The #1 History of Magic Blog on the internet! If you have news on HOUDINI, Robert Heller, Wyman the Wizard or any MAGIC HISTORY news or tips you'd like to pass on to your favorite Magic Historian, you can contact me at info@Carnegiemagic.com
I first wrote an article on magicians of the Holocaust back in 2011. I decided to update the article and put it up on my podcast. This time I've added to the list a female magician named Miss Blanche. There are a few more details on each of the various artists that were not in the original article.
To hear the podcast, you can simply click the link below!
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| The Mak Magic Version of the Magic Tea Kettle |
There is an aged old trick known as The Inexhaustible Bottle. There were also versions with Tea Kettles, Punch Bowls and more. The idea was that any drink called for would come forth from the object. It was a wonderful mystery, presented by Robert Houdin, Robert Heller, David Devant, Charles Hoffman and many others.
Then a version came along called simply, 'The Magic Tea Kettle'. I believe it was put out by MakMagic. In this rendition, several different colored liquids were poured out of the kettle and then it was opened to reveal a bunch of dry colored scarves. Honestly, a bit of a let down compared to the original, but with the selling point of 'no skill required' you get what you paid for.
As fate would have it, I got one of these things when I was a kid magician. And I"m not 100% sure it was mine, it may have been my little brothers who for the briefest of time was also into magic. At any rate, regardless of who owned it, not that great a trick.
Fast forward many years to the publication of The Conjuring Anthology by Jim Steinmeyer, and he has a version of the Magic Tea Kettle in the book. He first came up with a routine called Hospitality, which was sold as a separate manuscript. But this newer tea kettle had a very different method and you could pour real drinks, not colored water, from the kettle. I loved the idea and made one up. The trick was called The Accommodating Kettle, on pages 326-332.
As I recall, you could pour, milk, orange juice, cherry drink, lemonade and maybe more. But it began by opening the lid of the tea kettle and pouring in a bottle of soda. So to have this dark liquid go in and then all these different drinks come out, that was pretty impressive. AND you could pass out all the drinks to be verified they are what they are. The routine was based upon a pseudo psychological premise, and was really well constructed.
It all sounds good, right. Well, then I get this 'flash of brilliance' and I decide to add a kicker to the trick (which I will share in a moment). So I'm at a show, I'm doing THIS trick, I'm pouring out drinks, handing out the cups and letting people try them. In this case, because it was an audience of a lot of kids, I thought it best to give the cups to the adults, just to be safe. And each one verified the contents. THEN came the kicker, I poured the orange juice back into the spout and opened the lid...........I then poured out several live swimming goldfish. What a lovely ending I thought.....
UNTIL, I noticed one of the adults. Her eyes were wide as saucers, she was turning a bit green, and any second she would begin to projectile vomit! SHE thought she just drank, 'fish water', lol. I quickly explained, she was safe, everyone was safe, the fish NEVER came in contact with their drink. It took a moment to calm them down, and then they all had a very hearty laugh over it. But it was then that I realized, I was being too clever for my own good. The fish ending was scraped after that. But it made a fun story to share, and I hope you got a good laugh out of it.
Take a listen. Sound familiar? This is the music used throughout the 1953 Tony Curtis HOUDINI movie. Though in the movie, it was only the orchestrated version, no lyrics. Here in this clip of Judy Garland singing the song, "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland", you almost expect Tony Curtis as Houdini to talk into the scene!
And here is an even older rendition of the song. One in which the REAL Houdini would have been familiar. 1909 or 1910.
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| Sandervalya, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
Imagine my surprise while reading an article about Robert Houdin's performance in Algeria, that the theatre that he did his most famous performances in, was still standing today. Those most famous performances were on Oct 28 and 29, 1856. They were the legendary performances that Houdin would claim 'stopped a War'.
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| Robert-Houdin |
As the story goes, Robert Houdin was contacted by the French Government to help suppress some uprisings and conflicts with the local tribal marabouts. The idea was to show that 'french magic was greater than the magic of the marabouts.'
The show took place at the Bab-Azoun Theatre with about 60 chieftains taking up the first few rows and I'm assuming quite a few other locals as well. The show featured much of the standard Robert Houdin fare. The big moments were when he presented his Light and Heavy Chest (see below), followed by a rendition of the Bullet Catching feat.
