Houdini And Samri Baldwin

The photo above is Samri Baldwin and Harry Houdini. Baldwin was born Samuel Baldwin in Cincinnati OH in 1848. He performed professional as The White Mahatma. Samri is credited with taking the question and answer techniques used by mediums and applying them to magic and mentalism. His techniques are still used today.

I'm not sure, but I might have stumbled upon a discovery*.  I believe it was in Jim Steinmeyer's book about Howard Thurston where I read that Samri Baldwin in 1921 had a small spot in the Thurston Show. Baldwin had brought along with him a trunk full of treasures he had collected over the course of his career and life. They were to be a gift to Howard Thurston. But there was a problem, the two did not get along. So much for that gift! I kind of assumed at that point that Baldwin probably gave or bequeathed the trunk to his daughter Blanche Baldwin, though I had no real proof either way.

Well, yesterday I'm looking through some of the scrapbooks in the Harry Ransom Houdini Collection and what should pop up? A scrapbook belonging to S.S. and Kittie Baldwin! Now this is not the trunk full of treasures that was mentioned in the Thurston book, but I bet it was part of that trunk!

As it turns out, my discovery, or what I thought was a discovery falls flat near the end. Samri Baldwin did not give the scrapbook to Houdini. His daughter gave the book to Houdini, as can be seen by the inscription in the front. Samri died March 10th, 1924 and on April 21st, the book was sent to Houdini. So the trunk of treasures remained with the family with the exception of this scrapbook. Or maybe she gave them to someone else? Where the trunk of treasures ended up is anyone's guess.

*Turns out this 'discovery' has been made before. And as is mentioned in the comments below, was also revealed in the book 'Metamorphosis' by Bruce MacNab. The only unique thing that I did was make the connection of the book to the trunk of memorabilia mentioned in the Thurston book by Jim Steinmeyer, but his is only a guess on my part.

For MORE on Samri Baldwin Listen to my podcast http://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/samuel-spenser-baldwin-pioneer-clairvoyant/

Behind the Scenes Video of Le Grand David Magic Show

I just found this online. It's a video of behind the scenes footage of the LeGrand David Magic Show in Beverly. Now that the show is finished, sold off and will no longer be seen, this gives a nice view of some of the spectacle that once graced the stage at the Cabot St. Cinema Theatre.

Making Magic from Jerry Harrell on Vimeo.

Okito - Le Grand David Magic Illusion Is Available!

Yes, the Le Grand David Auction has passed. But one item in particular did not sell, the closing illusion to their Cabot St. Theatre Show. In the show it was an unusual pagoda. In reality it was a combination of two Okito/Theo Bamberg Illusions. One was called 'Hi Strung' and the other 'The Mandarin's Dream'.  In fact, in the auction listing they describe it just like that, a combination of two Okito Illusions.

I have to admit, as much as I love the show, this was never a favorite of mine. But now upon reflection, I think perhaps I may have been mistaken. There is quite a bit of magic here and as far as engineering it's pretty remarkable.

It is kind of a combination of the two Okito effects. The routine called Hi-Strung, has a pagoda like structure and the doors are opened front and back to show it empty. It's closed up and a long rope is threaded through the box. Suddenly the 'Lotus Flower' or female assistant steps forth from the pagoda with the rope passing through her costume!

But 'The Mandarin's Dream' which is the part of the routine where the large box-like trunks are introduced, is slightly different in the original effect.

In the Mandarin's Dream, according to Okito, it is a transposition of the boxes with a living person. And in fact, it is a very elaborate playlet with several characters, multiple boxes or tea chests as they are called in the routine, and a pagoda and another raised platform with a canopy that is flown in to cover the boxes. 

The method for created the Mandarin's Dream is very involved. It's quite a remarkable concept and I'm not sure if the original Okito props from this illusion remain today.

Okito mentions in his book Okito On Magic, that this was the most sensational illusion he ever performed but due to weight and size it was impossible to travel with. I wonder if the effect was eventually given to his son, or if it remained behind in Europe?

The good news is a version of these two effects does still exist today.  The Le Grand David troupe referred to this as 'The Legend of the Miraculous Pagoda', and as I stated earlier, this was the closing illusion in their show at the Cabot St. Theatre. It began for years with Webster Bull acting as narrator and describing the history of this magical pagoda. When his monologue was over, the company sprang into action and began by rolling out the pagoda, showing it empty and also bringing out the large chests which were full of jewels, fabrics and gold! The chests were lifted and stacked inside the pagoda and then the doors closed. A rope was threaded through the pagoda and then the entire thing was spun around (not a simple task because this prop is a monster!).

When the doors are eventually opened, the chests are gone! In it's place is a masked figured whose costume is threaded with the rope. The costume figure steps out of the pagoda and lo and behold it is none other than Marco the Magi! This leads to the final bows by each member of the company and a few surprise effects along the way.

I stated above it was not my favorite illusion. I think part of the reason was it was very slow. I did enjoy Webster's story however, I thought that part of it was fantastic. And there is a moment of great surprise in the routine near the end when the doors are open and the chests are seen, the doors are closed and then opened and the chests are gone and Marco the Magi is there.  I'm sure the slowness is probably unavoidable, but perhaps other things could have been done to mask the time. At any rate, it was their closing illusion for years and in all honesty, it's pretty amazing. I just watched it again last night on video and was taken back by the vanish of the boxes and appearance of the person. Perhaps, my previous opinion was just a bit jaded.

