Timeline of magic

This timeline of magic is a history of the performing art from BCE to the present day.

Timeline

2700 BCE - The reputed first known performance of a conjuring effect (cups and balls) by the magician Dedi in ancient Egypt. Dedi had done other effects such as decapitating a birds head and reattach the head resurrecting it. (This is disputed as there is nothing in the reference to Dedi, specifically in the Westcar Papyrus, to indicate that he did the cups and balls for anyone. The famous drawing of two men performing the cups and balls, from the tomb and Beni Hasan is believed by most experts to be bakers making bread with bread molds.)(Note: Since there is no indication that Dedi performed the Cups and Balls, and the Beni Hasan heiroglyph is no longer considered to represent the effect, there is no evidence for the existence of the Cups and Balls during this time period.)

50-300 CE - The Acetabularii performed the Cups and balls in ancient Rome using stones and small vinegar cups (hence the name Acetabularii). 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 still 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 indeed 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"(sic) 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 still linked, and many copies of Scot's book were burnt in the early 1600s.

1750 - Pinetti, Chevalier Guiseppe "considered to be the major figure of eighteenth 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. ["The Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians", T.A. Waters, p. 263]

1805 - Year of birth of Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin (d. 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 aka King of Cards and King of Handcuffs (d. 1926). Real name Ehrich Weiss, he achieved fame as an escapologist.

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

1894 - Year of birth of Dai Vernon (d. 1992). Aka as The Professor and The Man That Fooled Houdini, he was born as David Frederick Wingfield Verner in Ottawa. The most influential 20th C magician.

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.

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 - Feb - The British Magical Society formed in London, UK; the oldest continually meeting magic society in Europe. Its first President was David Devant. In June it evolved into The Magic Circle. This prestigious organisation acts like a trade union for magicians and has strict rules against exposure. (It expelled its founder 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.

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

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

Circa 1940 - Edward M. Massey invents the finger chopper [The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Magic, Bart Whaley p. 361] 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 16th, as David Seth Kotkin.

1960 - Lance Burton is born on March 10th, 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 resident magician in the latter part of his life.

1968 - The book "13 Steps to Mentalism" by Corinda was published and is one of the most famous books on mentalism.

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 20th in Beverly, Massachusetts. It becomes the longest running "Resident Magic Show" in history.

1977 - Jeff Sheridan, NY's celebrated Central Park Street Magician publishes "STREET MAGIC - An Illustrated History of Wandering Magicians and Their Conjuring Arts". Published by Dolphin Books, an imprint of Doubleday & Company. The first street magician to perform in NY in over 100 years.

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.

2007 - [http://www.psycrets.org.uk PSYCRETS - "British Society of Mystery Entertainers"] Borne from communication on niche web forums a meeting was arranged in Treadwells Bookshop, Covent Garden London on 07/07/07. A meeting of likeminded UK and European based mentalists, bizarrists, storytellers, readers, spiritualist performers, and other 'mystery'entertainers met and became subsequently formally established by [http://www.metaphysical-magician.com Dr Todd Landman] and Roni Shachnaey as a private association dedicated to the arts.

References