There is some controversy concerning this event, which Jim Steinmeyer explains in his new blog column: https://jimsteinmeyer.com/2022/04/13/what-we-hide-problems-in-algeria-part-one/ This information is also covered in the book, The Secret History of Magic by Peter Lamont and Jim Steinmeyer. They tear apart the accounts of the Algeria event to discover what was true, what was false, how much was exaggeration. Suffice to say, it's clear now that a great deal of the event as recorded in Houdin's Memoirs, was untrue or at least exaggeration.
But one thing is clear, the shows DID HAPPEN. And the theatre where these shows, which took Robert-Houdini out of retirement, is still standing today. Mr. Steinmeyer mentions on his blog that the theater would be a good place to hold a magic convention. Wow, can you imagine?!! How incredible that would be.
An interesting side note, on the theatre Facebook Page, there are images of a kid-show magician doing a magic show on the stage. I wonder if this young man was aware of the historical event that took place on thiat very stage 166 years ago???
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| The Actual Light and Heavy Chest in the Klosterman Collection |
David Bull, the lead performer of Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company Show, mentioned on his Facebook page that today, May 27th, 2012 was the last performance of their grand show. It's been 10 years since that show closed it's curtains. And it had an incredible 35 year run.
IF you were blessed to see the show, you know how tremendous it was. It was sort of a throwback to the old days of magic, but yet it was it's own thing. A unique take on magic that embraced variety, comedy, spectacle, showmanship and more. Imagine a 2 hour magic show with very little talking. Yet, that is exactly what they created.
I miss that show greatly. But I miss the people more. The photo below is officially ten years old now, because it was the last time I would see the wonderful LGD Show and the last time inside their amazing theatre. I still miss them
The latest episode of The Magic Detective Podcast will feature Fred Culpitt. Here is a man who has really been overlooked by the magic world. Yet, he was the creator of one of the top 10 illusions of the 20th Century. That's not just me saying that, in an article titled, "Ten Best Illusions of the 20th Century" by Jim Steinmeyer, he lists the Doll's House as #8. Today, 21st Century, it's hardly seen. And there are a load of poorly made Doll's House Illusions out there. But the better ones are truly marvels. They have the benefit of being a mid-sized illusion, yet can pack a big wallop (in other words, are still quite amazing).
One article I came across mentioned that most magicians are lucky to get 90 seconds out their Doll's House Illusion. This is true. Even I've made that error...if it's really an error. I suppose it's more a choice of presentation. As I've also had a routine that was closer to 4 minutes with the Doll's House. And frankly looking back, the longer routine had more going for it.
The Fred Culpitt Doll's House routine was a talking routine. In fact, it was a comedy routine. Though I believe most of the jokes from that time period would fall flat today, not because they weren't funny in Culpitt's time, but because I'm not sure people would understand the humor. For example, as he shows the Doll's House, it is filled with furniture, and there are lines about most every piece that comes out of the box. Then he takes the chimney off the roof of the house and he turns to the audience and says, "Anyone want the flu?" It's both a topical joke, because from 1918-1920 the world suffered from the Spanish Flu Pandemic. But it's also relatable because many people at that time knew what a chimney flue was. Today, I'm not sure they'd make the connection, nor truly understand the joke.
By the way, another of Culpitt's great creations was his Bathing Beauty routine. Truly a wonderful routine in it's simplicity. Easy to understand, the nature of the routine causes the audience to anticipate what is coming, and the finish that everyone sees coming, has a twist to it. Unfortunately, this same trick, The Bathing Beauty is terribly politically incorrect by today's standards. I'm sure it would trigger people to yell words of sexism and misogyny. I find that opinion offensive in itself because you have to take into consideration the time period it came out. I'm including a video below of the Bathing Beauty effect done with a slightly less provocative routine. It's presented for historical purposes only. And after that I follow with a quick version of the Doll's House Illusion.
By the way, the prop I'm using was made by Abbott's, I believe. All of the marketed versions of the Bathing Beauty Trick, were different in method to that which Fred Culpitt created. His version, though it appeared pretty much the same, same effect, the method was drastically different.
Today, May 3rd, 2022, would have been Doug Henning's 75th Birthday. Frankly, it's doesn't seem all that long ago when he passed away. But to think he would be 75, wow.
I can tell you, Doug Henning was the first celebrity whose death really hit me hard. I never knew Doug, never got to meet him. But he was such a part of my magic world, that when he died, it was like that song by Don McLean, American Pie where there lyric is "the day the music died". In our case it was "the day the Magic died." That's how it felt.