There is good news too. This wonderful effect is available! It was in the recent Kaminski Auction of the Le Grand David show. It did not sell. It had a very high reserve which was part of the problem. But it is still available and I'm sure they are wanting to find a new home for it. It was lot # 9040 and if you contact the folks at Kaminski Auctions ask them about it and see if perhaps you can make a bid on it. Keep in mind, this thing is gigantic! I don't think it packs flat, but it might break down a little for shipping, I don't know. You'll have to ask them. Keep in mind unless you pick it up, the shipping is going to be a lot. But, this will certainly be the ultimate in Okito inspired collectibles and the crowning jewel of the Le Grand David Show. Contact them and see!

Seeking the Owner of These Items from LGD Auction

There were a number of items I was bidding on that I lost during the auction by only a few dollars because the online system didn't take my bid. It was highly frustrating to say the least. But two items in particular stand out. I'd like to find out who owns them and if they are interested in selling them, either now or down the road, to let me know. But if you know who the new owner of either of these items is, could you let me know or get me in touch with them. Thank you.

First item was listed as the Japanese Painted Production Chest # 9130.

The next item is called The Thief of Bagdad and was lot # 9161

 

If you have either of these and are interested selling, please let me know. carnegiemagic@aol.com

Le Grand David Auction Thoughts & More

Cesareo Pelaez as Marco the Magi

Yesterday, Feb 23, 2014 was the Auction to sell the show and props of Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Magic Company. This was the longest running resident magic company in the world. Headed by the late Cesareo Pelaez, the show began in 1977 and ran for 35 consecutive years.  It was the type of show that you will never see again. If you missed the chance to see the show, you missed one of the greatest theatrical experiences in life, trust me on that.

I saw the show the first time in 1980 while on a family trip in New England. I had seen the advertisements for the show in Genii Magazine. In fact, I would get LeGrand David himself to sign my issue of Genii. And if that wasn't wild enough, attending the performance that same night were Bill and Irene Larsen, editors of Genii Magazine and co-creators of The Magic Castle! So I was able to meet Mr. Larsen that evening as well.

The show had a profound effect on me. For years later my mind would go back to that night when I witnessed a truly remarkable event. I remembered a speech that Marco the Magi gave during the show about the origins of the program, and how the members of the company made most everything by hand. I would look through the programs that I purchased that night, many times over the years, and vividly recall the first night I saw the LeGrand David Show.

Years later, April 2000, I was invited by Cesareo to be a guest for the weekend. I brought my girlfriend with me. She knew nothing of the show or the people. As we went up, I showed her an issue of MAGIC Magazine that was done on the show and tried to give her some idea of what to expect. Before I left, I had mentioned to my good friend Ralph, that I had a strange feeling that I wasn't going to be the same person when I returned.

Before I go further, let me ask you. Have you ever had a car that was not quite tuned properly? It would run, but was always sluggish? Or perhaps a computer that would work well about 80% of the time but would seem to crash or lock up at the worst times? Well, that was me. I mean, that's kind of how I was when I went up there. I was not running at full capacity and had some issues with things in my life. But during that trip, I had a conversation with Cesareo that was like a mechanic giving a car a tune-up. It was nothing major, nor earth shattering. But it was just the right thing that I needed to hear at that moment and it seemed to straighten out all the conflicts I was having.

I would have many conversations with Cesareo afterwards, but looking back, not as many as I would like to have had. I remember him telling me several stories of the magic shows he saw in Cuba. I remember the suggestions he gave me about my own show. He would often give advice that seemed a bit harsh, but upon reflection was the perfect solution. On one visit I mentioned the current state of my show and he said that when I returned I should bring a video of the show and we would watch it together and he could make suggestions, if I was interested. Of course, I was! And then, a week later, his health started to decline. There were concerns he would never return to the stage and of course concerns for his everyday life. To everyone's amazement he did return to the stage, briefly, just to show that he could. But his health was limiting his abilities to do much on stage. I'm sure he continued to direct, create and give advice off stage. I sadly, never got to share my show with him in person or via video.

But in some ways, Cesareo is always with me during shows. I hear his advice constantly. That might sound weird. But I understood the way he thought. Through the many books on Cesareo and the company I was able to get to know more about his life and who he was. I was not able to get to know him better after his stroke and continued health problems, but I did return to Beverly when I could.

Just to give you an idea of what a profound effect Cesareo Pelaez had on me, not only did he help me to get my life in focus, he also encourage me to write, and he encourage me to paint. This blog, would have never existed without that encouragement. The hundreds of paintings that I've done since 2000 would never have been painted had it not been for Cesareo. The magazine articles on my artwork would have never happened, the commissioned paintings would not have been done and the sale of my artwork would not have happened because I would never have continued painting. As for writing, besides this blog, I have two books on escapes that I wrote, two sets of lecture notes, a bi-monthly column for a magic magazine and a book on Houdini (not quite finished) and a children's book (almost finished). One man, who inspired me to live a better life and through his own creative endeavors, inspired me to be a more creative person myself.

