Caveney Mike, Steinmeyer, James H., Magic: 1400s-1950s / essays and captions by Mike Caveney and Jim Steinmeyer ; edited by Noel Daniel; introduction by Ricky Jay; [German translation: Holger Wölfle ; French translation: Philippe Safavi], Taschen, Köln cop. 2016, pp. 535, [9]: ill. color, dimensions 26 x 38.5 cm. Hardcover with original wrapper. Cracking of the cover along the spine. Minor rubbing of the wrapper. Book in original case. Text in English.
Magic has enchanted mankind for millennia, causing horror, laughter, shock and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe with unlimited possibilities - whether summoning spirits, reading minds or reversing the laws of nature with tricks. Long before science fiction, virtual reality, video games and the Internet, magic craft was the most powerful fantasy world ever known to man. As pioneers of special effects in history, magicians have never ceased to amaze us by making the impossible possible. This book presents more than 500 years of stunning visual culture from the world's greatest magicians. It includes more than 850 rare old posters, photographs, flyers and engravings, as well as paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Caravaggio, among others. Combining sensational images with incisive text, the book explores the evolution of the magicians' craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to movie special effects; from the 19th-century Golden Age of Magic to groundbreaking daredevils such as Houdini and the vaudevillians of the early 20th century.