Watching Doug Henning now is nostalgic, and not everything he did holds up. But there are so many lessons that modern performers could learn from....both good and bad. In the good department, his theatricality is wonderful. His showmanship is stellar. His upbeat personality and likeablity is wonderful. He never demeans magic, never speaks poorly of it. Some of the magic happens to him, some of the magic is caused by him. He is more wizard than magician, and he loves what he does.
As much as I loved his TV Specials, there was nothing better than seeing Doug Henning LIVE. The live performances were pure Doug, minus some of the cornier dialog that was found on the TV shows. And the magic, oh man, just killer. Have you seen Doug do the Floating and Rising Cards? It's as close to real magic as you can get. His Metamorphosis presentation is the one every tried to copy, until The Pendragons came along. But even then, his routine is perfect.
I could go on and on about Doug Henning. But let me stop and simply say, Happy Birthday Doug!!!
The incredible estate of Siegfried and Roy goes on the auction block June 8th and 9th, 2022. The auction house Bonhams will be conducting the auction LIVE in Los Angeles. It appears that the auction is made up of furniture, jewelry, and personal possessions of the two Masters of the Impossible. However, I did note that there are show costumes in the mix. So will there be actual magic related items, books, memorabilia, props, illusions???? That I am not certain.
Here is the link to the auction site: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27447/siegfried-and-roy-masters-of-the-impossible/
In Oct 2003, during a show, and also on his birthday, Roy Horn was attacked by one of his tigers on stage at the MIRAGE Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Roy's tiger Mantacore, bit Roy in the shoulder and dragged him off the stage. The duo claimed that Roy was having a stroke and the animal sensed Roy's dilemma and dragged him off the stage to safety. Roy did have a stroke, but it's not know if it was before or after the animal bit him. And further, the animals bit severed Roy's spine and caused an incredible amount of bodily damage. This ended the careers of the long lasting show on in Las Vegas. And it confined Roy to a wheel chair for the remainder of his life. He could stand and walk short distances, but with great difficulty.
On May 8th, 2020, Roy Horn died of complications due to Covid-19.
Siegfried Fischbacher died Jan 13, 2021, only 2 days after revealing to the world that he had terminal pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years old when he passed away.
They were larger than life personalities and this auction is going to feature some breathtaking items for sure. Below is an example of a beautiful wooden carved chair among the auction items.
These are Houdini's Conradi Lamps that he used in his 3-In-One Show in 1926. These are being presented by Doug Henning on one of his annual TV specials. The clip is short, it only shows the Conradi Lamps.
Friedrich Conradi was a German Magic Dealer and builder who built wonderful apparatus magic around the turn of the 19th into 20th centuries.
Here is the updated list of Houdini episodes from the Magic Detective Podcast. I've tried to put them mostly in chronological order, or as close to it as I possibly could. Twenty-two of the 75 episodes feature Houdini. And there are more coming! Just click the image above to see a larger version of the picture.
The podcast is located at https://www.magicdetectivepodcast.com
For those who would like to listen to it, well, just look below!
March 24, 2022 was the 148th birthday of Harry Houdini. I'm not sure what was up this year, but it seemed like every single magician on Facebook had a post about Houdini's birthday, far more than the normal amount. That is very cool.
I had planned on doing a Houdini Week of video tie-ins with my Magic365 Project. On Tuesday I did The Trick That Fooled Houdini. But Wednesday a major sinus headache kept me from making a video. Thursday, which was his birthday, I produced two videos. The first shows an escape from a pair of Hamburg 8 Handcuffs, but then a bit of history on the cuffs and a shot of me wearing Houdini's own Hamburg 8s. Then a second video posted later in the day had a routine I created on Houdini's Vanishing Elephant Illusion. It used a common piece of magic apparatus, a Silk Cabby. I realized one day that the Silk Cabby was very similar in look to Houdini's Vanishing Elephant Cabinet, at least from the descriptions. We don't really know exactly how it looked because it was never photographed, nor does it survive to this day.
I have one more video on Houdini but I won't be posting it until Saturday. The Elephant video has not received near enough views yet, and I haven't posted it over on Instagram. So I'll use it for tomorrows video and then post one more new one on Saturday. Below are today's two videos, enjoy!
Thanks for being a listener and reader to my blog and podcast. I do intend to continue this project for many years to come!
