I have been invited as a guest speaker to the local Rotary Club. I could perform the usual show and some walk around magic but I thought a powerpoint presentation on the history of magic with some of the tricks performed as part of the presentation would be more interesting. The presentation would follow the lines of using the old photo from egyptian times of the cups and balls being performed and then performing the modern version of the cups and balls, similarly I have a picture of the linking rings being performed to an Indian royal which I would follow with a linking ring routine. I have a few old pictures from the books I own but am seeking your help in finding a few more. Can anyone suggest where I could find such resources? Who should I contact that may be interested in helping me? Has anyone done such a presentation in the past? Your help is appreciated.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......66&0

Maybe it´s too late to help you. Anyway I´m sending you my suggestions. I am working in this matter years ago, and I have a little show about the Magic History. I combine videos (Magic History TV specials from HBO, etc., maybe you can get this videos in your country), and magic.
Some tricks mentioned in the first book in English language The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginal Scott (1584) you can perform are “My grandmother´s Rosary” (removal of 3 wood beads from a knotted cord, is a very simple trick), “Cut and restored rope”.
The magic funnel trick, mentioned in the book “A candle in the dark” (1656) performed in that time by the magician Hocus Pocus (this is very easy too). You can talk about this magic words.
Houdini, his life and his escapes (using the Kellar tie for example)
Egg Bag trick, performed by Isaac Fawkes (Bartholomew Fair) circa 1720.
In each case I comments about the History and perform the tricks.
The videos can help you : the first magic perfomance we know is in the Westcar Papyrus (about 4000 years ago), now in Berlin Musseum. According the text Dedi decapited a goose, a pelican and a ox, and then he restored. David Copperfield in one of his TV Specials performed something similar, switching the heads of a hen and a duck. You can get this David´s perfomance, explain about Dedi and show the video.
The people love to listen about facts little known in magic, for example The human fountains or water spouters (1645) Floram Marchand and Blaise Manfre, the italian stone swallower Francis Battalia (1641). At present time Steve Star is performing a show with similar effects to the mentioned. The automatas : “The Chess Player” by Von Kempelen, and “Antonio Diavolo” by Robert Houdin. You can get the video of this automatas in a TV Special (HBO) hosted by Ricky Jay
I hope you understandme,English is not my native language.
If you need more information, you can e mail me to nadur@citynet.net.ar
Regards
nadur

Thanks for the information. The presentation is six months away (Nov 2005) so I have plenty of time to prepare. Yes I have most of the videos you mention, good idea! I have plenty on the Robert Houdin era and later but little before that. It is interesting that little is available on the web that I could find so far. I guess exposure wasn't an issue in those days...

William Hogarth (18th c. British painter and engraver) did both a painting (currently at the Cincinnati Art Museum) and an engraving (widely distributed) of Southwark Fair. Amid the tumult of activity is a cups and balls act. Hogarth portrayed several conjurors in other engravings.

Try a Google image search of conjuring in art and you may find pre-19th c. examples. Hogarth is a good start.

I recently (April 1) gave a PowerPoint presentation/magic demo at the Conference on College Teaching and Learning (Jacksonville, FL) entitled Magic in the Science Classroom.

Ed

Before Houdin:
1) Fawkes = egg bag
2) Jacques Noel Talon – Phillipe- (1802- 1878), the first occidental magician that performed the Linking Ring.
3) Some tricks from the italian magician Giuseppe Pinetti (1750-1800) :
* The cut and restored handkerchief
* Removing a man´s shirt while the man´s coat remainded on him (with a confederate)
* Thumb-tie trick (similar Mc King´s routine)

4) The story of Mary Tofts (aprox 1726/1727) the woman had given birth to rabbits and was pregnant whit rabbits, after this feat the magicians begun to produce rabbits.

Ed, could you please tell us about your conference ?
Thanks
Regards
nadur

The International Conference on Science Teaching and Learning is held every spring in Jacksonville, FL and is hosted by local community college and university faculty. The past few meetings have been at the Adams Mark hotel, downtown. I learn a lot from faculty that come in from all over the country so I try to share some of what I am doing as well.

This year's presentation, Magic in the Science Classroom was a 45 minute workshop attended by 28 science faculty. I explained how I use magic in my Anatomy & Physiology course (flash paper for energy storage in carbohydrates, visible sawing for the transverse section, needle through the balloon for the porosity of cell membranes) and also in my Human Sexuality course (they loved the breakaway wand/erectile dysfunction bit).

I demonstrated visible sawing, needle through the balloon, shackle escape, and my vanishing candle effect. I also did a slush powder effect and used my (rather large) lota as a running gag. I couldn't do my flash paper routine (the flash paper was confiscated at the airport--and so was my rubber cement).

Since this was a workshop, I taught the slush powder routine (which I use in class when we discuss the properties of water) and the Siberian Chain Escape (which I use in Anatomy and General Biology when we discuss the "lock and key" model of enzymes and in my Human Sexuality course as a lead in to the discussion of kinky sex).

I may have a chance to present the workshop again when the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS) meets in St. Louis in the spring of 2005.

Ed

I did something similiar with the music for the
girl scouts. It interacted with the thing they
had. So I talked and performed and then I did
a Q & A. I then gave them 3 song cds of 3 of the 5
songs I played as a take home gift and for
inspiration. There was 2 groups and they were
as young as 6 years old to at least 12. So I didn't
speak for no more than 30 mins becuase of attention
span but they did quite well as far as that's
concerned and quite enthused also. Something
I did was use pieces of music that they would
recognize but also relate too. You can do that
with magic to. My dad did some programs like
that. Sometimes writing down a bunch of thoughts
on paper of what would peak people's interest
will help and then use what the average people know
and use it in a historical concept with adding
something very new in it so they will learn also.

Very interesting, both stories!!!