Jim Steinmeyer

Jim Steinmeyer (born 1 November 1958) is an internationally respected designer of magical illusions and theatrical special effects. His best known illusions include Origami, Interlude, and Walking Through a Mirror. He is also an author, consultant and producer.imdb name|id=0826195|name="Jim Steinmeyer"] cite web
url = http://www.jimsteinmeyer.com/profile
title = Designer and inventor of illusions and theatrical special effects for magicians and Broadway shows
publisher = Jim Stienmeyer
accessdate = 2007-04-17]

Early life

Steinmeyer was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois and attended Loyola University Chicago.

Magic career

As a researcher of magic history and a designer of special effects for the theatre, Steinmeyer's work has been featured in theatrical shows such as "Beauty and the Beast", "Into the Woods", "Mary Poppins" and "Phantom of the Opera". He has also worked as a producer and magic consultant for many magic television shows, and as a consultant and concept designer for Walt Disney Imagineering, where he developed theme park attractions for The Walt Disney Company. For a number of years, he was the magic designer to Doug Henning, and invented illusions for Henning's television specials and two Broadway shows. For David Copperfield, Steinmeyer created the illusion of the Vanishing Statue of Liberty, which was featured on a television special. His magical creations have also been widely viewed through the performances of The Pendragons, Simon Drake, Lance Burton, Ricky Jay and many others. He was the writer and producer of the A&E Network's "The Story of Magic", a documentary on the history of magicians.

The Academy of Magical Arts (aka. The Magic Castle) has awarded him twice with "The Creative Fellowship" in 1991 and "The Literary Fellowship Award" in 2002.

Jim Steinmeyer currently lives with his wife in Los Angeles, California.

Books

He has written many books on magic's history and technical books on techniques of illusions. Recent works include:
* "The Complete Jarrett", Hahne (2001) ASIN: B0014JAOXO
* "Jim Steinmeyer's Impuzzibilities Strangely Self-Working Conjuring", Hahne (2002) ASIN: B000HAUEH2
* "Hiding the Elephant - How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear", Carroll & Graf (2004) ISBN 0786714018
* "The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, Aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" Carroll & Graf Publishers (2005), ISBN 078671512X
* "The Magic of Alan Wakeling: The Works of a Master Magician", Carroll & Graf (Nov 2006), ISBN 0786718072
* "Art and Artifice: And Other Essays of Illusion",Carroll & Graf (Nov 2006), ISBN 0786718064
* "Charles Fort: The Man Who Invented the Supernatural", Heinemann (May 2008), ISBN 0434016292

Patents

[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN%2F5291297 Hologram Illusion] , Issued March 1, 1994, US Patent No. 5,291,297.

[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=6&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=steinmeyer&s2=illusion&OS=steinmeyer+AND+illusion&RS=steinmeyer+AND+illusion Origami Illusion] , Issued March 29, 1994, US Patent No. D345,595.

References

Additional sources

* T. A. Walters, "Jim Steinmeyer: Deviser of Illusions", "MAGIC Magazine", September 1996

External links

* [http://www.jimsteinmeyer.com Official homepage]