The Astonify Show is Moving Full Steam Ahead!

Here is another update on my new show called ASTONIFY. Today, the rack cards arrived. These are the first pieces of printed marketing to help promote the show. I was very happy with the way these turned out.

If you go over to the website Astonify.com, you'll notice a number of changes. I have resisted adding more pages to the site, but I do have a menu that takes you to the various sections on the first page. There is no video, yet. But keep watching.

Astonify Progressing Nicely

The new show, Astonify, is really moving ahead well. I have been testing out various routines on test audiences and have been thrilled with the responses. This is a very different sort of thing for me. I have created 'themed' programs in the past, but for this show I really delved much deeper into the process. The results are astonishing, or should I say astonifying.

The show is made up of three parts, but right now, the only part you see in the promotions is the ghostly part. The first routine that opens the Spirit portion of the show is my take on a Woody Aragon routine. I don't want to say any more than that, except, I believe my version is the best rendition of his fabulous effect. The Spirit portion is supposed to close with the Cabinet of Spirits, which is what we are calling the Spirit Cabinet. Our version has similarities to past routines, but we think the things we've added to our version will make it stand out greatly.

Right now, I think I'm most excited about the Conjuring portion of the show. This is the longest part of the show and opens with an interactive routine and then an audience volunteer sequence. It isn't until the third effect in the show that a prop is even seen. Speaking of props, I expect there to be a lot of props in this show. It is afterall, a Victorian based show, and the magic from that time period was very prop heavy. A routine I really would like to include in the show is the Kellar Coffee Trick. I've loved this since the first time I read about it many years ago. Now, I own the props for the Coffee Trick....well actually I own most. I still have one piece yet to track down, or build. But I would like to include it in the show because it's another way to involve the audience. And here is a treat, below is a video of the Coffee Trick. This is NOT Victorianized, however. It's just me having some fun on National Coffee Day. The show routine will be slightly different, but you get the general idea.

The one portion of the show I'm not discussing is the Clairvoyant section. OK, I will discuss it a little. With the popularity of Mentalism at an all time high right now, I wanted a way to present the material in a manner that no one was currently using. Now, I say no one, but there may be someone out there following this same path. If so, I have not heard. Our take is not completely original. I read about it years ago and the performers who used this unique approach, lived years before the book was written. So to today's audiences will it look brand new. It is a perfect fit for Astonify, and I'm anxious to get it rolling.

For my friends who are wondering the status of The Steampunk Illusionist show, well that program is also moving along nicely. In a way, Astonify is the precursor to Steampunk Illusionist. Both are Victorian programs. And some of the Astonify material has been in, and will continue to be in, the Steampunk Illusionist. Both shows are presented as if it was still the 19th Century, but there are occasional references to modern times as well.  I've got new material going into The Steampunk Illusionist this year, including something I'm calling The Re-animator. Keep watching for more news and updates. Oh, and if you want to get on the list for Astonify tickets, click the link and sign up!

Exploring More Victorian Magic

I'm currently attempting to recreate a routine that was made famous by a number of Victorian Era magicians. The routine has been known by many different names, but the most common was The Flags of All Nations. Interestingly, the routine had as many variations as it had names.

First created by the Viennese magician Johann Hofzinser, he called his creation The Patriot. The basic effect is that a number of small flags transform into larger flags and eventually into one or more fans of flags and then a giant flag and flagpole appear.

This was one of the hottest effects of it's time having been performed by all the top pros of the late 1880s and early 20th Century. So popular was this trick that it appeared on many stock magic posters. A stock poster was one that had the image of a magician but no name on it. A magician then could add his name to the poster and have his own advertising piece without going through the hassle and expense of the bigger named performers who had to have their posters custom made.

My version of The Flags of All Nations is still in development, but above you can see two handkerchief fans. In real life they are multicolored scarves, not flags. But they'll do just fine fitting into the overall routine. I located a number of miniature flags of various nations and also some flags that are almost the size of my silk fans. I only need a few more pieces and I think I'll have all the items I need to recreate this mystery from the past.