Now, the LeGrand David Show was more than Cesareo, he was just the originator of the idea and the driving force. But the members of the company, they were the muscles, the soul, the blood, the flesh of the operation. And nicer people you could never meet. David Bull, who was the guy who played LeGrand David for 36 years, is one heck of a gentlemen. I don't know David quite as well as I'd like but I do consider him a good friend. He is without a doubt the most underrated magician in the country. When people talk about who are the greats of today, they might mention David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Penn & Teller, David Blaine and Criss Angel, well David Bull/LeGrand David belongs in that group. He was basically the star of that show for all these years and stardom never went to his head. In fact, he is decent and humble and gracious and very kind. The best qualities in a person, you'll find in David Bull. And that was my experience with all the members of the cast that I had the honor to get to know. And believe me, I know everyone is human and everyone has their faults, sure. But I never experienced anything but kindness from all of them.

And now, their iconic show is no more. It has been sold off. 270 items ranging from props, to curtains, to illusions, to costumes to scenery and posters and paintings. All sold off. In some ways its good because some folks who truly cherished the show now get to keep a piece of that wonderful show in their collections. One person in particular is David Oliver. I read his story on Facebook earlier and I smiled as I read his story because his first encounters with magic and LGD were the same as mine.

Original Floating Tables

I tried to get certain things in the auction. In fact, I will reveal what I was looking to get. The Floating Table that Cesareo used in the show. The backdrop for the Floating Table Routine. The bronze sculpture of Cesareo presenting the Floating Table. The two original Floating Tables.  One of Cesareo's costumes. The Thief of Bagdad Trick. One of the hand painted posters from the show and one of the illusions. I will say for me, the day was the best of days and the worst of days. I did get some of the things I was after. But I lost some important things, one because my bid wouldn't go through a couple of times and also because the price shot way higher than I could afford.

In the end, I did get the backdrop for the Floating Table, One of Cesareo's costumes and because my

Costume worn by Cesareo in Early Years

wonderful assistant Denise was also bidding, she was able to obtain the Mail Bag Illusion and The Original Floating Tables, of which I will now have one of those tables for my collection. Let me share with you the pieces that we were able to obtain.

To ANYONE, who won an ILLUSION in the auction OR the Thief of Bagdad Trick OR one of the hand painted posters, OR most specifically, the Floating Table & Painting, IF you are ever interested in selling these, please contact me carnegiemagic@aol.com as I would be very interested in preserving these amazing pieces of magic art. 

In the meantime, I hope you cherish these wonderful pieces that were created and performed all by kindness.

Mail Bag Escape

This is the screen partition for the Mail Bag Escape that David presented in the show. I first saw this performed in 1980 and it was just as amazing all these many years later.
This is owned by my assistant Denise now.

The Peacock Curtain used during the Floating Table

LeGrand David Auction is now History

Well, it finished. I'm not even sure what to say. Some prices so low it wasn't funny. Some soared. I picked up several things, but missed out on some really special pieces. I thought I'd show you the incredible sculptures that were part of the auction.

Here is an incredible bronze piece of David Bull, created by his father David F. Bull. It shows LeGrand David presenting the Zombie Ball which he was a master of. I believe the dog there is Blackie, who was an ever present feature at the theatre for many years.

All of the bronze sculptures were created by David F. Bull. I should have said the father of LeGrand David, and also of Webster Bull, who was in the show for many years as well.

This piece sold for $1000 I believe, which was below the auction estimates.









Next we have Marco the Magic and the Floating Table. This is one we were trying to win. We did
not, however. This piece sold beyond auction estimates at something like $3500 or more. It's a beautiful piece. We had a game plan to get all the Floating Table related stuff. I won the beautiful backdrop curtain that was used during the presentation of the Floating Table. But lost the Floating Table and Painting. Yet, we won the original Floating Tables. So I'm sad that we didn't get them all, but we did pretty well.










This next piece is massive and I believe it's one of three. There were two others, one is in the

collection of Ray Goulet's Magic Museum and the other one is in the American Museum of Magic. This piece sadly sold well below the estimated auction price. It went for $8000.

It depicts the floating of LeGrand David on the broom in the show by Marco the Magi. It is the moment when David becomes LeGrand David. It's an interesting routine because it has it's origins in Richiardi's original version of the broom suspension. 

This final piece was also created by David F. Bull but it was a trophy, presented to Cesareo by the SAM Parent Assembly #1 in NYC. And this time it does not depict a member of the LGD company but rather the great escape artist and past president of the SAM, Harry Houdini. It's very rare, I think there are only a couple of these. I think it went for $1000.














Here is the curtain/backdrop I won (below). The Peacock Feather Curtain. It's stunning. I remember the first time I saw it, I was awe struck. I am so looking forward to having this as part of my show in the near future.

By the way, just because their show is over, doesn't mean it's the end. I'll be writing more articles about them in the near future. I will continue to carry the LGD torch far into the future. 

The Grave of Chung Ling Soo

(photo provided by Tom Atkinson)

This is very exciting. One of my readers, Tom Atkinson, sent several photos over of the Chung Ling Soo Grave. I've never seen photos of the grave in such detail. You can even view a close-up of the inscription on the side of the headstone (bottom of the page)

I would point out that the figure standing on top of the stone is missing a hand. An earlier photo I had seen shows the hand which was holding something. But that has either been broken off by vandels or had fallen off due to age.

Of course, Chung Ling Soo was none other than American born William Ellsworth Robinson. One of the most knowledgable men on the subject of magic while he was alive. He worked for The Great Alexander Herrmann and also Harry Kellar. Eventually, he went out on his own and he found success with an Chinese character he called 'Chung Ling Soo'.