All the articles on Anna Eva Fay: https://www.themagicdetective.com/search/label/Anna%20Eva%20Fay
The Fox Sisters Ep 57 https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/ep-57-the-fox-sisters-their-spirits/
Washington Irving Bishop Ep 15 https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/three-pioneers-of-mind-reading/
Houdini & Anna Eva Fay Ep 22 https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/houdini-anna-eva-fay/
Samri Baldwin Ep 30 https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/samuel-spenser-baldwin-pioneer-clairvoyant/
The Anna Eva Fay Ep 74 https://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/ep-74-anna-eva-fay-the-great-19th-century-medium/
I just stumbled upon this site by accident. These are hand painted Harry and Bess dolls. I'd say it's a rather good likeness of the loving couple. They are bit pricey but hey, where else are you going to find dolls that look like Harry and Bess??? https://www.celebritywithyou.com/rrr/houdini-and-bess588
You no doubt have read about The Houdini Festival on here, several times in the past. That poor festival has suffered some serious setbacks, as have many events over the past few years. The organizer is Wayne Alan, a professional illusionist and he is also a theater owner. He owns the Historic North Theater in Danville, VA. Wayne is an award winning illusionist. In fact, he won the Gold Medal for Illusion at FISM in 1982. But what you may not know about Wayne is he is an avid Houdini fan and has been researching Houdini for 30 years. He is writing a book, that I can tell you will be eye opening, probably controversial at the same time. But you are in for some big surprises. What kind? I can't tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy for the time being.
Let me tell you this. Among the collectibles that Wayne Alan owns, is the floor grate from the hospital room that Houdini died in! Yep, he visited there just prior to that part of the hospital being torn down. He's got some other very cool Houdini stuff, but I'll save that for another day.
For now, let me just get back to the Houdini Festival. It has been moved to March 2023. Wayne wanted to be sure we were all clear of Covid before he went through with this festival. He already has quite the line-up in store. That's assuming that there are no changes in the coming year. Here are a few names you might be familiar with: Johnathan Pendragon, Dan Harlan, Robert Baxt, and Dale Salwak. Also on the bill is recent FOOL-US Fooler Wes Iseli, and then there is yours truly, ME! I'm sure there will be others added to the bill over the coming months.
The town of Danville is getting a major upgrade soon and this will likely be a positive boon for the Houdini Festival. At one time, Danville was a bit off the beaten track, but now it's going to be a major travel destination. Hey, and if nothing else, the famed Confederate Civil War Gold is rumored to be buried in Danville, so you could always go hunting for gold, lol! To stay up to date and to register for the festival go to https://thehoudinifestival.com
I am confident that in 2023, the Festival will be a GO!!!
The death of director, writer, producer, Ivan Reitman is sending shockwaves through Hollywood. But it should also send shockwaves through the world of magic. If not for Ivan Reitman's involvement, there would have been no MAGIC Show on Broadway starring Doug Henning. What kind of course would the world of magic taken had it not been for Henning's rising star giving new birth to the popularity of magic?
The two would meet at McMaster University. Their first venture together was when Reitman asked Doug to play a part in his upcoming production of Lil Abner. In Doug Henning's own words, "I was terrible, but I had a ball."
Their next collaboration would be a magical musical called SPELLBOUND. Ivan would be producer and the director, Doug would handle the magic. It played at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. This show eventually led to being picked up for a Broadway run. It was retooled and altered and it eventually became The Magic Show on Broadway. This was the magical musical that put Doug Henning on the map.
After The Magic Show, the two would have one more collaboration and that was the Broadway musical MERLIN. At first Reitman was reluctant to get involved, but was later persuaded when Hollywood friends expressed their interest.
Ivan Reitman would best be known as the producer of such comedy hits as Ghostbusters, Stripes, Meatballs, Kindergarten Cop, Twins, and Evolution to name a few.
Doug would go on to have a great career, starring in his own touring show and numerous Network TV Specials.
Ivan Reitman passed away in his sleep, Feb 12th, 2022, he was 75 years old.
Ok, that title is a bit misleading. The truth is, it's 365 magic videos in a year. They might sound the same, but the truth is, I know I won't be able to get one video per day done. But over the course of the year, there will be 365 videos, if not more.
The next question is, why? LOL. That's a good question. There are multiple reasons. One is exposure. Another is it's a challenge. A third, and one that I wasn't expecting, it's improving my magical skill sets. But the main one is exposure. And I'm approaching this in a very unorthodox way. I'm putting the videos up on multiple social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and more. And I'm putting them up on international social media sites as well. I just did my first Russian video, and I'll follow that up with a Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, and French version of various videos.