If you're wondering why this was such a popular routine well there are multiple reasons. People were flocking to the United States in droves during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. They came here to become Americans, but had their roots in other lands. So when a magician produced a flag from the country of their origin it was exciting for them to see. And then when it concluded with the Stars and Stripes, well who would not be proud of that? The wonderful thing about the routine was it was easily adapted to whatever country you were in. For example, if you were in England, the final flag would not be the US Flag but the Union Jack. All the other components of the routine could remain the same but the final flag production would change to the country you were in. 

Some performers had to learn the hard way about this. One magician was performing in Canada and finished with the US Flag. It actually got boos from the audience because at the time Canada and the US were involved in a trade dispute. So this magician changed the final flag to that of the Canadian National Flag and had much better results.

Below is an image of a magician who included among his routines the Flag trick.

Victorian Era Magicians: Harry Kellar

Heinrich Keller was born in Erie Pennsylvania on July 11, 1849. He would go on to become the most
beloved magician of his time. But in the 19th Century, how did one become a magician? Were there books on magic? Was there a course one could take? The most common approach in the 19th Century was to apprentice with a more seasoned professional. Heinrich, who went by Harry, answered an ad in the newspaper looking for a magician's apprentice. When he arrived at the home of the Fakir of Ava, he was met by a dog. The dog licked the boys hand and the gracious magician, whose real name was Isaiah Harris Hughes, invited the boy in. Almost immediately young Harry was told the job was his. When Harry asked why the magician had chosen him, Hughes told the boy that it was actually the dog who had selected Harry. All the previous young men who applied for the job caused his dog to bark and growl. But when Harry arrived, the dog greeted him like a long lost friend.

So began Harry's journey into the world of magic. He learned all he could from the Fakir of Ava and eventually attempted to go out on his own. He struggled. Show business was much harder than it looked, especially in the 1800s. Vaudeville had not yet begun. There was no TV, no internet, no radio, no true form of mass communication other than newspapers. And just to give you an idea of how long ago it was, the newspapers did not yet have the ability to print photos in their columns, only line drawings.

But Harry forged ahead, eventually teaming up with the world famous Davenport Brothers. These were two brothers who were taking the world by storm with their Spirit Cabinet effect. The Spirit Cabinet and the spiritual phenomenon that was produced altered the world of magic in many ways. Magicians recognized that the feats by so-called spirit mediums were fake, soon began to feature acts in which they exposed these feats. It was like an early public service that magicians provided to keep people from being swindled. However, not everyone chose the exposure route, some featured the Spirit Cabinet and related phenomenon and even expounded upon it.

Harry, while working as assistant to the Davenports discovered their secret. At some point Harry had gotten into an argument with one of the brothers and left their employment. But he did not go alone. William Fay left as well and in the Spring of 1873, Fay and Kellar teamed up and began to tour with a show. They struggled initially with their act, but their luck turned when they went to Cuba and then onto Mexico and South America. Fay and Kellar were a big hit suddenly and were ready to take their new found success to Europe. They booked passage on the Royal Steamship Boyne and headed to Portugal. But their luck was about to run out. The ship struck ground off the coast of France and sunk.

Aboard the ship was all the money, gold, and jewels they had accumulated during their tour, along with all of their props and costumes. All was lost. And that was also the end of the partnership between Kellar and William Fay.

But that was not the end for Harry Kellar. While in Europe Harry Kellar purchased a prop called A Vanishing Birdcage. This was the invention of French Magician Buatier DeKolta and the prop was sold to Kellar by a cousin of DeKolta's without DeKolta's permission or knowledge. Harry took the cage back to America and sold it to a magic dealer in exchange for having his entire show rebuilt. Within a few months, The Elusive Cage or Vanishing Cage as it was known, was all the rage with almost every magician in the U.S., including Harry Kellar.

In 1878, one of Kellar's main competitors died suddenly in Philadelphia, Robert Heller. In fact, it was because of Heller that Harry Kellar changed the spelling of his name from Keller to Kellar. But now that Robert Heller was gone, Harry was ready to take full advantage of the situation. He changed his promotion by using the following poem:

"For many a day,

We have heard people say

That a wondrous magician was Heller;

Change the H into K

And the E into A

And you have his superior in Kellar!"

