Magic, Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography

About this book

This volume is a comprehensive reference on the mechanics of magic, stage illusion and the scientific curiosities that surrounded them at the turn of the century. Compiled and edited by Albert A. Hopkins, a contributor to the Scientific American and its supplements, the work opens with a detailed preface that positions the book as a bridge between traditional “natural magic” and the more technically sophisticated spectacles of the fin‑de‑siècle. It promises extensive coverage of the great illusionists of the era, Robert‑Houdin, Herrmann, Kellar and others, alongside chapters on ancient temple tricks, theatrical engineering, automata, and a whole section devoted to photographic deceptions. The table of contents reveals a systematic layout, moving from conjuring tricks through ventriloquism, shadowgraphy, and mental magic to elaborate stage effects and the emerging art of motion photography.

Written in the ornate, scholarly prose of late‑Victorian reference works, the text combines meticulous description with occasional anecdotal flourish, especially in the introductory essay by Henry Ridgely Evans. Its exhaustive bibliography and abundant illustrations will appeal to historians of performance, collectors of vintage magic literature, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of illusion and early scientific technology. Those who enjoy detailed, source‑rich treatises rather than narrative storytelling will find this 1897 compendium both informative and evocative of a bygone era of theatrical wonder.