Professor Hoffmann (1839–1919)

This book is a definitive work on the state of the art of magic in 1877. This book is written as a tutorial for people who aspire to become performers and entertainers, not for people who are looking for an exposé of magic tricks and illusions. This brings me to . . .

My Favorite Quote: "There is a vast difference between telling how a trick is done and teaching how to do it."

Professor Hoffmann will have much of importance to say about the inner workings of stage illusions at the end of his show more book just as he will have much to say in the opening pages about the gimmicks, fakes, props, and sleights that make all sorts of magic tricks possible. But merely knowing the secrets behind the effects will not make you a magician. Teaching how to create magic with the tricks and illusions is Professor Hoffmann's special gift to the persevering reader and aspiring magician.

A marvel in itself, Professor Hoffmann's nineteenth century book on Modern Magic is still relevant in the twenty-first century. He writes about card tricks, tricks involving sleight-of-hand, coin tricks, tricks with watches, tricks with rings, tricks with handkerchiefs, tricks with dominoes, tricks with dice, ball tricks, and hat tricks. And that's not even the half of it. Hoffmann also teaches his readers how to do tricks with strings, gloves, eggs, oranges, whistles, bottles, funnels, tumblers, coffee, boxes, lanterns, vases, bullets, birds, cages, flags, and umbrellas. And, of course, Hoffmann does not neglect the most ancient of all tricks, the Cups and Balls, to which he devotes an entire chapter.

Professor Hoffmann teaches stage illusions that are still being performed by magicians today: The Rabbit Trick, The Fairy Star, The Card Bouquet, The Magic Picture Frame, The Magic Portfolio, The Sphinx, The Cabinet of Proteus, The Indian Basket Trick, and The Aerial Suspension. On the face of it, modern illusions may look different from those pictured in Professor Hoffmann's book, but behind the scenes, the same methods are in use today that were used by nineteenth century magicians.

I like the fact that the Professor's emphasis throughout the book is on tricks and illusions from the perspective of performing arts for entertainment. This book is not about sorcery and mystical genius as black arts for duping naïve people. Professor Hoffmann's book is truly Modern Magic.

About Professor Hoffmann

Professor Hoffmann is the pen name of London-born Angelo John Lewis (1839-1919). A barrister by vocation, Professor Hoffmann was by avocation a magician. We are indebted to him for the books he wrote about magic, especially Modern Magic (1876), More Magic (1889), and Later Magic (1903). Professor Hoffmann was the first person to really teach people in English how to perform magic tricks for entertainment. We owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Hoffmann not only for his own writings, but for translating the works of Robert-Houdin, "The Father of Modern Magic," from the original French into English: The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic (1877) and The Secrets of Stage Conjuring (1881). Houdini (1874-1926) described Professor Hoffmann as “the Brightest Star in the Firmament of Magical Literature.” show less

About Professor Hoffmann

Professor Hoffmann is the pen name of London-born Angelo John Lewis (1839-1919). A barrister by vocation, Professor Hoffmann was by avocation a magician. We are indebted to him for the books he wrote about magic, especially Modern Magic (1876), More Magic (1889), and Later Magic (1903). Professor Hoffmann was the first person to really teach people in English how to perform magic tricks for entertainment. We owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Hoffmann not only for show more his own writings, but for translating the works of Robert-Houdin, "The Father of Modern Magic," from the original French into English: The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic (1877) and The Secrets of Stage Conjuring (1881). Houdini (1874-1926) described Professor Hoffmann as “the Brightest Star in the Firmament of Magical Literature.” show less

About Professor Hoffmann

Professor Hoffmann is the pen name of London-born Angelo John Lewis (1839-1919). A barrister by vocation, Professor Hoffmann was by avocation a magician. We are indebted to him for the books he wrote about magic, especially Modern Magic (1876), More Magic(1889), and Later Magic (1903). Professor Hoffmann was the first person to really teach people in English how to perform magic tricks for entertainment. We owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Hoffmann not only for show more his own writings, but for translating the works of Robert-Houdin, "The Father of Modern Magic," from the original French into English: The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic (1877) and The Secrets of Stage Conjuring (1881). Houdini (1874-1926) described Professor Hoffmann as “the Brightest Star in the Firmament of Magical Literature.” show less