Now Harry only had one main competitor and they would fight for the title of best magician in America for many years. Clearly, Harry was the best American born magician, but he had stiff competition with Alexander Herrmann, who actually was born in France. Herrmann the Great as he was known was a charming performer and had a very mephistopholean appearance. In fact, he has actually gone on to become the iconic image of a magician. When people draw a magician with a top hat and a mustache, they are actually drawing the image of Herrmann, whether they realize it or not.

The two rival magicians had something in common, at some point in time they both hired William Ellsworth Robinson to work behind the scenes in their shows. It was said that Robinson was the most knowledgable man in magic and both Kellar and Herrmann would take full advantage of that. Robinson would eventually go off on his own and have tremendous success in England with a very different sort of magic act.

In 1896, while on tour in the U.S. Alexander Herrmann died on board a train. The nation mourned his passing. This also meant that Kellar no longer had any serious competition for the #1 spot in the U.S. and he quickly rose to gain that title. Kellar became beloved by the American public. It is said that Harry Kellar was the inspiration for the character of the wizard in the L. Frank Baum story, The Wizard of Oz. 

As beloved as he was in America, there were a few people who felt the opposite, the Maskelyne family who were running Egyptian Hall in England. During the summer months, Kellar's show would close in America. This was due to the theatres not having air conditioning. So Kellar would go to England to try and find new material for the coming season. The greatest source of new material was at Egyptian Hall run by John Nevil Maskelyne. Kellar could work out no deal with the Maskelynes, so instead he would either find someone in England willing to recreate their illusions or he would figure it out himself and have it build in America. 

Probably the greatest item Kellar stole from Maskelyne was their levitation. John Nevil Maskelyne refused to sell the rights to the illusion so Harry did something very clever. He hired one of the acts that had worked with the Maskelyne show to come to America and work with him. Together they built a new version of the Maskelyne levitation, but they vastly improved it over what had been made before. Today it's known as the Kellar Levitation rather than the Maskelyne Levitation.

J.N. Maskeylene also created a number of automatons. The most famous of which was called Psycho. The original Psycho sat on a table with a clear tube underneath that showed their was no one concealed beneath the table nor was there anything connected to the automaton. Then the little figure would play a card game called Whist. Psycho was a remarkable figure and audiences loved it.

Kellar was able to find someone to build this automaton for him and he returned to America with his own version of Psycho. The Kellar version differed only in the facial features of the figure and the costuming. Otherwise Kellar's Psycho performed just as well. After Kellar retired, he gave Psycho to his close friend Harry Houdini. Today, the Kellar Pyscho Automaton survives in the historical collection of John Gaughan.

In May of 1908 on the stage of Ford's Theatre in Baltimore Md., Harry Kellar passed his Mantle of Magic onto his successor Howard Thurston. Kellar moved to California where he enjoyed retirement by fishing. He always kept one foot in the magic world and at one point was coaxed out of retirement by his friend Houdini for one performance in NYC.

Harry Kellar passed away in March 10, 1922. If you'd like to read more about Kellar, I've written a number of articles about him on my magic history blog at http://www.themagicdetective.com/search/label/Harry%20Kellar  Kellar was a unique person in the history of show business. Also, if you'd like to find a book on Kellar there is one available through Amazon called The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician.

Victorian Magic Show from 1903

The Illusionists 1903 is the third troupe of magicians from the show The Illusionists. This troupe is made up of Victorian Era Acts or acts that 'could have' been from that time I should say. We auditioned for the show but were not selected. Perhaps as the show progresses and they need a replacement, maybe we can once again try out as this show is made for us.

I'm not 100% on this but it appears the acts consist of Mark and Jinger Kalin, Rick Thomas (sporting a mustache), Armando Lucero, Jonathan Goodwin (the only none magic act), Charlie Frye and then two performers that I don't instantly recognize (though I think I might know who they are but I don't wish to miscall them).  That certainly makes up an interesting troupe and one very different from the other two shows.

The moment they get a Facebook Page or website for the show, I will post it here as I wish to do all I can to support their efforts. Victorian Magic is my middle name, well actually it's Alan, but you know what I mean. The show opens in January at the Queensland Performing Arts Center in Australia. Below is the first commercial video for the show.

Happy Easter! And a Little History On Magic Rabbits and Eggs

First, HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Second, I'm not sure what Rabbits and Eggs have to do with Easter? But, I do know what the connection is to magic.

