The origins of the Magic Art trace back to remote times, in a remote land. It can be asserted that ever since life started on Earth, the human being has tried to amaze and surprise others, through effects that could be surely called magic. A caveman might have shown his mallet appearing, not just as defense but to charm his lady. Naturally, there is no tangible evidence of those times, or of subsequent periods. The fact is that from time immemorial, magic has been a part of man’s life –firstly as an essential aspect of the mysterious and the religious; secondly, by attributing the occurrence of key events in his daily existence, such as rain, draught, birth, and others, to a sign from the gods; thirdly, as a way of life through the influence of magic power on health and behavior. It could be concluded that man has tried, ever since magic was born, to obtain admiration and reverential fear for the most diverse purposes, and above all, some individuals rather unholy or uncommendable, took advantage of their natural ability to deceive through words or images.
The first engraved or written documents, as well as the objects found, show that some sorcerers and magicians without supernatural powers used magic to bewitch others. The Bible itself includes data on those facts. In ancient Egypt, evidence was found of, probably, the first magic show performed by the Egyptian magician Dedi before the Pharaoh in Memphis as detailed on a papyrus called Wetscar which is exposed in a German museum. The show consisted of a series of tricks, such as small round pebbles vanishing, and a bird being beheaded which, supposedly, continued walking.
Later on, even though records have been found on the existence of prestidigitators -unknown by that name-, they actually used their skills to deceive and take advantage of the peoples’ ignorance and poverty to dominate them, to obtain favors from the powerful, and become rich.
The Middle Ages mark the coming of obscurantism, known today as "Black Magic". Merlin, counsellor to King Arthur, was the most famous magician of that period. His stories are testimony to the cortesan mystique, and his love for the witch Morgana, his apprentice, who enchanted him and left him a prisoner of a rock. The Discovery of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot, was the first book to include major magic knowledge such as detailed spells, sorceries, and cures, and the first record of the Big Magic Apparatus. The author’s intention was to expose false sorcerers; the book, however, was not available to all. Only a few pseudopowerful individuals had access to the book, which was obviously used to improve their techniques.
At that point in history, many street artists started to walk through the cities and the country, gathered in puppeteer and juggler companies, performing their shows in pubs, castles and hamlets, singing satiric and emotional songs on epic themes or fables, farses and dramas, acrobacies, and sleight of hand and apparitions. No doubt they laid the foundation of the circus.
In the East, legends and fascinating tales on miracles and powers from magic and enchanted places would travel from China to Arabia, reminding of sahos (the Arabian word for "magicians") who went from one city to another dematerialized, like in a science-fiction tale. An example are the Sherezade’s stories of the Thousand Nights and One Night.
Following our journey through time, many documents and programs in the Renaissance mention open air performances in fairs, bridges or popular festivities. Their acts to attract people disguised their actual activities as peddlers or swindlers. Worth mentioning is master Gonin from France, a very popular artist in the XVI century whose name means "to make something disappear", who was actually a pickpocket living of what he could steal in his shows. His name was used by other jugglers after he died.
In the XVII century, a list of artists too long and boring to mention can be found in newspapers, memories, chronicles, and letters. Worth mentioning are Delisle, Jonas, Palatin, Perrin and Pinetti, apart from a change in the art, and a multiplicity of magicians and showmen performing their acts with excessive skills and the sole intention of amusing the audience, as opposite to those ridiculous individuals who preferred deceiting. Some started to rent –and those fortunate enough, to build- spacious places with wooden tiers so that the public could attend their shows (the so called white magic).
Mr Charles Morton, an enlightened and visionary living in the mid XIX century, changed the usual practice of entry to the parlor which, so far, had been free; a drink being the only prerequisite to witness the show. It can be asserted that the music hall or vaudeville was born at that time, with the construction of a theater in Canterbury by Morton, who started to collect an entry fee to the audience interested in witnessing the performance. Very quickly, other owners of different theaters in England and the States imitated his initiative. In a few years, that practice extended worldwide.
The evolution of the feats for the so called "recreational physics", name given to magic at the time, evidenced no remarkable progress. There was an excessive use of double bottom apparatus, exotic costumes, bright colors, copper and tin objects, carpets and tapestries; in brief, there was an abuse of bad taste, as opposite to aesthetics. A pastry cook called Phillip introduced the Chinese rings, (iron rings which were either interweaved or loosened by a magic mystery), and the Chinese silks with exotic drawings. The contribution of the period to the great illusions is attributed to an Austrian named Dobler who presented effects with big apparatus.
Robert Houdini, a French artist who may be considered as the father of modern magic, brought about a true revolution, and the concept of magic as an art to be used to amuse the spectator and cause admiration through the production of apparently marvellous and unexplainable effects. He was a watchmaker who lived a complex life, did not reside in the same place for long, travelled all over Europe and the North of Africa. He built automatons of excellent functionality and applied electricity to magic. Among others, the changes contributed by Robert Houdini were: stop wearing ridiculous costumes, and start wearing sport clothing of an elegant and moderate black; eliminating jests and bad taste jokes, a remarkable change in scenery and presentation of apparatus, discarding for ever the use of double bottoms and elements the audience could not examine, transforming the clown helper in an assistant. He was the creator of many feats, and had so strong, genial and creative personality that he marked his fellow citizens and founded the French school. In spite of his brief career (only 6 years) performing before the public, he was the author of several books making up a volume so far unbeatable which was translated into different languages.
Worthy of mention is another creative French, Bautier De Kolta, author of stunning ideas and feats. He failed in the presentation of his creations before an audience.
