Magic (illusion)
Videos
Magic is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It encompasses the subgenres of close-up magic and par
The Conjurer, 1475–1480, by Hieronymus Bosch or his workshop. Notice how the man in the back row steals another man's purse while applying misdirection by looking at the sky.
Well known illusionist David Blaine performs magic for president Barack Obama at the White House, 2016
Penn & Teller's Walk of Fame Star. They are 21st century magicians.
An illustration from Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584), one of the earliest books on magic tricks, explaining how the "Decollation of John Baptist" decapitation illusion may be performed
Harry Houdini
Videos
Erik Weisz, known professionally as Harry Houdini, was an American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts.
Magic (illusion)
…art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple…
Houdini, c. 1913
1895 poster for The Houdinis
Houdini, c. 1900
Hardeen with his brother, Houdini (seated left) c. 1901