Famous magicians and escapists

Although the art of magic and magical arts have existed since pagan times through priests, sorcerers, etc., they are the ones who dare, the magicians who defy death and show acts that even we ourselves would not dare to do. think, the ones with got the most followers and became the most remembered. Here are a few that we think are among the best and most popular of all time.

Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin (1805-1871). Jean Robert-Houdin was the son of a French watchmaker, whose interest in magic began when he received from a bookseller – mistakenly – a two-volume set of sleight-of-hand books called Scientific Amusements instead of the watchmaking books he had reserved. He then went on to study magic and opened the first magic theater in France. Houdin is considered the Father of Modern Magic and it is from him that Harry Houdini took his stage name. Among his most popular acts are Second Sight, a two-person mind-reading act in which his blindfolded assistant (played by his son) would describe whatever Houdin was holding or doing on the other side. of the room; and Ethereal Suspension, where he suspended his child in the air, balanced only by his right elbow.

Alexander Hermann (1844-1896). Born into a family known as “the first family of magic”, Alexander Herrmann’s father was a doctor who also performed sleight of hand. His older brother, Carl, was a medical student who became a professional magician. When Alexander was eight years old, Carl kidnapped him from the family home after seeing his interest in magic and took him to Russia to teach him the art. The two brothers performed together until 1885, when they decided to go their separate ways. Nicknamed “Herrmann the Great” by Russian society after his tour of shows in Russia, Alexander eventually became an American citizen. He died in 1896 while aboard a train on his way to a performance. Among his most popular acts are the Card Toss act, where he would place a card on a spectator’s lap at the back of the theater by tossing it through the air. Another is Bullet Catch, an extremely dangerous stunt, where bystanders fired loaded pistols at him and he caught the bullets and remained unscathed.

Harry Houdini (1874-1926). Born in Hungary as Ehrich Weiss, Harry Houdini emigrated to the United States with his family when he was four years old. At nine years old, he became a trapeze artist. He changed his name to Harry Houdini when he became a professional magician. His first name was chosen in homage to Harry Keller and his last name to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, both magicians who greatly influenced his art. Houdini specialized in escapism, of which his most famous act is called the Chinese Water Torture Cell, where he was hung upside down with his ankles bound by ropes, lowered into a glass tank filled with water, and the restraints locked shut. at the top of the cell. In his later years, Houdini devoted himself to exposing the frauds of self-proclaimed psychologists and mediums. He died at age 52 of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix after collapsing onstage during a performance in Michigan.

Harry Blackstone (1885-1965). Born Harry Boughton, Harry Blackstone Sr. was one of the most famous stage magicians of the early 20th century, frequently appearing on the vaudeville circuit. His theatrical career began through a comedy act he did with his brother Peter Bouton. He was extremely popular during World War II through shows he did for the troops and was called The Great Blackstone. While he was considered a “posh” wizard in his white tie and tails, some of his acts, particularly his “Cutting a Woman in Half”, could be imaginatively gory. This illusion is done with a circular saw. Blackstone would demonstrate how he would be used by cutting down a piece of wood. Then he would place an assistant on the table and cut himself in half, and the saw would be seen to go through his body. The particles of the woman’s body are scattered by the blade, she screams, the blade stops, and of course, her body is unharmed. Another famous illusion is the vanishing birdcage, where Blackstone invites children onto the stage and asks them to touch a cage with a canary inside. Blackstone then lowers the cage, knocks it over, and both the cage and the canary disappear in front of the children. In his later years, Blackstone performed at The Magic Castle, a nightclub for magicians and magic fans. He died in 1965. His son, Harry Blackstone, Jr., followed in his footsteps and is now a famous magician.

David Copperfield (1956-present). Described by Forbes magazine as the most commercially successful magician in history, David Copperfield began practicing magic at age ten and at twelve he was inducted into the Society of American Magicians. Copperfield likes to work with large-scale illusions and grand magical feats. Among his famous acts are the laser illusion and the flying illusion. In the laser illusion, Copperfield’s body is cut into two or more parts by his assistants using a laser beam. While his upper body sits on a chair, the lower half continues to walk. The flying illusion is a levitation trick where you fly around the stage, seemingly without any wires. Copperfield then invites an audience member, usually a woman, to join him and they both fly off as Superman. Copperfield claimed fame for himself when he made, in separate instances, a full-size Learjet and the Statue of Liberty disappear into thin air before the eyes of the public.

David Blaine (1997-present). Of Puerto Rican and Russian Jewish descent, David Blaine White was four years old when he began his interest in magic after seeing a magician perform tricks on the subway. Filming his own act and submitting the tape to broadcast network ABC led to his first television special, where he performed tricks for strangers, up close, while the cameras rolled live. Since then, Blaine has progressed to full-scale physical stunts such as Buried Alive, where he was buried in a clear plastic box for seven days under a tank filled with 3.5 tons of water. Blaine survived on two or three tablespoons of water a day for the entire week, and his only means of communication with the outside world was through a push-button bell. In 2000, Blaine did another endurance test called Frozen In Time, where he was locked inside a huge block of ice for 62 hours with only air and water for sustenance. Two years later, he defied vertigo by standing on top of a 100-foot-high, 22-inch-wide pillar for 35 hours, enduring high winds and cold weather without eating. His tour de force is the illusion of self-levitation, where he rises two feet above the ground. Blaine has been called the next Harry Houdini.

This list is not exhaustive. There are many, many more wizards, some centuries ago, some in recent years, who have been famous and are probably some of the best. Magic continues to attract interest, in good times, in bad times, and has spawned a multi-billion dollar industry of magic tricks, props, tools, books, kits.