The magic videos are generally short. Though some of them have longer routines. Most of the material will be stuff that is no longer in my working repertoire, however, some of the material is finding a new place in my show. There are two things so far in the first 20 videos that really struck me. One was the Linking Hearts. I had this for years, and never used it. I pulled it out strictly for the video and was astonished by the number of views and comments it received. Clearly, it was an effect that people could relate to. As a friend of mine said, "it's so much better than stupid rings! People can identify with hearts and it opens a world of possibilities for stories and presentations." Ok, I'm sold.
The next item was a rather astonishing Monte effect which has a whopper of an ending. I saw my friend Bob Sheets do this a few years back. He had a slightly different ending to his, but it was no less a fooler. I inherited the effect from a friend who passed away, so I decided to learn it for the video. It's just killer. I will post both of those videos below.
I'm going to try and create a 'magician's only' page about the Magic 365 videos. Which will have information on each of the various effects and where they can be found, whether they are commercial items, or in books, or original creations. I'll try and credit folks appropriately as well. I don't have that ready to go yet, it's coming.
If you are wondering what this has to do with 'magic history', well to be frank, lots. Over the course of the year, there will be plenty of historical pieces in the line-up. In a way, almost all the magic we do is steeped in magic history. Take the One Cup and One Ball mystery created by Al Wheatley. It's such a common piece today, we forget about it's history. And of course, it was a variation of the classic Cups and Balls, which is hundreds, if not thousands of years old.
One thing that I haven't really yet pointed out is that I will eventually be posting 'variants' of the episodes. For example, the video that is on Facebook, may be different from the one on Twitter or TikTok. As I build an audience, I hope that people will search out the variants. Also, I'm hoping to open a dialog with viewers as well, even taking requests. This is part of the challenge really. If someone speaks up and says, "can you do something with a candy bar, or do something with tissue paper" or whatever, I'll see what I can come up with. Granted, there may be existing material to choose from, so in those cases, why re-invent the wheel? But in other cases, why not create something new, or some new variation of an older routine.
So my friends, please enjoy, Magic 365 this year and beyond!
I stumbled upon this site by accident. I thought I'd share it with you all just the same, It's called Magic Posters Direct, or https://www.magicpostersdirect.com. They produce magic poster reproductions on wood. They only have one size from what I can see, 24x36.
I can't vouch for the quality or anything, I am just letting you know about them. I know some folks in the magic history world, don't care for reproductions and would rather have the real thing....wouldn't we all. But these look like they'd make for a nice display. They aren't super cheap, but not super expensive either. One great thing about them is they do not need to be framed, which is often as much or more than the poster!
They don't have the selection the selection that Nielsen Magic has however. But I like fact they are printed on wood. Now speaking of Nielson Magic, Lupe has a huge amount of poster reproductions in various sizes. She also has incredible magic for sale, most of which she builds herself. She's got a great selection of books for sale and other magic items. I always encourage folks to check out her site.
There is a word in the magic lexicon, that I frankly despise. In fact, I think as each year passes I hate it more. That word is 'trick' or 'magic trick'. It makes what we do sound so cheap. The word trick has negative connotations. No one likes to be tricked. For example:
A cinematic exploration of the long history between magicians and playing cards and the murder mystery hidden in their art.
Producer, Director, Jon Ornoy of Animal Mother Films is working on a feature Documentary along with magician Shawn Farquhar, about the what is often called the Mystery of the Suicide King. There are some major magic stars connected to this beyond just Shawn, and it looks to be a very exciting documentary.
This is magic history, world history, and a murder mystery all wrapped up in one program. They have created a Kickstarter page to raise money for the production. So far they have raised quite a bit but they need more. With your help they can reach their ultimate goal and produce a stellar program.
I'm sure you want to know more. Simply click this link to go over to the Kickstarter Page to learn all you'll need to know. It's also where you can donate should you choose to do so! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/litsmovie/lost-in-the-shuffle-a-feature-documentary
Joshua Jay has a new book out called How Magicians Think. According to Joshua, "it's his love letter to magic." I will say it has the most unique layout of any magic book I've ever seen. It's nice to have a magic book in color, which is a welcome change. The book has a whopping 52 chapters. Hmmm, 52. hmmm?
