hillcountrymagic
$14.50
Condition: Very Good - no DJ
Published in 1897 and widely reissued in 1977, Albert A. Hopkins’ Magic: Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography is an encyclopedic guide that demystifies 19th-century stagecraft, grand illusions, and visual technology. Drawing from Scientific American and La Nature, the book deconstructs famous magic tricks performed by legends like Robert-Houdin and Harry Kellar, exposing the hidden physics, mirror optics, trapdoors, and mechanical rigging behind classic levitations, vanishing acts, and Pepper’s Ghost techniques. Beyond theatrical conjuring, it examines ancient temple mechanics—such as hydraulic altar doors—and delves into historical automata, detailing the mechanical engineering that powered self-operating puppets and chess-playing machines.
As a seminal work bridging stage illusion and early cinema, the text offers a comprehensive look at late Victorian special effects and photographic innovation. Hopkins systematically breaks down theatrical theater engineering—including practical effects for thunder, lightning, and revolving stages—alongside cutting-edge "trick photography," spirit photos, and chronophotography pioneered by Eadweard Muybridge and Étienne-Jules Marey. By framing magic strictly through applied science, optics, and mechanics, this landmark historical reference documents the exact technological evolution that transformed stage illusion into modern cinematic visual effects, making it a vital resource for historians, magicians, and film enthusiasts alike.
