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For other varieties of magic, see Magic (disambiguation).
"Illusionist" redirects here. For the artistic tradition, see Illusionism (art).
For other uses, see The Illusionist (disambiguation).
Magic
Hieronymus Bosch 051.jpg
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. The artist even misdirects the viewer from the thief by drawing the viewer
to the magician.
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Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up
magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by
tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means.
[1][2] It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to
be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing

Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène

Robert-Houdin, has become a popular theatrical art form.[3] In the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, magicians such as Maskelyne and Devant, Howard Thurston,
Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what
has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic."[4] During this period, performance
magic became a staple of Broadway theatre, vaudeville, and music halls. Magic
retained its popularity in the television age, with magicians such as Paul Daniels,
David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Penn & Teller, David Blaine, and Derren Brown
modernizing the art form.[5]

The world's largest-selling publication for magicians, Magic magazine,[6] curated a

list of the "100 most influential magicians of the 20th century" to have
contributed to the modern development of the art of magic.[7] According to the
magician-culled list titled "Those Who Most Affected The Art in America," Houdini
holds the first rank. Then, in decreasing order, Dai Vernon, David Copperfield,
Harry Blackstone, Doug Henning, Tarbell, Cardini, Mark Wilson, Siegfried and Roy,
and finally Thurston at number 10.

Contents
1 History
1.1 Magic tricks
1.2 Modern stage magic
2 Types of magic performance
2.1 Stage illusions
2.2 Parlor magic
2.3 Close-up magic
2.4 Escapology
2.5 Pickpocket magic
2.6 Mentalism
2.7 Séances
2.8 Children's magic
2.9 Online magic
2.10 Mathemagic
2.11 Corporate magic
2.12 Gospel magic
2.13 Street magic
2.14 Bizarre magic
2.15 Shock magic
2.16 Comedy magic
2.17 Quick change magic
2.18 Camera magic
2.19 Classical magic
2.20 Mechanical magic
3 Categories of effects
4 Learning magic
5 Misuse of magic
6 Researching magic
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
History
The term "magic" etymologically derives from the Greek word mageia (μαγεία). In
ancient times, Greeks and Persians had been at war for centuries, and the Persian
priests, called magosh in Persian, came to be known as magoi in Greek. Ritual acts
of Persian priests came to be known as mageia, and then magika—which eventually
came to mean any foreign, unorthodox, or illegitimate ritual practice. To the
general public, successful acts of illusion could be perceived as if it were
similar to a feat of magic supposed to have been able to be performed by the
ancient magoi. The performance of tricks of illusion, or magical illusion, and the
apparent workings and effects of such acts have often been referred to as "magic"
and particularly as magic tricks.

One of the earliest known books to explain magic secrets, The Discoverie of
Witchcraft, was published in 1584. It was created by Reginald Scot to stop people
from being killed for witchcraft. During the 17th century, many books were
published that described magic tricks. Until the 18th century, magic shows were a
common source of entertainment at fairs. The "Father" of modern entertainment magic
was Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who had a magic theatre in Paris in 1845.[8] John
Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London in the 1840s. Towards
the end of the 19th century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre
venues became the norm.[9] As a form of entertainment, magic easily moved from
theatrical venues to television magic specials.

Performances that modern observers would recognize as conjuring have been practiced
throughout history. For example, a trick with three cups and balls has been
performed since 3 BC.[10] and is still performed today on stage and in street magic
shows. For many recorded centuries, magicians were associated with the devil and
the occult. During the 19th and 20th centuries, many stage magicians even
capitalized on this notion in their advertisements.[11] The same level of ingenuity
that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions such as the Trojan Horse would
also have been used for entertainment, or at least for cheating in money games.
They were also used by the practitioners of various religions and cults from
ancient times onwards to frighten uneducated people into obedience or turn them
into adherents. However, the profession of the illusionist gained strength only in
the 18th century, and has enjoyed several popular vogues since.[citation needed]

Magic tricks
See also: List of magic tricks
"Magic trick" redirects here. For the 1953 film, see Magic Trick (film).
Opinions vary among magicians on how to categorize a given effect, but a number of
categories have been developed. Magicians may pull a rabbit from an empty hat, make
something seem to disappear, or transform a red silk handkerchief into a green silk
handkerchief. Magicians may also destroy something, like cutting a head off, and
then "restore" it, make something appear to move from one place to another, or they
may escape from a restraining device. Other illusions include making something
appear to defy gravity, making a solid object appear to pass through another
object, or appearing to predict the choice of a spectator. Many magic routines use
combinations of effects.