Magicians today are a far cry from their ancient predecessors. Instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, the magi were guardians of Egyptian kings. Throughout the ages, magic and the magician has evolved greatly and today’s illusionist is more of a celebrity than a mystic. In this article, we’ll meet the masters of sleight of hand who have laid the foundation for today’s renewed interest in the unknown.

Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, who opened an illusion theater in Paris in the 1840s, is believed to be the father of the modern magician. Modern entertainment magic owes much of its origins to him.

In the 1900s, he was followed by the greatest celebrity magician of all time, Harry Houdini. Houdini’s real name was Ehrich Weiss and he took his stage name from Robert-Houdin,

He developed a range of stage illusion tricks, many of which were based on escapology. In addition to expanding the range of illusion hardware, showmanship and deceptive technique, these performers established the modern relationship between the performer and the audience.

Magic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of impossible or or supernatural feats using purely natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects or illusions. The most important tool for any magician is his audience.

To believe that what they are seeing really is an illusion, the gathering must be willing to suspend their disbelief. Traditionally, he refuses to reveal his secrets to the audience so as not to expose the art form and preserve the livelihood of magicians who perform for money. This is such a common practice that there is even a magician’s oath.

Magic has come and gone in fashion and a select group of successful magicians have become some of the most famous celebrities in popular entertainment. Doug Henning’s show restored magic as a form of mass entertainment with his distinctive look and exuberant showmanship. Since then, he has been succeeded by the likes of David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Zeigfried and Roy, and Criss Angel.

How do magicians go about it when they desire to cause something to appear mysteriously? The most common solution of the problem is a laborious and tedious search. Catalogues are thoroughly shifted. Textbooks on magic are thumbed from cover to cover. The performances of other magicians are eagerly scouted. And the magic shops are visited again and again.

Of course, the deliberate decision to add an effect of a definite nature is not the usualway the average magician adds to his routine or repertoire. The usual trick is added by the run-of-the-mill magical enthusiast simply because something in the number appeals to him. It might be the appearance of the apparatus. Or the apparent profundity of the method, the deceptive feature. Or the comedy potentialities. Or any of a number of other factors. I’m convinced this is not the correct way to add program material. It seems far better to me to add material from the viewpoint of its importance in adding entertainment value to the performer’s routine.

However, should a magician decide to add a production or appearance number to his program, usually through search he finds some type of trick that supplies the desired general effect. The specific trick selected usually determines the object with which the effect is accomplished. Then, the object to be used established, if he desires to tie it into a unified routine, he shapes and warps and changes matters until he meets his requirements as nearly as possible.

The somewhat more exacting magician will usually adopt the second method. Here, he will decide to add some type of production or mysterious appearance. Before embarking upon his search, he will determine the object or objects with which he wishes to accomplish the effect. Then, as before, he will make the search. But this investigation is not so general. Specifically, he knows what he wants to cause to appear. His hunt is limited to tricks in which the desired object is used. If he fails in his search, or if the tricks he finds do not seem satisfactory to him, usually he will decide upon a second object to take the place of the first choice