History and Illusionists Today
Magicians and conjuring have been performing throughout history though we cannot pinpoint a date as many trickeries and deceptions were never revealed. The first real recorded magic as an entertainment performance is 1751 where Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic under pretense of scientific exhibitions. More modern version of what we would perceive as a magic performance began in 1805. The most well known magician and illusionist in history is Harry Houdini who created the art of escapology as a part of the magic acts we see today.
The popularity of magic shows has fluctuated with fashion throughout the years and most of the 20th century portrayed the art form as more children’s entertainment.
With television the popularity of magic as a universal entertainment form grew late 20th century and many now famous magicians such as David Copperfield, David Blaine and Derren Brown are now known worldwide for their skills in producing magic tricks that seem impossible to the observer. It is with note however that it understood by performers of magic that in using mediums such as television to perform that no camera trickery be involved as this makes it ‘too easy’ and that only traditional methods of magic illusion be employed.
Whichever form of magic you examine in today’s culture, be it witchcraft or magic as illusion, it is clearly gaining in popularity. Magic today is big business in the entertainment world and there is a growing number of pagan and Wicca groups around the UK claiming to use witchcraft to influence their own and others lives. Our wonder and fascination with defying the laws of science as we know them has obviously captured the imagination of the population, perhaps due to the need to believe in a little bit of magic in our everyday lives!