Magic (illusion)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 parlor magic, among others. It is to be distinguished from supernatural magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world.
Tony SlydiniTony Slydini (September 1, 1900, Foggia, Italy – January 15, 1991), known as Slydini, was a magician known for close-up artistry magic. His public performances and lectures to other magicians inspired Doug Henning, Dick Cavett, Bill Bixby, Ricky Jay, and David Copperfield. He also produced books, films and publications on magic. He received the Masters Fellowship Award and Performing Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts.
Nevil Maskelyne (magician)John Nevil Maskelyne, known professionally as Nevil Maskelyne (1863–1924), was a British magician and inventor. BiographyMaskelyne was born in 1863 Cheltenham (bapt 22 July 1863) to stage magician John Nevil Maskelyne (1839-1917) and his wife Elizabeth née Taylor (1840-1911). Following his father's death he assumed control of Maskelyne's Ltd. In wireless telegraphy, he was the manager of Anglo-American Telegraph Company, which controlled the Valdemar Poulsen patents.
Harlan TarbellHarlan Eugene Tarbell (February 23, 1890 – June 16, 1960) was an American stage magician and illustrator of the early 20th century. He was the author of the well-known Tarbell Course in Magic. His only foray into cinema was an early 1930s film short entitled "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". He directed the production and starred as .
AttentionPsychological focus, perception and prioritising discrete informationFocused attentionAttention is the concentration of awareness directed at some task or phenomenon while mostly excluding others. Across disciplines, the nature of this directedness is conceptualized in different ways. In cognitive psychology, attention is often described as the allocation of limited cognitive processing resources to a subset of information, thoughts, or tasks.
Sleight of handSleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain ( ) comprises fine motor skills used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card flourishing and stealing.
AudienceAn audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or academics in any medium. Audience members participate in different ways in different kinds of art. Some events invite overt audience participation and others allow only modest clapping and criticism.
DeceptionDeception is the act of convincing one or many recipients of untrueinformation. The person creating the deception knows it to be false while the receiver of the information does not. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deceit and dishonesty can also form grounds for civil litigation in tort, or contract law (where it is known as misrepresentation or fraudulent misrepresentation if deliberate), or give rise to criminal prosecution for fraud.
Henry Hay (writer)June Barrows Mussey (March 30, 1910 – July 27, 1985), who wrote under the pen nameHenry Hay, was an American journalist and translator who is notable for his writing about magic, sleight of hand, and a large number of European authors including Lion Feuchtwanger. He also was one of the anonymous translators of Hitler'sMein Kampf (1925–26) for an by the publisher Stackpole Sons.PatterPatter is a prepared and practiced speech that is designed to produce a desired response from its audience. Examples of occupations with a patter include the auctioneer, salesperson, dance caller, magician, and comedian. The term may have been a colloquial shortening of "Pater Noster", or the Lord's Prayer, and may have referred to the practice of mouthing or mumbling prayers quickly and mechanically.
PerceptionInterpretation of sensory informationThe Necker cube and Rubin vase can be perceived in more than one way.Humans are able to make a very good guess on the underlying 3D shape category/identity/geometry given a silhouette of that shape. Computer vision researchers have been able to build computational models for perception that exhibit a similar behavior and are capable of generating and reconstructing 3D shapes from single or multi-view depth maps or silhouettes.
WandA wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, which could have large ornamentation on the top. In modern times, wands are usually associated with stage magic or supernatural magic, but there have been other uses, all stemming from the original meaning as a synonym of and virge.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.