What is the origin of the word magic?
The word magic derives from the Greek term mageia, which itself originated from the Persian word magosh, referring to priests who engaged in ritual acts that Greeks viewed as foreign and unorthodox.
Questions about Magic (illusion)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was the book The Discoverie of Witchcraft published?
One of the earliest recorded books to explain these secrets, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, was published in 1584 by Reginald Scot, an Englishman who sought to stop people from being executed for witchcraft by proving that the tricks attributed to supernatural forces were actually just clever mechanical deceptions.
Who opened a magic theatre in Paris in 1845?
The transformation of magic from a fairground novelty to a respected theatrical art form began in the mid-19th century with Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, a clockmaker who opened a magic theatre in Paris in 1845.
Where did J N Maskelyne and Cooke operate their magic show for 31 years starting in 1873?
By the end of the 19th century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre venues became the norm, exemplified by the British performer J N Maskelyne and his partner Cooke, who operated at the Egyptian Hall in London's Piccadilly for 31 years starting in 1873.
When did Harry Houdini pass away?
Harry Houdini, born in 1874 and passing in 1926, took his stage name from Robert-Houdin and developed a range of stage magic tricks, many of them based on what became known after his death as escapology.
When was a shell-game ring broken up in Los Angeles?
Another example is the shell game, in which a pea is hidden under one of three walnut shells, then shuffled around the table or sidewalk so slowly as to make the pea's position seemingly obvious, and although these are well known as frauds, people still lose money on them, as a shell-game ring was broken up in Los Angeles as recently as December 2009.