To read more about Soo and see another photo of the grave, go to http://deadconjurers.blogspot.com/search/label/Chung%20Ling%20Soo

(photo used with permission of Tom Atkinson)

The Grave of George Melies

I just received some wonderful photos of the grave of George Melies from Roland & Susan Sarlot (carnivalofillusion). I've posted them at my Dead Conjurers website http://deadconjurers.blogspot.com/search/label/George%20Melies

To read more about the life of George Melies, please click here http://www.themagicdetective.com/2011/11/hugo-and-real-george-melies.html

The Golden Age of Magic - In Bronze

I have posted many statues, sculptures, carvings, figurines and busts of magicians. But now it's time for the finest renditions of them all. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you 'The Masters of Magic's Golden Age!

This series of museum quality, limited edition bronze busts are the creation of Mike and Mary Elizalde. This whole project came about because Mike wanted some museum quality busts for his own magic collection. Mike funded the entire project and they were produced through Spectral Motion, the company that he and his wife own and operate. Spectral Motion is among the world's leading creature and makeup effects studios with over 50 films to its credit. Headed up by Academy Award Nominee Mike Elizalde and his wife Mary, Spectral Motion is known for its astounding cinematic effects and an unblemished record of reliability, believability and superb quality. Let's take a closer look at these incredible bronze busts. I'll post them in historical order. 

Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin (b.Dec 7,1805 d. June 13, 1871) Known to all of us as the Father of Modern Magic. He was the great French Conjurer who we still revere today. Inventor of many incredible automaton like Antonio Diavolo and the Fantastic Blooming Orange Bush.  Also, creator of incredible magic like the Ethereal Suspension, which in updated forms is still presented today. 

Another of his iconic creations was the Light & Heavy Chest, which was used not only to amaze and impress but also to stop a tribal uprising in French Algeria.  

A full size statue of Robert Houdin resides in front of the Maison de la Magie in Blois France.









Alexander Herrmann (b. Feb 10,1844 d. Dec 17, 1896)
The GREAT Herrmann is considered by many to be the first in the line of the famed Mantle of Magic. He was also a Frenchman, like Houdin, but made his fame here in America. Originally, he worked with his brother Compars, until he went out on his own. Compars Herrmann was equally as famous in Europe as his younger brother was in America. The Herrmann's had a Mephistopholean appearance that added to their mystery and intrigue.

Though he had a very mysterious appearance, his magic and performance was filled with comedy. He was also known to do magic off-stage in public places. Perhaps we should credit Alexander Herrmann with being the creator of 'Street Magic'!

Herrmann died suddenly on a train in 1896. His wife Adelaide took over the show and was joined by her nephew Leon, who also bore a striking resemblance to Alexander.

Harry Kellar (b. July 11, 1849 d. March 10,1922) Here we have the Dean of Magicians. So called, because he was the first 'Dean' of the Society of American Magicians. Harry Kellar was the first nationally famous American born magician. The second in line for the Mantle of Magic, though technically, it really started with him, though some do put Herrmann first.

Kellar began his career as an apprentice to the Fakir of Ava. He went out on his own for a short time and eventually went to work for the Davenport Brothers. When he had a falling out with one of the brothers, he left them and took another employee, William Fay, with him. They toured North and South America and were heading to Europe when a ship wreck ended their tour.

Kellar found his way back to the U.S. and rebuilt his show and went on to  have a flourishing career. He and Herrmann, though not friends, shared a secret that I will reveal a bit later in this article.





HOUDINI (b March 24,1874 d. Oct 31, 1926) The most famous magician in the world, who wanted to be known as an 'escape artist' for much of his life, and then as an actor, producer and later as an author and scientific investigator. Eventually, he would return to magic in a grand way with his Three In One Show of Magic, Escapes and Spiritualist Exposures. Houdini is likely responsible for inspiring more people into magic than anyone alive. I know my own push into magic came from discovering Houdini. 

The creation of the Magic Detective Blog, really has a lot to do with Houdini. There are 172 articles on the blog that are either about or that refer to Harry. The next closest is Harry Kellar with 32. He is an icon, a legend and the bust of Houdini created by Spectral Motion captures Houdini in all his splendor. He looks confident, proud and defiant. It's a fantastic image of the Master Mystifier.

Howard Thurston (b. July 20, 1869 d. April 13, 1936) 
If we talk of the Mantle of Magic, Howard received the Mantle of Magic from Harry Kellar in a ceremony at Ford's Theatre in Baltimore on May 16th, 1908. In all truth, it had more to do with Kellar selling his show to Thurston, but it sure made a great publicity campaign and a tradition that has continued up until present time.

I always thought Thurston was a great performer. But I never quite knew the whole story until Jim Steinmeyer published an incredible biography on Thurston called, The Last Greatest Magician In The World. It is a must read for anyone interested in magic or magic history.

Thurston had been making plans to pass the Mantle of Magic onto one of his associates, Harry Jansen, known professionally as Dante. There was never an official ceremony however because Thurston died suddenly.






Chung Ling Soo (b. April 2, 1861 d. March 23, 1918) 
I must admit when I first looked over the list
of people who were selected for bronzes, the one odd one was Chung Ling Soo, at least to me. He was born William Ellsworth Robinson and in all truth, his inclusion in this list is well deserved. Robinson worked for Alexander Herrmann. Later, he worked for Harry Kellar. Robinson was the 'secret' that I referred to earlier. He worked for the rival magicians before his own rise to fame. He was known as the most knowledgeable man in magic during his time. He played an important part in the success of both. 