Some of the chapters are strikingly short, a single page. Some are rather well fleshed out. Some chapter headings are provocative, some are quite curious. There are countless quotes by the famous and not so famous. And throughout Joshua Jay gives his opinion on every subject. You'd be wise to listen to his opinions because they are backed up by years as a professional performer and as a man obsessed with magic.
As another man obsessed with magic, I can tell you I totally enjoyed Joshua's book. I don't agree with everything in the book, but that is MY opinion, and me being nit-picky, lol. You may think otherwise. BTW, it's ok to not agree on every point. That is what makes each of us unique.
I enjoyed his book but I was even more surprised to discover he has taken the concept of his book and turned it into a podcast called, How Magicians Think. Hmmm, how did he come up with that? lol. It's a refreshing look at magic, again, like his book. He shares stories from his life and experiences that help to reveal the true secrets of magic, not the methods, but all the other things that go into creating great magic.
Joshua's book is written for the public, but clearly the bigger audience will be magicians. I wonder just how many laypeople will sit through the entire book? I will tell you, they should, and you should. As Seth Godin says on the back cover, "This generous book is about becoming really, really good at something, and doing it for the right reasons. It's a message we all need to hear."
I also noticed that the cover of the book contains this statement, "and why magic matters" Is this something going around? It's how David Copperfield opened his new book on the History of Magic with those exact words. As I said in David's review, those are IMPORTANT WORDS. David explains them from a historical context, Joshua explains them from a modern and even psychological context.
I enthusiastically encourage everyone, whether you are a lay person, magician, magic fan, or beginner in magic to get Joshua Jay's book. Especially, if you are beginning in magic because it will help you to understand our world better. There are clearly a lot of misconceptions that people have about magic and beginners come in carrying a lot of those misconceptions. Mr. Jay will help dispel them and put you on the faster track to become a good magician, or just finding a new found appreciation for magic that you might not have had before.
To purchase the book: https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic-books/how-magicians-think/
NOW, I would be remiss if I didn't also tell you to check out his podcast. He is only a few episodes in, but each one is informative and unique. I'm a bit reluctant to listen to the latest one with The Masked Magician. I have a unique dislike of that man. But I'll bet it's a brilliant interview and eye opening one at that because if there is anyone who knows how to ask the right questions it's Joshua Jay. I have enjoyed every episode to date.....(with the exception of the Masked Magician one because I haven't listened to it.....yet)
To hear the podcast: https://www.audioup.com/shows/howmagiciansthink
Once Upon A Time, I wrote a book about the methods Houdini used to become famous. Actually, I wrote it, but didn't finish the last chapter. Then I was about to finish it a few years ago, when my Dad died, followed soon after by my Mom. In other words, LIFE got in the way, and those things are more important.
But now it appears I'm back on track with the book. Not only is the last chapter finished, but the entire book is getting a re-write, or perhaps update is a better word.
The book deals with the Marketing Methods used by Houdini to become famous, AND how you can use those same techniques to find fame in your own career, life, etc.. No, you're not likely to become AS famous as Houdini. But if you apply some of these concepts you may find it helps you to get that promotion you were looking for, or become more famous in your own little part of the world.
My friend and marketing genius, Billy Diamond, recently interviewed me about the book and about HOUDINI. It's a great interview and I know you'll find something interesting here. It's part history, part marketing and all Houdini.
For the Houdini buffs, I believe I borrowed a story from either Blackstone Jr or Pat Culliton about Houdini and the Milk Can. At the time I meant to credit the story, and the way the interview ran, I didn't get it done. There is also reference to an odd escape from a horse, which comes from the book, Metamorphosis by Bruce MacNAB.
Here is a link to the podcast. Enjoy. https://brandingentertainers.com/bfe-ep21-channeling-publicity-like-houdini-with-carnegie-the-magic-detective/
To get a free Chapter Excerpt From my Book: http://houdinimarketingbook.com
My readers and listeners to my podcast tend to already be magic history fans. Some however are new to magic history, others are just interested in history and they enjoy the stories of magicians. Whichever category you are part of, please pay attention to the next few paragraphs.
