The Platinum Age of Magic

We have all heard the term Golden Age of Magic. I'm not really sure if there is a true beginning and ending to the Golden Age, but my guess would be 1890-1930. This is when magic really took off. Kellar, Houdini, Thurston, Blackstone, Dante and others ruled the stages.  After 1930s, magic certainly continued but with the death of Vaudeville and the advent of movies and TV magic lost it's once mighty place in the world of showbiz.

Magicians know that magic continued and saw the rise of different kinds of magic, the manipulators, like Cardini worked nightclubs. Illusionists like Jack Gwynne changed their acts so they could work in the round on dance floors. And of course, there was the rise of the close-up magicians with men like Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, Ross Bertram and others. Magic was forced to adapt and it did, but with the death of the traveling illusion show, magic faded from the eyes of the general public for the most part.

In the 1970s along came Doug Henning. He is credited with ushering in a second Golden Age of Magic and I think that's true for the most part. But there were others, Mark Wilson was setting the stage before Doug and even after Doug. David Copperfield came along just at the height of Henning's fame and David continued to carry the torch. Suddenly in this second Golden Age of Magic, we had Copperfield, Henning, Wilson, Blackstone Jr., Siegfried and Roy, Penn and Teller, Lance Burton and others. That flame seemed like it was going to burn for a long time but it was put out (in my opinion) almost over night by a guy named Valentino. And once again, magic seemed to slip away from the public consciousness.

Within the magic world, things were red hot. Close-up was the big craze and it was moving leaps and bounds over all the other types of magic. Folks like Paul Harris, Michael Ammar, John Carney, David Williamson, David Roth and others were now the big stars. Just when we thought there would be no more magic on TV, some kid named David Blaine showed up and rewrote the book on magic. David Blaine, like Henning before him, ushered in a whole new style and type of magic, Street Magic. Granted it was really close-up magic, but it was close-up stripped of the bells and whistles. It was highly visual magic that was often 'in your face'. No more tuxedos, no more big boxes, no more rabbits, magic was going in a new direction.

I can't say that David Blaine ushered in another Golden Age. I think what he did was keep magic alive and change what audiences thought of magic. Magic was becoming more psychological, more mystifying, frankly more amazing. The mentalists began to rise! Sure, we know they were there all along, but now they were out on the forefront. Folks like Banaceck, Derren Brown, Keith Barry were taking magic to places no one ever dreamed. Magicians and Illusionists jumped on the mentalism bandwagon and mixed their magic with feats of mentalism.

It was during this time, I would read on blogs and in magic magazines how some thought magic was dead. Some writers felt that magic was probably on it's last legs and because of the way technology was changing, we would soon all be gone. For the record, I've been hearing the doom and gloom scenario from magicians for years.

That brings me to now, 2014-2016. I think we have hit the Platinum Age of Magic. No more Golden

Ages. Magic is burning on all cylinders. Close-up is at an all time high. Card Magic has spun off into various directions, one of which is Card Artistry and there are a ton of people, guys and girls who are dominating that arena. Stage magic is seeing a resurgence, and a fresh one. Again, magic is no longer a males only club, Alana from Germany has got one of the best and most original magic acts out there. Illusion Magic is coming back in ways I never expected. Barry and Stuart from England do comedy magic with illusions and stage props and are killing it! Topas from Germany is adding a fresh spin on everything he touches. There are 4 unique touring illusion shows right now. The Illusionists, The Illusionists 2.0, The Illusionists 1903, and Masters of Illusion. Audiences are going nuts over these shows. Standing ovations nightly. I do not think there has been a time in the history of magic when magic was hotter than it is now.

On TV, The Carbenero Effect, Wizard Wars, Penn & Teller Fool-Us, Masters of Illusion, Steve Cohen's History Channel Special Lost Secrets of Magic, and the recent HOUDINI Miniseries. That was just last year! There were even MORE TV Magic Shows in England and Europe! The MAGICIANS was huge show in England, Derren Brown's TV Specials are big hits, Dynamo is a household name in Europe because of his TV show.  I understand there is a lot more magic in the works for 2015.

The Platinum Age of Magic is here my friends. Ride The Wave and let's hope it lasts for a quite a while!

Tomorrow, I will be attending The Illusionists Show at The Kennedy Center, so expect a review in a few days.

Magic Auctions Coming Soon

I just downloaded the catalog for the upcoming Potter & Potter Auction. It's filled with tons of magic apparatus and a great deal of books. As with any auction there are some really cool items in the mix. I'm partial to more of the unusual items and there are more than a few of those. One set of books caught my eye, which includes; Okito on Magic, Our Magic, Sachs Sleight of Hand, NEO Magic and several other books. The starting price is pretty low and I will say, that I paid close to the starting price for a single copy of NeoMagic a few years ago, so this lot is a steal. If you would like to check out a downloadable copy of the catalog or purchase a hard copy edition for yourself, go to
http://www.potterauctions.com/auctions/upcoming

Though it's not an auction, Lupe Nielsen of Nielsen Magic sent out an email a few weeks ago letting people know they were open to finding a buyer for their collection of Magic Posters. They wish to sell the entire collection. So the price is going to be high. But if you are someone with a big bankroll and would like one of the most incredible collections of vintage magic posters on the planet, then by all means contact Lupe. Serious inquiries only please. You can reach Lupe through their website http://nnmagic.com/index.htm

The Magic Detective in 2015

I've gotten a bit overwhelmed with shows and other projects the last couple months so this blog has sadly suffered. But never fear, I've got some cool things in store for 2015. About mid-month in July, I'll be doing an radio interview about Magic History. I'll post more on that as we get closer.