Robinson also has a connection to Thurston. He allowed Thurston to show Leon Herrmann his version of the Rising Cards, and when it amazed Herrmann, Thurston publicized himself as 'The Man Who Fooled Herrmann'. The meeting would never have happened without Robinson however.

When Robinson went out on his own, he failed miserably. It wasn't until he came up with the idea of doing an Chinese after seeing Ching Ling Foo, that things really took off for him. So convincing was he in his performance that the public was unaware that Soo was really an American. They truly bought into the idea that he was Chinese. He even used an interpreter when he gave interviews. He is the only real life magician who gets a spot in the movie 'The Prestige'. He also had one of the most tragic deaths in the history of magic having been killed while performing the dangerous Bullet Catching Feat.

All of these busts are a little over 12 inches tall. They are made of bronze and are available for purchase. They were produced in limited quantities of 40, so there isn't a huge supply, but there are some that remain. They are all on display at the Magic Castle if you are interested in seeing them in person. If you want to purchase one of these wonderful works of art, realize you are not buying a mass produced bust from Target or Walmart. These are museum quality and exceptional pieces. If you are interested in purchasing one, and I really encourage you to consider this investment because once they are gone, they will be gone for good. Below is the flyer which has all the information for purchasing. You can reach them at (818)956-6080 or by email at orders@spectralmotion.com

Special thanks for Mike and Mary Elizalde for providing all the wonderful photographs and for your great contribution to magic.

HELP NEEDED- Magician's Grave Photos

Grave of Compars Herrmann

I am reaching out and seeking help to find photos of graves of our dearly departed magicians. I have been fortunate in the past to receive photos from folks like the photo above of Compars Herrmann's Grave which I received from Heinz König. 

Usually I try to write a bio about the magician and then show the grave photo. All graves that I do find are listed at my other blog, http://deadconjurers.blogspot.com/    I wanted to have a central location so that anyone wanting to visit the graves could look up their location and find where the grave was easily. However, I hardly have a large database of graves. I think there are about 60 graves and their locations listed on the site.

The person doesn't have to be a magician but does need to be connected to magic. For example, I have a great photo of Margery the Medium's grave that I received from Norman Bigelow. Margery was not a magician, but she certainly was connected to magic via Houdini. And Houdini had a lot of associates who could easily fall in that category, like Jim Collins, Rose Mackenberg, Daisy White, Franz Kukol and James Vickory.

If you have a photo you'd be willing to share, I'll gladly put it up with your permission. Also, if you know where the particular grave is in the photo, let me know that as well.  You can contact me at carnegiemagic@aol.com

Anna Eva Fay's Grave

The ULTIMATE Hofzinser Books - Review

The books are called Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Non Plus Ultra, Volumes 1 & 2. Volume 1 is subtitled Magic of the 19th Century. Volume 2 is subtitled Hofzinser's Card Artistry. They have been written, researched and compiled by Magic Christian. Volume 1 originally was published in German in 1998. The second Volume followed in German in 2004. They were translated into English in 2013 and these are the books I proudly own and am carefully reviewing.

Non Plus Ultra. Interesting title for a book. It's Latin meaning Nothing Further Beyond, in other words, the Ultimate. I'd say, it's a fitting titled for these three books. What? Yes, I said three. There are 3 Volumes of Non Plus Ultra. The third was published in German in 2012 and covers all the apparatus and non card magic of Hofzinser. It is listed as 'forthcoming' so the English translation is being worked on and we will one day get to enjoy even more of Hofzinser's magic.

For now, there is much to learn about Hofzinser. Apparently, much of what has been written about the man biographically in the past was incorrect. Magic Christian has painstakingly set the record straight by correct every detail possible. Right off the bat, we find the correct date for Hofzinser's birth June 19, 1806.

Then we begin to learn of the rather larger Hofzinser family. It turns out that one of the siblings, Franz-Xaver Fidelis, was so famous in Austria that he is still recognized today in books on the most famous Austrians. His claim to fame was writing a very influential set of books on Light and Heavy Cavalry for the Military that had a profound effect on how horses were treated during military service.  There were several other siblings but they did not have note worthy lives.

Ludwig Doebler

One thing that does seem to remain true from previous histories of Hofzinser is his relationship to Ludwig Doebler. It is assumed they were cousins and more than likely Doebler was the inspiration for Hofzinser's interest in magic. Born in 1801 in Vienna, he was a few years older than Johann. Doebler was certainly a magic celebrity in his day. He even finds his way into many magic history books, where Hofzinser is often sadly neglected.

Doebler was an apparatus magician, as were many of his time. He also used the occasional automaton. The opening of his show was breathtaking, as he walked out and fired a pistol, instantly lighting 200+ candles. Another of his famous effects was producing hundreds of flower bouquets from an empty hat. One particular routine that intrigued me by Doebler was making borrowed objects vanish and reappear tied to the roots of plants and flowers. This very effect can be found in the beloved Tarbell Course, though it is attributed to someone who was born many years after Doebler had passed away. One other interesting note about Doebler that I found. One site claims he was referred to as The Father of Moving Pictures because of his unique use of multiple still images that would turn off and on to create the appearance of movement. THIS is something I'll need to look into for another article.

