Timeline of magic

This timeline of magic is a history of the performing art from B.C. to the present.

Timeline of magic

2700 B.C. - The reputed first known performance of a conjuring effect (balls) by the magician Dedi in ancient Egypt. Dedi had done other effects, such as decapitating a bird, then reattaching the head to resurrect it. (This is disputed as there is nothing in reference to Dedi, specifically in the Westcar Papyrus, to indicate that he performed the cups and balls for anyone. The famous drawing of two men seemingly performing the cups and balls, from the tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan is believed by most experts to show a game using pots^[1] or cups^[2] but details of the game are unknown.) (Note: Since there is no indication that Dedi performed the Cups and Balls, and the Beni Hasan tomb painting is considered unlikely to represent the effect, there is no certain evidence for the existence of the cups and balls during this period.)

1300 -650 B.C. - References to magic are abundant in the ancient Greek myths among the classical founding pagan cultures of Europe, connected to the neighbouring Egyptian and Persian ones. Often centered around women of divine origin, nymphs and priests, from Ariadne to Calypso, Circe to Medea, Hermes to Hecate, magic, divination and necromancy are widespread and interwined with cthonic Gods and monsters, oracles and heros.

50–300 A.D. - The Acetabularii performed the Cups and balls in ancient Rome using stones and small vinegar cups (hence the name Acetabularii). The Acetabularii are a group of magicians specializing on the cups and balls effect.

400–1000 - The Dark Ages; little is known about the history of magic, but much of it was associated with the occult and magic as entertainment is not prominent.

1000–1500 - The Middle Ages where much magic was associated with the occult and witchcraft. The growing trading nature of society allowed some street or circus performers to make a living out of old classics such as the cups and balls and in fact more modern ideas such as cheating by short changing via sleights with coins and other small objects.

1584 - Reginald Scot publishes The Discoverie of Witchcraft a book designed in part to counter the activities of persecutionists, but at the same time revealing many conjuring secrets of the day. Magic and witchcraft were linked, and many copies of Scot's book were burnt in the early 17th century.

1634 - Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain was published. This book is one of the first to include the "Cups and Balls" effect described as it was originally performed, along with the "patter" which was used during the performance. This book had twelve editions.^[3]

• Steve Burton published a hardcover edition, of the 1634 first edition (1997)

1720- Isaac Fawkes, English Magician retires. His performances at fairs left him with a fortune of nearly ten thousand pounds. Among his tricks were a card on the ceiling with any card called for and his bag of many eggs. His booth is featured in Bartholomew Fair by Hogarth with a sign that says "Dexterity of Hand." He also presented impressionists and contortionists as part of his shows.

1750 - Joseph Pinetti, "considered to be the major figure of 18th century magic," is born. "Pinetti is said to be the first recorded performer to do the "thumb tie effect" and he also performed second sight, exhibited automata and the orange tree illusion.^[4]

1805 - Year of birth of Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (died 1871). The "father of modern magic", who brought it from the street and circus side shows to an elegant stage or drawing room setting.

1874 - Year of birth of Harry Houdini A.K.A. King of Cards and King of Handcuffs (died 1926 because of a ruptured appendix). Real name Ehrich Weiss, he achieved fame as an escapologist.

1876 - The first publication of Modern Magic. Written by Professor Louis Hoffmann (1839–1919) (Real name Angelo John Lewis), it was a definitive work on the state of the art of that time.

1877 - Martinka and Co. was founded by Francis and Antonio Martinka, it was run by Houdini in 1919 and is still in existence.

1894 - Year of birth of Dai Vernon (died 1992). A.K.A. "The Professor" and "The Man That Fooled Houdini", he was born as David Frederick Wingfield Verner in Ottawa. One of the most influential 20th-century performing-arts magicians.

1898 - Lewis Davenport Ltd. was founded, the oldest family magic business in the world and still in existence today.

1902 - The Expert at the Card Table is published by The Charles T. Powner Co. was written by S. W. Erdnase. Considered by serious card workers as one of the most important books written on the subject.

1902 - May 10, The Society of American Magicians is founded at Martinka's Magic Shop in New York City, New York. It is the oldest magic society in the world.

1905 - July - The Magic Circle was formed. Its first President was David Devant. This is a prestigious organization for magicians and has strict rules against exposure. (It expelled its founder twice for alleged exposure, something it has done to many famous magicians.)

1911 - Our Magic by Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant – arguably one of the most important books of magic theory – is published.

1911 - The Mysto Magic Company incorporated by Gilbert, Gilbert, and Petrie.

1918 - Houdini first performs Morritt's Vanishing Elephant at the Hippodrome on January 7.

1918 - The South African Magical Society (SAMS) was formed. SAMS is also affiliated to the London Magic Circle.

1921 - P.T. Selbit performs the first "Sawing in half", something that is, in the present day, synonymous with the art of stage magic.

1926 - On All Hallows Eve at 1:26 pm, Harry Houdini dies.

Circa 1940 - Edward M. Massey invents the finger chopper,^[5] which becomes many young magicians' first trick.

1949 - The first publication of Royal Road to Card Magic Written by Jean Hugard and Fred Braue, it's still an important first text for card workers today.

1952 - The first publication of Modern Coin Magic Written by JB Bobo, considered by some the "bible" of coin magic, many other works reference this one.

1956 - David Copperfield is born on September 16, as David Seth Kotkin.

1960 - Lance Burton is born on March 10, as William Lance Burton in Louisville, Kentucky.

1963 - The Magic Castle is formed by Milt Larsen in Hollywood USA by converting a 1908 Victorian mansion to a centre of magical excellence. Many leading magicians have performed there. Dai Vernon was a resident magician in the latter part of his life.

1968 - The book Thirteen Steps To Mentalism by Corinda was published and is one of the most famous books on mentalism.

1972 - New York's first magic show spot The Magic Towne House is opened by Ed Davis and taken over by Dorothy Dietrich (then a teenager) and Dick Brookz. It featured such notables as Frank Garcia, Jack London, Harry Blackstone, Jr., etc. Performers who got their start their included Eric DeCamps, Rocco Silano, Johnny Ace Palmer, Jeff McBride and Michael Chaut. Years later Chaut would organize Monday Night Magic after The Magic Towne House closed in the 1980s.

1974 - The musical The Magic Show starring Doug Henning opens on Broadway and ushers in a new "Golden Age" of magic.

1977 - Marco the Magi presents Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company premieres on February 20 in Beverly, Massachusetts. It becomes the longest running "Resident Magic Show" in history.

1977 - Jeff Sheridan, a street magician in New York's Central Park, publishes STREET MAGIC - An Illustrated History of Wandering Magicians and Their Conjuring Arts. Published by Dolphin Books, an imprint of Doubleday & Company.

1994 - The first WWW magic stores appear following the older text type newsgroups and bulletin boards. Pictorial and information sites soon follow, changing the way magic is learned and distributed.

1997 - The Masked Magician, Val Valentino, provokes much controversy by exposing magic secrets on major Fox TV specials. David Blaine brings "Street Magic" to America.

1998 - World Of Illusion at Madison Square Garden launched the career of Criss Angel, followed by Criss Angel Mindfreak which ran until 2003.

2011 - Dynamo (Steven Frayne) releases series 1 of magic series Dynamo: Magician Impossible, and goes on to release 3 more series in the following years.

References