The multiplying effect of show parlors widespread throughout Europe. Worth mentioning in England are David Devant, PT Selbit and many others. At that time, an Austrian-Hungarian school was created by the famous Carl Compars Hermann and his brother Alejandro Hofzinser who may be considered as the one who gave an spectacular nature and subtleties to close up magic and artistic card magic. In United States, as a result of the European influence, Harry Houdini distinguished himself as an illusionist. He was one of the wonderful escape artists who applied his knowledge as locksmith in his youth, and a body plasticity to escape from every invented chain and padlock. Even Scotland Yard was amazed by his performance, when he escaped from a jail by accident.
The first engraved or written documents, as well as the objects found, show that some sorcerers and magicians without supernatural powers used magic to bewitch others. The Bible itself includes data on those facts. In ancient Egypt, evidence was found of, probably, the first magic show performed by the Egyptian magician Dedi before the Pharaoh in Memphis as detailed on a papyrus called Wetscar which is exposed in a German museum. The show consisted of a series of tricks, such as small round pebbles vanishing, and a bird being beheaded which, supposedly, continued walking.
Later on, even though records have been found on the existence of prestidigitators -unknown by that name-, they actually used their skills to deceive and take advantage of the peoples’ ignorance and poverty to dominate them, to obtain favors from the powerful, and become rich.
The Middle Ages mark the coming of obscurantism, known today as "Black Magic". Merlin, counsellor to King Arthur, was the most famous magician of that period. His stories are testimony to the cortesan mystique, and his love for the witch Morgana, his apprentice, who enchanted him and left him a prisoner of a rock. The Discovery of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot, was the first book to include major magic knowledge such as detailed spells, sorceries, and cures, and the first record of the Big Magic Apparatus. The author’s intention was to expose false sorcerers; the book, however, was not available to all. Only a few pseudopowerful individuals had access to the book, which was obviously used to improve their techniques.
At that point in history, many street artists started to walk through the cities and the country, gathered in puppeteer and juggler companies, performing their shows in pubs, castles and hamlets, singing satiric and emotional songs on epic themes or fables, farses and dramas, acrobacies, and sleight of hand and apparitions. No doubt they laid the foundation of the circus.
In the East, legends and fascinating tales on miracles and powers from magic and enchanted places would travel from China to Arabia, reminding of sahos (the Arabian word for "magicians") who went from one city to another dematerialized, like in a science-fiction tale. An example are the Sherezade’s stories of the Thousand Nights and One Night.
Following our journey through time, many documents and programs in the Renaissance mention open air performances in fairs, bridges or popular festivities. Their acts to attract people disguised their actual activities as peddlers or swindlers. Worth mentioning is master Gonin from France, a very popular artist in the XVI century whose name means "to make something disappear", who was actually a pickpocket living of what he could steal in his shows. His name was used by other jugglers after he died.
In the XVII century, a list of artists too long and boring to mention can be found in newspapers, memories, chronicles, and letters. Worth mentioning are Delisle, Jonas, Palatin, Perrin and Pinetti, apart from a change in the art, and a multiplicity of magicians and showmen performing their acts with excessive skills and the sole intention of amusing the audience, as opposite to those ridiculous individuals who preferred deceiting. Some started to rent –and those fortunate enough, to build- spacious places with wooden tiers so that the public could attend their shows (the so called white magic).
Mr Charles Morton, an enlightened and visionary living in the mid XIX century, changed the usual practice of entry to the parlor which, so far, had been free; a drink being the only prerequisite to witness the show. It can be asserted that the music hall or vaudeville was born at that time, with the construction of a theater in Canterbury by Morton, who started to collect an entry fee to the audience interested in witnessing the performance. Very quickly, other owners of different theaters in England and the States imitated his initiative. In a few years, that practice extended worldwide.
The evolution of the feats for the so called "recreational physics", name given to magic at the time, evidenced no remarkable progress. There was an excessive use of double bottom apparatus, exotic costumes, bright colors, copper and tin objects, carpets and tapestries; in brief, there was an abuse of bad taste, as opposite to aesthetics. A pastry cook called Phillip introduced the Chinese rings, (iron rings which were either interweaved or loosened by a magic mystery), and the Chinese silks with exotic drawings. The contribution of the period to the great illusions is attributed to an Austrian named Dobler who presented effects with big apparatus.
Robert Houdini, a French artist who may be considered as the father of modern magic, brought about a true revolution, and the concept of magic as an art to be used to amuse the spectator and cause admiration through the production of apparently marvellous and unexplainable effects. He was a watchmaker who lived a complex life, did not reside in the same place for long, travelled all over Europe and the North of Africa. He built automatons of excellent functionality and applied electricity to magic. Among others, the changes contributed by Robert Houdini were: stop wearing ridiculous costumes, and start wearing sport clothing of an elegant and moderate black; eliminating jests and bad taste jokes, a remarkable change in scenery and presentation of apparatus, discarding for ever the use of double bottoms and elements the audience could not examine, transforming the clown helper in an assistant. He was the creator of many feats, and had so strong, genial and creative personality that he marked his fellow citizens and founded the French school. In spite of his brief career (only 6 years) performing before the public, he was the author of several books making up a volume so far unbeatable which was translated into different languages.
Worthy of mention is another creative French, Bautier De Kolta, author of stunning ideas and feats. He failed in the presentation of his creations before an audience.
The multiplying effect of show parlors widespread throughout Europe. Worth mentioning in England are David Devant, PT Selbit and many others. At that time, an Austrian-Hungarian school was created by the famous Carl Compars Hermann and his brother Alejandro Hofzinser who may be considered as the one who gave an spectacular nature and subtleties to close up magic and artistic card magic. In United States, as a result of the European influence, Harry Houdini distinguished himself as an illusionist. He was one of the wonderful escape artists who applied his knowledge as locksmith in his youth, and a body plasticity to escape from every invented chain and padlock. Even Scotland Yard was amazed by his performance, when he escaped from a jail by accident.