No doubt, the magic that Doebler performed was enough to spark the interest in his young cousin, Johann. Volume 1 clearly states that the very early years of Hofzinser's life are unknown or as yet uncovered. But they do an incredible job of tracing his life once he get's into school and then into job as a civil servant in the Viennese Government. Job records still exist on Hofzinser's work life right up until his retirement and Magic Christian did an amazing job to uncover them. But I wish to skip this section and get to the meat of things, The Salons.

The first revelation you'll find is that Magic Christian has uncovered information showing the Hofzinser was not the first magician in Vienna to open a magic salon. There were two prominent magi who beat him to it and you must read the book to find out who they were. It was interesting to read that the whole idea of the Salon was used by many more artists and entertainers than just magicians and was in fact, an important place for prominent individuals to attend and to be seen.

One of the first things we see in regards to the Hofzinser Salon shows was that his wife performed in the show as well. Johann presented card miracles while she presented clairvoyant demonstrations. The papers of the time noted how advanced their magic seemed as compared to those who used mechanical devices. But remember, the mechanical automaton and gimmicked apparatus were signature routines from this time period. So the Hofzinser's were offering something very different in the eyes of the public.

J.N. Hofzinser

His early show had the title of "An Evening of Deception". A rather ordinary name for today, but as Magic Christian points out, Hofzinser was the first to use it. And he kept this name for his show as he later left the Salon performances and took his show in the road, after his retirement from his government job. The book goes into great detail about his travels and follows with many reprints of newspaper articles. Most of the reviews are kind and generous but one in particular stood out at me. The review though complimentary at first changed it's tune due to the high admission price charged and then further went to calculate the amount the Hofzinser made at a performance and how this price was far more than a conjurer should be making. And again, as Magic Christian points out, the same sort of mind set can still be found today.

Volume 1 covers Hofzinser's entire life, his death, burial and then his students, his letter and his contemporaries. It is so comprehensive, I can't help but wish that every biography of a magician was so thorough.

Getting into Volume 2 however is just a mind bending affair. Whereas Volume 1 was history and mostly newly uncovered history of Hofzinser. Volume 2 gets into his card magic. I'm not even sure I can describe it and do it justice.

One of the first things I turned to when I was first just browsing through the volume was a section on what we know of today as the Electric Deck. It is a site gag used by poor performers basically and generally used for a cheap laugh. Or so I thought. Hofzinser's use of the Electric Deck is a huge wake up call to the modern magician. Here, Hofzinser shows how by switching a real Deck for an Electric Deck, one can create some highly incredible flourishes that all appear to happen with an ordinary pack of cards. OMG, it's BRILLIANT!

But there's more. Imagine my own surprise, shock even, to learn that one of Hofzinser's prized possessions resides only  25 miles from me. It's Hofzinser's Card Box, and again, if you think you know the Card Box, well, it's time you got reeducated like I did. The Hofzinser Card Box is made of metal, and it's round and it's INCREDIBLE! Oh, and it resides at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.. So I'll be making an appointment fairly soon to go check it out for myself.

The shear amount of card material in this Volume is just mind blowing. Magic Christian again, goes to great lengths to clarify the proper handling of card moves, the history of these routines, the back story, he covers it all. Magic Christian also has no problem with setting the record straight when it comes to what Hofzinser created and what he has been credited with creating but wasn't his. For example, Johann has been credited with discovering or inventing the Rough and Smooth Principle for cards. But Magic Christian shows how this technique existed before Hofzinser and even goes to show how he was mis-credited in the first place.

I must point out another effect that is in Volume 2 and that is the Card Star. I had heard that Hofzinser created the Card Star but as I read the description, I realized that his Card Star was very different from what I called a Card Star. His, was a metal star with points on the ends to which cards could be attached. Then a pointer was placed in the center of the star and spun and it would land upon the correctly chosen card. The reason I point it out is that I am adding a Spirit Dial to one of my shows. I've used it many times in the past and out of no where came up with what I thought would be a great final sequence to the routine. My idea was to add playing cards to the edges of the glass and spin the dial to have it land on a previously chosen card........YES, my idea was almost identical to the routine described in the book! In no way do I claim to have the mind or even the mindset of Johann Hofzinser, but it was a nice coincidence. Hofzinser's Card Star was more like the Spirit Dial in methodology. The 'other' Card Star was a five pointed star mounted on a pedestal. Five cards are chosen and returned to the deck and the deck is then 'sprung' towards the Card Star and the five selections appear on the points of the star. This apparently was not a creation of Hofzinser.

I'll be completely honest, I've not yet finished reading Volume 2. The richness of material in this book is just not something you can go through quickly.  Volume 2 has so much material, sleights, flourishes, gaffed and gimmicked cards, none gimmicked routines, card routines with apparatus and more. It's just overwhelming to try and go through it quickly. This material needs to be taken in slowly and carefully. I'll tell you this, you simply can never get this amount of detail in a DVD, ever! Johann Hofzinser was a genius. Magic Christian truly has created the Non Plus Ultra (The ULTIMATE) work on Hofzinser, and there is still a third Volume yet to come out!!!! If you love magic history you have to have these books. If you are a performer in search of killer material you have to have these books. If you call yourself a magician and you DON'T have these books, you might want to reconsider that title. Go purchase these books before they are gone! 900 sets will be sold. Don't wait, get them now. Conjuring Arts has a deal whereby you can make monthly payments on the books, so you don't have an excuse not to get them!!!!  http://shop.conjuringarts.org/store/pc/Hofzinser-c143.htm

The only thing I can add is the magic world owes a huge debt of gratitude to Magic Christian for these remarkable books! Thank you!!!!!