I remember listening to the radio on my way to work. A news report came on about a strange collection of magic that was in need of a buyer. It must have been an article in a newspaper that some radio personalities picked up to talk about. At any rate, I remember them saying it was called The Mulholland collection and it was worth 2.3 million dollars or somewhere in that price range. I also remember talking so some friends of mine and trying to figure out just how to come up with 2.3 million dollars to buy this thing, LOL. Needless to say, we didn't come up with the money. Instead, another person did. Encouraged by his friend Mike Caveney, David Copperfield purchased the Mulholland Collection. That alone was pretty exciting news. The most popular magician of the day just purchased the biggest collection of magic known to exist. What exactly was IN the collection was not known to me. I imagine some folks in the magic history world had a good idea, but I was not yet in that group, neither was David, yet.
Over time, David would purchase numerous collections. Eventually it would become 6 times the size of the original Mulholland Collection. And slowly overtime, this new curator and his crew would create the most amazing museum of magic. The official name is the International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, it is located somewhere in Las Vegas and is not even open to the public. If you were part of the latest Magic History Conference that Bill Smith put together, you had the rare fortune of getting a tour of the museum. (I was not among the lucky participants)
The book, David Copperfield's History of Magic is a journey into David's World of Magic and frankly our world of magic. It's his enormous collection that is lovingly shared in breathtaking photos throughout the book. The photos taken by a magical artist in his own right Homer Liwag. Every single photo is a work of art. In fact, ALL of the photos in this article were taken by Homer and are used with permission (please do not copy them).
The book begins with what I believe are the two most perfect words for a book of this nature. Two simple words, "Magic Matters." As historians we know it. As performers we know it. As fans of magic we know it. And in this crazy world we live in, it's time we let others know and remind those of us who have forgotten, Magic Matters!
There are 28 Chapters in this book and they are basically in chronological order. The first being a chapter about the first english language magic book, Reginald Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft of 1584. I have seen one of these treasured books in person at another historian's collection. I would not even touch the book, knowing of it's age and it's fragile state, I only looked upon it with awe. This marks an ideal way to begin the history of magic.
Next we have a chapter on Robert-Houdin the Father of Modern Magic. I think he needs a new title, as He was more the Father of 19th Century Magic. The images included in that chapter show the Pastry Chef of the Palais Royale, numerous posters, cornucopias used to produce items in the show, and numerous Houdin Mystery Clocks. The chapter covers a brief history of Robert Houdin and it wonderfully illustrates the importance of Houdin in the history of our art.
I'm not going to cover every chapter, but I do want to mention the next one, which is on Wyman the Wizard. Readers of my blog will know of my interest in this gentleman. In fact, the chapter also covers a magician who I've written about a lot, Harry Cooke. Both of these artists have ties to Abraham Lincoln which is why they appear in the same chapter. Within David Copperfield's collection are the very coins that Wyman the Wizard used to magically pass through the hand of Mr. Lincoln. That might be one of the most incredible pieces in the collection.
On Sept 7th, 1926, the warehouse where Adelaide Herrmann was storing her show, burned to the ground. All was lost. So the fact that there are still items of hers to view is astonishing! Before I move on, take one more look at that costume. So much more interesting than the costumes worn by magicians today. THAT is the costume of a true superstar of her art.
Chapter 10 is another personal favorite. This time David explores Martinka's Magic Shop. They have created a replica of Martinka's Stage with an ornate proscenium and a huge Herrmann poster that once was displayed in the shop. The photos, like all the photos in the book are impressive. The area is filled with antique Card Stars, and Spirit Dials built by the Martinka Brothers. Included in the display is an illustration of the little theater from way back in the early 1900s. There are even antique theater chairs. One can almost imagine Kellar and Houdini and Frederick Eugene Powell and others gathered around talking shop.
Chapter 14-HOUDINI. I would imagine that this section of David's museum has been the most photographed. I can recall seeing images of this section many times in the past. And every few years the photos change because the display grows. Looking over the photos in the book, I see some of the hottest items in recent magic auctions. It is no wonder they went to this collection and frankly, it's great to see them all together. As David Copperfield has said in numerous interviews, "If Houdini were alive today, he would see his whole show right here." That's pretty accurate. At least, the main pieces. Much of the Houdini show has been lost to time. Yet, there are items here that have never been in a collection until now. Houdini's bathtub, straight out of 278, and his bookshelf also from 278. The way the bookshelf has been set up allows a visiter to get a photo recreation of one that Houdini himself took oh so many years ago.
In the midst of all the authentic Houdini items is a bust of Houdini from Spectral Motions Studio, a testament to the quality of their work. I believe every major Houdini poster is on display. This section of the museum alone is worth millions. IF you are a non-magician and you're reading this chapter on Houdini and viewing the images, there is just no way to walk away without being hugely impressed with this man.