I'm also working to retool the Magic Detective Show on Youtube. First time it aired, I think I got out 6 episodes and then my camera broke. When I returned a year or so later, I changed some things about the content and then, well got busy with other stuff. I'm really having fun with the 'Victorian Magic' from Hoffmann segment, so I think that will be the emphasis going forward. However, I'm also hoping to do a few episodes where I visit different magic collectors and have them demo so of these wonderful gems from yesteryear. I'm still sorting out the different details, but I hope to have it back up and running in January.

The next thing on the agenda is my Houdini Book, which is close to being completed. More info on that once it's ready. Expect a 'March/April' (aka Houdini Birthday) time frame. I have a landing page set up for the book http://houdinimarketingbook.com/   If you're interested you can get on the waiting list and get to read one of the chapters now. (BTW, it's been brought to my attention there are a couple grammatical errors in the text. All will be fixed by the time the book is completed)

OH, AND I think I may be on hot on the trail of some new Daisy White revelations! That just

happened yesterday, so when we return in 2015, I hope I can share that information with you. I know they called Houdini the Elusive American, but that title really belongs to Daisy White! lol

A True Forgotten Illusion

Back in 1998, I purchased an unusual little booklet called Chung Ling Soo's Mechanists -They

Stayed Behind, by Brian McCullagh and Dr. J. Ernest Aldred. It's only 38 pages long and has some interesting photos and information within. The booklet is about two 'mechanists' from the Soo show, Phil Davies and Ernest Aldred, who stayed in Australia after Chung and the rest of the company moved on.

Within the 38 pages is a page on an illusion called The Lantern Illusion. This was created by Soo in 1907 and was also known as the Glass Casket, and also known as The Slave of the Lamp. I still remember reading about this illusion back in 1998, it had left a large impression on me. The illusion seemed incredible. A large 'lantern' made of glass was brought on stage and was proven to be empty. Then a cable was connected to the top and it was lifted off the stage. It was then spun and as it spun in circles the light would catch it and it made an incredible sight to see. Then, suddenly the figure of a woman appears inside the lantern as the cage is spinning. Except, the woman faces forward and does not spin, only the lantern surrounding her spins. Sounds pretty amazing and I sure don't recall seeing anything like this in any show of modern times.

So that brings me to the illustration here of Thurston presenting 'The Whirling Crystal Cage and Mysterious Production'. I had come across this on the internet maybe a year ago and the moment I saw it I remembered the Chung Ling Soo booklet. This must be the spinning lantern trick I had read about years before. Much like a LOT of magic back then, more than one performer was presenting it, sometimes legally, sometimes not. There were two copies made in Australia by Phil Davies. Thurston had a copy, which I assume he got permission to build from Soo. Though, Harry Kellar was known to steal everything, Thurston, as far as I can tell, got permission.

There is one Soo Poster that depicts the illusion. It can be seen in the Gary Frank book Chung Ling Soo the Man Behind the Legend. AND it can be seen in the Todd Karr book, The Silence of Chung Ling Soo, it's poster #36 near the front of the book and there it is called 'The Spinning Cage'.

In the Silence of Chung Ling Soo, Jim Steinmeyer has a short chapter on the illusion. It appears on pages 16-20. Jim describes the method used for the illusion, which I must say is quite elaborate. And he mentions that the illusion must have weighed upwards of 750 lbs. If you add the weight of the assistant, you've got 850lbs. That wouldn't be such a big deal except this big behomoth is spinning in the air!

I so want to see this thing in action!!! But, I don't think that is ever going to happen. It must have been a thing of true beauty. In fact, Percy Abbott, in his biography, A Lifetime of Magic, says this about the illusion, "This was a beautiful and spectacular effect. I can safely say one of the most beautiful I have ever witnessed and, believe me, to make that statement after viewing magic for more than sixty years, is unusual."

Does anyone know if any of the 5 Spinning Cage/Lantern Illusions exist anymore?

The Illusionists Open on Broadway

The ILLUSIONISTS has officially opened on Broadway. It's been a while since a big magic show has been to Broadway. David Copperfield brought is Dreams and Nightmares Show there years ago. And before him Harry Blackstone Jr. brought his show to Broadway. I guess the only one before them was Doug Henning who really started it all. Or more appropriately, Doug Henning restarted it all at the Cort Theatre in NYC with The Magic Show.

But now, rather than one man holding the stage it's Seven! And an interesting mix of magicians it is. The show includes: Kevin James, Dan Sperry, Andrew Basso, Aaron Crow, Jeff Hobson, Adam Trent,  and Yu Ho-Jin. Each has their own particular brand of magic, which is why they are described by titles such as The Inventor, The Manipulator, The Trickster and so forth.

They have been touring the WORLD for quite some time, but this is their first time in the USA. Wonder what New Yorkers think of the show? Read the review below........it's hard to get a better review than that!

http://www.thewrap.com/the-illusionists-theater-review-its-a-magic-show-thats-houdini-times-seven/

The Illusionists go on Tour of the US following the Broadway run. Check out their website for more information on tickets and tour schedule.