Overview

Special effects: A visual history of magic, from the Middle Ages to modernity Magic has captivated humankind for millennia. Whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature, the magician's hand has evoked terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games and the Internet, magic was the ultimate world of fantasy and possibility. This book celebrates more than 500 years of the visual culture of magic. Through vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings as well as paintings by the likes of Hieronymus Bosch and Caravaggio among others, it traces the history and representation of magic as a performing art from medieval street performers to masters of twentieth century vaudeville. About the series: Bibliotheca Universalis-- Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, the name TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together nearly 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia. Bookworm's delight -- never bore, always excite! Text in English, French, and German

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9783836556675

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Mike Caveney is a writer, collector, professional magician, and the publisher of over 50 books on the theory, practice, and history of magic. His biographical works include Kellar's Wonders (2003) with Bill Miesel, and Carter the Great (1995). An avid collector and performer for over four decades, he has appeared onstage or on TV in more than 20 countries. Jim Steinmeyer is the author of many books on magic history and practice, including Los Angeles Times bestseller Hiding the Elephant (2004) and The Glorious Deception (2006). He has created deceptions featured by magicians such as Doug Henning, David Copperfield, and Siegfried and Roy, and critically acclaimed illusions for Broadway hits Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, and Into the Woods. Ricky Jay, who has contributed the introduction to this book, is one of the world's great sleight of hand artists, and a distinguished actor, historian, and best-selling author. His Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women and Jay's Journal of Anomalies were both New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and he defined the terms of his art for The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre and Encyclopedia Britannica. TASCHEN editor Noel Daniel graduated from Princeton University and studied in Berlin on a Fulbright Scholarship. She earned a master's degree in London and served as director of a photography art gallery before becoming a book editor. Her TASCHEN books to date include A Treasury of Wintertime Tales (2014), The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (2013), The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (2011), Magic 1400s-1950s (2009), and The Circus 1870s-1950s (2008).

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