Of course, the Rabbit has become an iconic image often associated with the magician. This dates back to the 1800s. The first magician to 'pull a rabbit from a hat' was possibly a man named Louis Apollinaire Christian Emmanuel Comte, known as 'The Kings Conjurer'. Born June 22, 1788 in Geneva Switzerland, Comte became a popular Parisian performer. One of his more famous effects was borrowing a hat and producing various objects from it.

John Henry Anderson

However, The Great Wizard of the North, John Henry Anderson, is credited with popularizing the effect of a rabbit from top hat. If his advertising is any indication, Anderson not only pulled a single rabbit from a top hat but actually several! How or why this imagery of a rabbit and top hat become so associated with magicians, I'm not quite sure. Afterall, there are countless other wonderful effects that magicians have done but the rabbit/hat has stuck in the minds of audiences as meaning MAGIC.

Interestingly, even in the 21st Century, the image of top hat and rabbit is associate with magicians, even though hardly any magicians wear top hats (except for us Steampunk types, and some kid-show magicians) and very few even use rabbits. In fact the United States Govt has made it very difficult for magicians to use rabbits which is a story for another time.

Fawkes

NOW let's look at the EGG. When you see an egg you don't think of magic or magician, but magicians have been using them for hundreds of years. In the 1700s a magician named Isaac Fawkes was a popular 'Slight of Hand-Man'. He performed at Fairs and Festivals in Europe and was known to conjure with eggs. He might have been the creator of the early Egg Bag, which can be seen in the image to the left. The Egg Bag was a cloth bag that could be turned inside and out and yet produce egg after egg after egg and eventually a live chicken.

A little more than 100 years later, the Egg Bag remained in the repetoire of magicians though it had gone through some changes. Max Malini introduced a bag which was much smaller and used only a single egg. The productions and vanishes of the egg became even more mysterious and impossible in his hands.

An interesting combination of the top hat and eggs occurred in a trick called 'Boy, Girl and Eggs'. It began with the magician getting two volunteers onstage, a boy and girl. An empty top hat was displayed and the magician would reach inside and produce an egg. This egg would be handed to the girl who was instructed to give it to the boy to hold. Then another egg was produced and the same procedure followed. After 5 or 6 eggs the boy found it rather difficult to hold onto the eggs and the comedic moment kicked in. The magician and girl acted oblivious to the boys dilema while the audience forgot about the incredible countless production of eggs from an empty hat and instead focused on the boy struggling to hold onto the eggs. Needless to say he would eventually drop one here and there. Both David Devant and Howard Thurston made this routine popular in their respective shows.

Today, egg tricks can still be found in the world of magic. One of my personal favorites was demonstrating the true strength of an egg by wrapping it in a cloth and having a spectator try and crush it with the grip of their hand. If done correctly, the egg will not break! But in my routine, it never failed that the spectator would break the egg and ruin my cloth handkerchief. So I would snap my fingers and remove the egg, completely restored and intact! Then I would break it into a glass to prove it was real! Most of these tricks have their origins in the Victorian Era but good magic still captivates even today!

Incredible Busts of Victorian Era Magicians

In the 21st Century it is rare to see a 'bust' made of someone. I think this artform began to fade when photography was invented. In the Victorian Era, busts and statues were often scene in well to do homes. Many of the greatest magicians of all time came out of this period in time. Well, a company called Spectral Motion, owned and operated by Mike and Mary Elizalde have created a series of bronze busts of 6 of magic's most famous entertainers. All of these individuals were born in the 19th Century. Please enjoy these wonderful works of art.

Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin (b.Dec 7,1805 d. June 13, 1871) Known to all of us as the Father of Modern Magic. He was the great French Conjurer who we still revere today. Inventor of many incredible automaton like Antonio Diavolo and the Fantastic Blooming Orange Bush.  Also, creator of incredible magic like the Ethereal Suspension, which in updated forms is still presented today. 

Another of his iconic creations was the Light & Heavy Chest, which was used not only to amaze and impress but also to stop a tribal uprising in French Algeria.  

A full size statue of Robert Houdin resides in front of the Maison de la Magie in Blois France.