Historic Sale - Le Grand David to Auction off Show Props and More

I write this with mixed emotions and a heavy heart. My friends in Beverly, MA have decided to auction off props, costumes, scenery and memorabilia from their once fantastic show. I am truly having trouble coming to grips with all this. I always imagined the show running forever. I thought a new generation of cast would come along and take over. I know it was Cesareo's dream for it to go on. But, I also know the world is changing and the folks who were both performers and owners of the company have to do what they feel is best. The company put the Cabot St. Cinema Theatre up for Sale last year. And now, it looks like the show itself, including posters and original paintings is going up for auction on February 23rd.

I certainly will be bidding. I'd buy it all if I could.

Here is the link if you are interested......ps-please don't bid against me, thank you. :)
http://www.kaminskiauctions.com/servlet/Search.do?auctionId=15

New Houdini Sculpture - Behind the Scenes

This is exciting. Artist/Sculptor/Magician Christopher Tabora has given me permission to post some photos of a HOUDINI Sculpture he is currently working on. The piece you see has about 30-40 hours of work into now and hopes to be finished with it soon. According to Christopher this is a life size sculpture. The gauze you see is only there for support prior to the drying process.

Once completed, Christopher plans to make a mold to have this cast in bronze. THIS might just be the life size HOUDINI sculpture we've all been waiting for. I'll continue to post images as the continues working on the piece. This is really cool!

Christopher Tabora also said he plans to do more life-size 'magician sculptures' in the future.

Houdini On New Years Day - 1906

It was 108 years ago today, that Harry Houdini was in Washington D.C.. He visited D.C. many times during his career and enjoyed many successful performances. He was in town performing at Chase's Theatre.  On Jan 1, 1906, he went down to the 10th Precinct Police Station to attempt a jail cell escape. We actually have Houdini's own words to describe this event.

"I took a long chance there. They didn't give me a square deal. I went to them and as I always do in the cities I visit, offered them the chance to lock me in and keep me there if they could. But I made the condition I always insist on that I should see the cell in which they intended placing me and examine the locks to be used. The lieutenant of police at the precinct to which they too me agreed to this, but after the test started, I heard him whisper to one of his men to bring him the locks for another cell.

Naturally I objected to any change and he became most offensive in his manner. He told me his orders were to lock me up and keep me there, and intimated that if I was afraid I could pass the thing up and take the consequences. I remonstrated with him and told him to remember that I was not a criminal. That I had come to him of my own accord and deserved the courtesy due an equal. But he could not see it, and continued his brutal threatening attitude.

Then I lost my head and went ahead recklessly. I know now that I was foolish to do so, for my reputation is well established in every large city in the world, and I did not need the Washington test. Of course, I was endangering my reputation in submitting to a chance of locks, for if they had got me by any means whatever, my standing would have been badly damaged.

I got out in eighteen minutes, to the great surprise of the lieutenant. He had evidently been prepared to be anything that I couldn't do it. Why he would have staked his head on keeping me in. Not that that article is of any value."

Houdini went on to add, "Since my return to the United States I have broken out of stationhouses in New York, Brooklyn, Rochester, Buffalo, Detroit, and Baltimore, but it has remained for Washington to treat me like a common malefactor. The fact that my wife is present prevents me from telling you (a reporter) exactly what I do think of that lieutenant and his assistants. You can probably guess what I would say if she were not in the room."

This interview with Houdini appeared in The Washington Times Newspaper, on Sunday January 7th, 1906. It is interesting to note that this particular escape often gets forgotten because on January 6th, 1906, Houdini escaped from the Jail Cell of the assassin on President Garfield at the Old D.C. Jail.

Let's look at some additional details of this New Years Day escape at the 10th Precinct. The chief of

D.C. Police Chief Richard Sylvester (Library of Congress)

Police in Washington D.C. Major Richard Sylvester had his office there so he was probably  the one pulling the strings at this event. The lieutenant of the police precinct was Lieut. H. B. Elliot. The Lieutenant would later claim to have found a 'needle' in the jail cell that was not there prior to Houdini's escape, hinting that perhaps this had something to do with his escape.

A couple sources mention that Houdini was locked into an 'invisible bracelet' used by the Secret Service, but I do not know what type of restraint this was. In the book, Houdini, Tarzan and The Perfect Man by John Kasson, he mentions the invisible bracelet and also gives more detail of the Jail Cell. Houdini was locked in cell number 3. "Then the police shut the heavy barred door with a bar lock that is first set to lock three times. A lever throws another lock, and a Yale padlock completes the quintet of locks. A wire network around the padlock prevents a hand from being thrust from inside the cell."Yet despite all of these conditions and being treated like a common criminal, Houdini succeeded in escaping in 18 minutes, his 62nd Jail escape.

I originally wrote about this event on this blog in an article I did on Houdini's D.C. Challenges. At the time I thought that the 10th Precinct had been torn down. But I recently discovered that it is still very much in existence so I posted a photo. Perhaps one day, I'll see if they will allow me to take a photo of Jail Cell #3.

Victorian Magic - The Book

I recently stumbled upon a book on eBay called 'Victorian Magic'. It's a hardbound book by Geoffrey Lamb published in 1976. I was unfamiliar with the book and many of the auctions for the book had it listed at $40 and above. Fortunately for me I was able to find it for a little more reasonable price.

