Are there other names for the technique? How can I learn more about the history of it and how it was used years ago ?

Hopefully this was the best place to post about it.
Thank you in advance!

Check out Ralph Adams. Some of the ways he used black art was fantastic. I have a book and video he put out years ago that shared a lot of his methods.
Bob.

It probably goes back thousands of years.
It was discovered by The first man to notice that if you sat by a bright fire at night, you cant see anything behind it.

In his "Glorious Deception", Steinmeyer gives a short history of Black Art and its originator Max Auzinger who performed under the name of Ben Ali Bey.

Thanks everyone

Don Drake is a master:
http://www.blackartsecrets.com/

Go to you tube and search Ger Copper Black Art... shows you what a modern, hip guy can do.

There was a debate many years ago regarding the invention of Black Art that was ignited and/or fueled by John Nevil Maskelyne. Max Auzinger in 1885 claimed to have originated the principle while he was working in a theatre. Not politically correct now but he claimed that on the darkened stage at one point, in front of a black portion of the scenery, he could only see the teeth of a black man working in the performance. I believe the performance was a play.

He began developing the principle and debuted it at the Passage Panoptikan where Charles Arbre was the manager. Mr. Auzinger subsequently changed his name to Ben-Ali Bey. The program did not meet with much success but he continued to develop it.

Bautier De Kolta claimed invention in 1886 and JN Maskelyne believed that Bautier De Kolta invented it and wrote a letter which was published in one of the periodicals backing Bautier De Kolta and calling out Max Auzinger. Max had documentation regarding his work and/or performances in 1885 and said that De Kolta had purchased the act at Oskar Lischke's magic shop in Hamburg in 1886. Auzinger stated that Charles Arbre had sold or provided the act for sale to Lischke who then sold it to Bautier De Kolta. It is my understanding that it is generally conceded that it was Auzinger who was responsible for the invention of Black Art as an act.

I know that there was a Peter Warlock article in the Jan 1976 Linking Ring that you can refer to. Craig atlantismagic.com

Ninjas mate, all from the ninjas.

I can't say much about the history except to say that I use a black art table with a well and it is extremely helpful. Almost a must because I am always finding things to "ditch" in it. Only problem I have is that it the sack is not long enough to hold but one or two items.

Check out "Conjurer's Optical Secrets" by S.H. Sharpe if you can find a copy. Early Black Art is covered in Section Two.

Well, it may not be "Politically Correct", but if that's how it really was discovered does the story need to be changed? I mean, it sounds like it COULD have happened to me, politically correct or not. Of course, the man would have had to have been naked or dressed entirely in black for that to have happened, so maybe it is just a story after all. You would think that the director would have noticed it himself and changed it, unless that's what he WANTED to be seen! So I would actually think that it is NOT true! But if it is, the story should stand unchanged. We'll never really know, will we?