Alexander Herrmann (b. Feb 10,1844 d. Dec 17, 1896)
The GREAT Herrmann is considered by many to be the first in the line of the famed Mantle of Magic. He was also a Frenchman, like Houdin, but made his fame here in America. Originally, he worked with his brother Compars, until he went out on his own. Compars Herrmann was equally as famous in Europe as his younger brother was in America. The Herrmann's had a Mephistopholean appearance that added to their mystery and intrigue.

Though he had a very mysterious appearance, his magic and performance was filled with comedy. He was also known to do magic off-stage in public places. Perhaps we should credit Alexander Herrmann with being the creator of 'Street Magic'!

Herrmann died suddenly on a train in 1896. His wife Adelaide took over the show and was joined by her nephew Leon, who also bore a striking resemblance to Alexander.

Harry Kellar (b. July 11, 1849 d. March 10,1922) Here we have the Dean of Magicians. So called, because he was the first 'Dean' of the Society of American Magicians. Harry Kellar was the first nationally famous American born magician. The second in line for the Mantle of Magic, though technically, it really started with him, though some do put Herrmann first.

Kellar began his career as an apprentice to the Fakir of Ava. He went out on his own for a short time and eventually went to work for the Davenport Brothers. When he had a falling out with one of the brothers, he left them and took another employee, William Fay, with him. They toured North and South America and were heading to Europe when a ship wreck ended their tour.

Kellar found his way back to the U.S. and rebuilt his show and went on to  have a flourishing career. He and Herrmann, though not friends, shared a secret that I will reveal a bit later in this article.



HOUDINI (b March 24,1874 d. Oct 31, 1926) The most famous magician in the world, who wanted to be known as an 'escape artist' for much of his life, and then as an actor, producer and later as an author and scientific investigator. Eventually, he would return to magic in a grand way with his Three In One Show of Magic, Escapes and Spiritualist Exposures. Houdini is likely responsible for inspiring more people into magic than anyone alive. I know my own push into magic came from discovering Houdini. 

The creation of the Magic Detective Blog, really has a lot to do with Houdini. There are 172 articles on the blog that are either about or that refer to Harry. The next closest is Harry Kellar with 32. He is an icon, a legend and the bust of Houdini created by Spectral Motion captures Houdini in all his splendor. He looks confident, proud and defiant. It's a fantastic image of the Master Mystifier.

Howard Thurston (b. July 20, 1869 d. April 13, 1936) 
If we talk of the Mantle of Magic, Howard received the Mantle of Magic from Harry Kellar in a ceremony at Ford's Theatre in Baltimore on May 16th, 1908. In all truth, it had more to do with Kellar selling his show to Thurston, but it sure made a great publicity campaign and a tradition that has continued up until present time.

I always thought Thurston was a great performer. But I never quite knew the whole story until Jim Steinmeyer published an incredible biography on Thurston called, The Last Greatest Magician In The World. It is a must read for anyone interested in magic or magic history.

Thurston had been making plans to pass the Mantle of Magic onto one of his associates, Harry Jansen, known professionally as Dante. There was never an official ceremony however because Thurston died suddenly.


Chung Ling Soo (b. April 2, 1861 d. March 23, 1918) 
I must admit when I first looked over the list
of people who were selected for bronzes, the one odd one was Chung Ling Soo, at least to me. He was born William Ellsworth Robinson and in all truth, his inclusion in this list is well deserved. Robinson worked for Alexander Herrmann. Later, he worked for Harry Kellar. Robinson was the 'secret' that I referred to earlier. He worked for the rival magicians before his own rise to fame. He was known as the most knowledgeable man in magic during his time. He played an important part in the success of both. 

Robinson also has a connection to Thurston. He allowed Thurston to show Leon Herrmann his version of the Rising Cards, and when it amazed Herrmann, Thurston publicized himself as 'The Man Who Fooled Herrmann'. The meeting would never have happened without Robinson however.

When Robinson went out on his own, he failed miserably. It wasn't until he came up with the idea of doing an Chinese after seeing Ching Ling Foo, that things really took off for him. So convincing was he in his performance that the public was unaware that Soo was really an American. They truly bought into the idea that he was Chinese. He even used an interpreter when he gave interviews. He is the only real life magician who gets a spot in the movie 'The Prestige'. He also had one of the most tragic deaths in the history of magic having been killed while performing the dangerous Bullet Catching Feat.