I must say, it's a really enjoyable history on Victorian Magic. There are a number of things in here that I was not familiar with. The book opens with a chapter on The Great Wizard of the North, John Henry Anderson. The chapter also discusses a lesser known competitor and some of the battles they had together.

Another chapter that I really enjoyed was on Pepper's Ghost and Pepper's Metampsychosis illusions. Fascinating chapter on optical principles once used in the theatre. It was doubly interesting because I was reading it on Christmas Eve just after having watched Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol' on TV. One of the things that is mentioned in the chapter is how the Pepper Optical Principles were used to create the illusion of real ghosts in plays of the Christmas Carol back in the 1800s! The author also gives a fairly good explanation of the Blue Room, probably the most thorough I've ever read (not counting Jim Steinmeyer's book on this exact topic)

The chapter on Robert Houdin was good. It's from a slightly different perspective. It's written from the eyes and of the Londoners who witnessed Houdin's performances in England. Apparently, when Robert-Houdin first began to perform in London he spoke no English. The crowds were not happy with this and according to the book, his solution was to inquire to the audience as to the english name of each item he presented. It became more interactive and the audiences warmed up to him.

The chapter on the Davenport Brothers was also interesting. The brothers were extremely popular in America, but in England they often met with resistance and even hostility. I must add that at this moment the Spirit Cabinet holds an extra amount of interest to me because of the recent presentation by Mike Caveney of Charles Carter's Spirit Cabinet at the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. I was unfamiliar with the routine he presented and it sure opens my eyes to new ideas for this ancient but still wonderful effect. In addition, the Davenport Brothers leads into J.N. Maskelyne, who I always assumed was already famous at this point in time, but that was not the case. His confrontation with the Davenports actually helped to make a name for himself.

And for the first time that I can recall reading in print, is an explanation on how the famous Egyptian Hall began. Fascinating stuff to say the least.

It's interesting to see the types of entertainment that Victorian audiences appreciated. I was familiar with a great deal of information in this book, yet in every chapter I discovered some new piece of history that I did not know. All in all it's a fine book. I have only seen them for sale on eBay, but they seem to pop up fairly often.

This article was copied from my other blog http://carnegiemagic.blogspot.com/2013/12/victorian-magic-book.html

Hofzinser Books - WOW

Ok, pardon my excitement. The 2 Hofzinser books arrived while I was in Nashville, but now that I'm back I got to open the box and I'm just dumbfounded. I've not started reading them yet, but I am expecting a real treat. Volume 1 is a more complete history of Johann Hofzinser than has ever been written before. In fact, it corrects some errors that have been made in the history books in the past. Volume 2 is filled with tricks, card tricks mostly and I can't wait to dive into these books!  I will write a review when I finish reading them.

There is a Volume 3 in the works on all of Hofzinser's Parlor Magic. I do not have any idea when when that will be published.

IF you are interested in getting these books, go to http://conjuringarts.org/2013/11/6945/

Maid of the Moon Addition

I wrote an article on an intriguing levitation illusion that had been presented by both Harry Kellar and Alexander Herrmann. It was called Astarte or the Maid of the Moon. I had also posted a video of Doug Henning recreating the illusion for one of his TV specials. Well, at the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History 2013 this illusion was recreated by John Gaughan. And in the January 2014 Digital version of Genii Magazine you can watch a video of the illusion. It is beyond incredible. You  have to check it out! It is a real thing of beauty!

Herrmann - Lasky References

Back in March 2011, I wrote a little article on this blog about Jessy Lasky's connection to magic. I stumbled upon his connection by accident. I knew that Lasky had something to do with Houdini's movies and looking further into it the name Herrmann popped up. So the research began.

Here are some of the sources of the information.
 

Los Angeles Herald, Volume XXXI, Number 327, 21 August 1904 http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19040821.2.314.41#

 

pg 656 Vaudeville, Old and New by Frank Cullen 2006

http://books.google.com/books?id=XFnfnKg6BcAC&pg=PA656&lpg=PA656

 

pg 35 The Moving Picture World Volume 19

http://books.google.com/books?id=UEs_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35

And finally, A website created by Betty Lasky

http://www.jesse-l-lasky.com/timeline.html

I found that some of the resources mention Herrmann the Great, but the time period didn't make sense to me because Herrmann the Great died in 1896. So that is how I figured out it was Leon Herrmann. There were also a number of additional newspaper articles I found through the Library of Congress, but I didn't keep track of that info as best as I should have. Still, looking over the above resources, everything I found can be found above.

James Hamilton had asked me in April 2013 where I found the info, while at the Magic Collectors Conference in Washington D.C.. I mentioned that I discovered it all online, but obviously didn't have the source info handy. Let me state for the record, James Hamilton is THE LEADING SOURCE of Information and Knowledge on the HERRMANN FAMILY today! No question about it. In fact, James and I talked about Herrmann for almost an hour and it was one of the most fascinating conversations I've ever had, one of the highlights of the weekend for me.

  

James also, apparently uncovered much of the Herrmann/Lasky connection a few years previous and spoke on it at a Magic History Conference in 2010. Unfortunately for me, I never heard his talk or was aware of it.  Anything I found was discovered without the knowledge of James's research. But make no mistake, James is the authority on Herrmann. I seriously doubt I would ever uncover anything that James Hamilton was not already aware of. I have the utmost respect for his knowledge, and I'm posting these resources here just to show where I got my information.