Chapter 23 is called 'Blood on the Curtain'. Of course this is Richiardi Jr.. Here was a gentleman whose style inspired countless 20th Century magicians. I remember reading on Levent's Facebook page about bringing the Richiardi cases to the Copperfield museum and opening them for the first time. According to the chapter, these rare items, props, illusions, costumes and more had been in storage in Brazil since Richiardi died back in 1985. He died young, at only 62. The world was robbed of his artistry and his majesty. But to see it on display here and to read about the life of Aldo Richiardi is a real gift.
I could go on and on about each chapter of the book, but I am going to stop here. Let me just say that each chapter contains several photos and a fine overview of the life of the performer being discussed. As a magic historian, I would have preferred longer chapters, but this is a book for the public and I believe those chapters are exactly the right length. Also, thankfully, this IS a book for the general public, because of that, it means we are not paying hundreds of dollars for the book. It is worth hundreds of dollars easily.
Every category of magic is covered in this book: The Manipulators, The Close-up Performer, The Mentalist, The Stage Performer, the Comedy Performer, the Illusionist, the Escape Artist and more. If this were just a history of magic, it would be great to have these various images and stories in one place. But knowing that this is all together in one collection, that makes it all even more special.
The final chapter of the book is on David Copperfield himself. I'll be honest and tell you that I have not read this chapter. Is there any way to share his story and do justice to a man who has done so much for the art of magic? Award Winning TV Specials, cutting edge illusions, brilliant magical presentations, touring shows that sold out more theaters than anyone on the planet, ISLANDS, his own museum and much more. I'm almost afraid to read that last chapter because I don't want the book to end...
And here is the little secret, it won't end. Sure the book will, but not the history of magic. David's place in the history of magic is as a living legend. And as magic continues so does the history. What was live and new today, is part of history tomorrow. In 10 years from now, I'd love to see an updated version of the book with more legendary performers from today.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the co-authors Richard Wiseman and David Britland. Richard is a reader of my blog and has been very generous to me in the past. While reading the chapter on Wyman the Wizard, I recalled the email I received from Richard sharing with me an audio track, of some of the music from Wyman's show, that he had specially made. The narrative throughout the book is wonderful and very cohesive considering there were three amazing authors. And this book would not be the same without the photographic genius of Homer Liwag. His ability to capture the beauty of magic in his photos is beyond compare.
By the way, there is a Special Edition of the book available through Barnes and Noble which has an additional chapter on Orson Welles. There is also an autographed copy available through TalkShop.Live. I've included all the links you'll need to get your copy(s).
Let me end with this. If you have not ordered a copy of the book, please do so. Do yourself a favor and get this book. Use it to learn about the history of our cherished art. Use it for inspiration. Use it to understand that, as David Copperfield said at the beginning of the book, Magic Matters!
Exclusive Addition: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/david-copperfields-history-of-magic-david-copperfield/1013620821?ean=9781982190743
Autographed Copy: https://talkshop.live/watch/jRICYBiDa25B/5235
There are a series of books called The I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis. They are published by Scholastic and the books have been a New York Times Bestselling Series. Her latest book covers the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. That is where I come in. Mrs. Tarshis contacted me a few months ago because she wanted to include Harry Kellar in her story. I was more than happy to provide her with information regarding the famous illusionist. Originally, he was going to play a key part in the story.
To explain a bit more, the author takes real life tragic events and creates a fictional story around them. In this case, the characters are fictional, the story is fictional, but the overall event, The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 really did happen. She also includes additional historical facts about the Hurricane in the back of the book. And she includes a short piece on how to survive a hurricane.
Other nods to magic include, the main characters name is Charlie Miller, whether that was accidental or on purpose, I don't know. But it's fun to think of our own Charlie Miller as being the 11 year old main character in this book. Also, Houdini is mentioned a couple times in the story. And the name of a popular method to make a coin vanish, The French Drop. There's also an interesting twist of Kellar's Floating Lady, but reversed...you'll have to read the book to find out.
I totally enjoyed the book! It was a gripping story, with moments of fun, drama, tragedy, and bravery. I can understand how the books are so popular. After you read one book, you want to find out what the next one is about. And there are 20 books in this series!
The I Survived books are for young readers 3rd-5th graders and they are at a 4th grade reading level. The books are available at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.com and other online book retailers.