All of these busts are a little over 12 inches tall. They are made of bronze and are available for purchase. They were produced in limited quantities of 40, so there isn't a huge supply, but there are some that remain. They are all on display at the Magic Castle if you are interested in seeing them in person. If you want to purchase one of these wonderful works of art, realize you are not buying a mass produced bust from Target or Walmart. These are museum quality and exceptional pieces. If you are interested in purchasing one, and I really encourage you to consider this investment because once they are gone, they will be gone for good. Below is the flyer which has all the information for purchasing. You can reach them at (818)956-6080 or by email at orders@spectralmotion.com

Special thanks for Mike and Mary Elizalde for providing all the wonderful photographs and for your great contribution to magic. 

*This article also appears on my MagicDetective Blog.

Steampunk Illusionist Dot Com Is LIVE

After months of design work and integrating a special system into the site, it's finally completed. Though, is anything ever truly done? I know the header is going to be replaced in a few days once I get the new header design back from the graphics firm. And there are some cosmetic changes I'll be making to the body of the site here and there. So, I suppose it's never done, but at least it's up and has officially replaced the old site which was more of a place holder than anything.

We have been scheduling shows for the Steampunk Illusionist for a while. From the start the shows were going to be a three part project. Step 1 was to design a simple show I could take out on my own. Step 2 was to design a two person show complete with at least one big illusion. Step 3 is a much grander project, which is a show which is part play, part magic show. Step 3 has not been accomplished as of yet, we are still writing that show. But the Steampunk Illusionist will still be out there doing shows, making appearances and traveling back and forth in time (part of the show concept).

The site is www.SteampunkIllusionist.com

Victorian Magic - Book

I recently stumbled upon a book on eBay called 'Victorian Magic'. It's a hardbound book by Geoffrey Lamb published in 1976. I was unfamiliar with the book and many of the auctions for the book had it listed at $40 and above. Fortunately for me I was able to find it for a little more reasonable price.

I must say, it's a really enjoyable history on Victorian Magic. There are a number of things in here that I was not familiar with. The book opens with a chapter on The Great Wizard of the North, John Henry Anderson. The chapter also discusses a lesser known competitor and some of the battles they had together.

Another chapter that I really enjoyed was on Pepper's Ghost and Pepper's Metampsychosis illusions. Fascinating chapter on optical principles once used in the theatre. It was doubly interesting because I was reading it on Christmas Eve just after having watched Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol' on TV. One of the things that is mentioned in the chapter is how the Pepper Optical Principles were used to create the illusion of real ghosts in plays of the Christmas Carol back in the 1800s! The author also gives a fairly good explanation of the Blue Room, probably the most thorough I've ever read (not counting Jim Steinmeyer's book on this exact topic)

The chapter on Robert Houdin was good. It's from a slightly different perspective. It's written from the eyes and of the Londoners who witnessed Houdin's performances in England. Apparently, when Robert-Houdin first began to perform in London he spoke no English. The crowds were not happy with this and according to the book, his solution was to inquire to the audience as to the english name of each item he presented. It became more interactive and the audiences warmed up to him.

The chapter on the Davenport Brothers was also interesting. The brothers were extremely popular in America, but in England they often met with resistance and even hostility. I must add that at this moment the Spirit Cabinet holds an extra amount of interest to me because of the recent presentation by Mike Caveney of Charles Carter's Spirit Cabinet at the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. I was unfamiliar with the routine he presented and it sure opens my eyes to new ideas for this ancient but still wonderful effect. In addition, the Davenport Brothers leads into J.N. Maskelyne, who I always assumed was already famous at this point in time, but that was not the case. His confrontation with the Davenports actually helped to make a name for himself.

And for the first time that I can recall reading in print, is an explanation on how the famous Egyptian Hall began. Fascinating stuff to say the least.

From a Steampunk point of view it's interesting to see the types of entertainment that Victorian audiences appreciated. From a magic point of view it gives a performer many ideas on material and routine ideas. All in all it's a fine book. I have only seen them for sale on eBay, so best of luck finding a copy!