is commonly
used by children's magicians andmentalists.
 Corporate magic or trade show magic uses magic as a communication and sales tool, as
opposed to just straightforward entertainment. Corporate magicians may come from a business
background and typically present at meetings, conferences and product launches. They run
workshops and can sometimes be found at trade shows, where their patter and illusions enhance
an entertaining presentation of the products offered by their corporate sponsors. Pioneer
performers in this arena include Eddie Tullock and Guy Bavli.
 Gospel magic uses magic to catechize and evangelize. Gospel magic was first used by St. Don
Bosco to interest children in 19th-century Turin, Italy to come back to school, to accept
assistance and to attend church.
 Street magic is a form of street performing or busking that employs a hybrid of stage magic,
platform and close-up magic, usually performed 'in the round' or surrounded by the audience.
Notable modern street magic performers include Jeff Sheridan and Gazzo. Since the first David
Blaine TV special Street Magic aired in 1997, the term "street magic" has also come to describe
a style of 'guerilla' performance in which magicians approach and perform for unsuspecting
members of the public on the street. Unlike traditional street magic, this style is almost purely
designed for TV and gains its impact from the wild reactions of the public. Magicians of this type
include David Blaine and Cyril Takayama.
 Bizarre magic uses mystical, horror, fantasy and other similar themes in performance. Bizarre
magic is typically performed in a close-up venue, although some performers have effectively
presented it in a stage setting. Charles Cameron has generally been credited as the "godfather
of bizarre magic." Others, such as Tony Andruzzi, have contributed significantly to its
development.
 Shock magic is a genre of magic that shocks the audience. Sometimes referred to as "geek
magic," it takes its roots from circus sideshows, in which 'freakish' performances were shown to
audiences. Common shock magic or geek magic effects include eating razor blades, needle-
through-arm, string through neck and pen-through-tongue.
 Comedy Magic is the use of magic in which is combined with stand-up comedy. Famous comedy
magicians include Ed Alonzo,Penn & Teller, and Levent.
Misuse of magic
Some modern illusionists believe that it is unethical to give a performance that claims to be anything
other than a clever and skillful deception. Most of these performers therefore eschew the term
"magician" (which they view as making a claim to supernatural power) in favor of "illusionist" and
similar descriptions; for example, the performer Jamy Ian Swiss makes these points by billing himself
as an "honest liar." On the other side of the coin, many performers say that magical acts, as a form of
theater, need no more of a disclaimer than any play or film; this viewpoint is reflected in the words of
magician and mentalist Joseph Dunninger, "For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for
those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice."

These apparently irreconcilable differences of opinion have led to some conflicts among performers.
For example, more than thirty years after the hugely successful illusionist Uri Geller made his first
appearances on television in the 1970s to exhibit his self-proclaimed psychic ability to bend spoons,
his actions still provoke controversy among some magical performers, because of his claim that he
was not using conjuring techniques. On the other hand, because Geller bent—and continues to
bend—spoons within a performance context, the Dunninger quote may be said to apply.

Less fraught with controversy, however, may be the use of deceptive practices by those who employ
conjuring techniques for personal gain outside the venue of a magical performance.

Fraudulent mediums have long capitalized on the popular belief in paranormal phenomena to prey on
the bereaved for financial gain. From the 1840s to the 1920s, during the greatest popularity of
the Spiritualism religious movement as well as public interest inséances, a number of fraudulent
mediums used conjuring methods to perform illusions such as table-knocking, slate-writing,
andtelekinetic effects, which they attributed to the actions of ghosts or other spirits. The great
escapologist and illusionist Harry Houdinidevoted much of his time to exposing such fraudulent
operators. Magician James Randi, magic duo Penn & Teller, and the mentalistDerren Brown have
also devoted much time to investigating paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims.

Fraudulent faith healers have also been shown to employ sleight of hand to give the appearance of
removing chicken-giblet "tumors" from patients' abdomens.

Con men and grifters too may use techniques of conjuring for fraudulent goals. Cheating at card
games is an obvious example, and not a surprising one: one of the most respected textbooks of card
techniques for magicians, The Expert at the Card Table by Erdnase, was primarily written as an
instruction manual for card sharps. The card trick known as "Find the Lady" or "Three-card Monte" is
an old favourite of street hustlers, who lure the victim into betting on what seems like a simple
proposition: to identify, after a seemingly easy-to-track mixing sequence, which one of three face-
down cards is the Queen. Another example is the shell game, in which a pea is hidden under one of
three walnut shells, then shuffled around the table (or sidewalk) so slowly as to make the pea's
position seemingly obvious. Although these are well known as frauds, people still lose money on
them; a shell-game ring was broken up in Los Angeles as recently as December 2009.

Researching magic
Because of the secretive nature of magic, research can sometimes be a challenge. Many magic
resources are privately held and most libraries only have small populist collections of magicana.
However, organizations exist to band together independent collectors, writers, and researchers of
magic history, including the Magic Collectors' Association, which publishes a quarterly magazine and
hosts an annual convention; and The Conjuring Arts Research Center, which publishes a monthly
newsletter and biannual magazine, and offers its members use of a searchable database of rare
books and periodicals.

Performance magic is particularly notable as a key area of popular culture from the mid-19th to mid-
20th centuries. Many performances and performers can be followed through newspapers of the time.

Many books have been written about magic tricks; so many are written every year that at least one
magic author has suggested that more books are written about magic than any other performing art.
Although the bulk of these books are not seen on the shelves of libraries or public bookstores, the
serious student can find many titles through specialized stores catering to the needs of magical
performers.