David Berglas et al. over there

Similar to the same novel having different titles in the USA and GB, it seems we sometimes have different magicians, some of whose influence does not cross the Atlantic.

I was interested in magic since about age 8 (circa 1968) but I never heard of David Berglas until my fifties. Such fantastic effects he reportedly presented: making a piano vanish at a crowded social event, and the big one for less posh magicians: asking someone to think of a card from a standard deck of playing cards, to pick a number between 1 and 52, and then to count down to that number from a deck not in his hands, whereat they would find the card they had named.

I'm sure that for the British magic-loving public there might be other Berglas moments that stick in the memory, and I'd love to hear them.

Over here (for the general public) we had Mark Wilson, The Amazing Kreskin, Doug Henning, Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, and Criss Angel.

Of course we have heard of Derren Brown and Dynamo over here (oh yeah, and Ollie Mealing!), but that might be more among the magicians and magic hobbyists.

I guess I have been wandering toward a question: on the British side, who else do you think have been the most prominent in recent times on your side of the Atlantic?

@kevin-eleven said
Similar to the same novel having different titles in the USA and GB, it seems we sometimes have different magicians, some of whose influence does not cross the Atlantic.

I was interested in magic since about age 8 (circa 1968) but I never heard of David Berglas until my fifties. Such fantastic effects he reportedly presented: making a piano vanish at a crowded social ...[text shortened]... de, who else do you think have been the most prominent in recent times on your side of the Atlantic?

Not an answer to your question but, I loved watching Mark Wilson's TV show when I was very young (I'm probably less than a year older than you)
I used to frequent the magic shops in town. I just never was very good at basic slight of hand, but good props along with some acting made good tricks.
I got into magik some years later.

@gambrel said
Not an answer to your question but, I loved watching Mark Wilson's TV show when I was very young (I'm probably less than a year older than you)
I used to frequent the magic shops in town. I just never was very good at basic slight of hand, but good props along with some acting made good tricks.
I got into magik some years later.

On one of our vacation trips to Florida in the early 70s, we visited Paul Diamond's magic shop (in Pompano Beach?). Bought me some color-changing silks.

I feel lucky that later, when I was 14 (1974) and we lived in St. Pete (Florida, not Russia), I could visit the Martin Elz magic shop downtown -- exactly how one might imagine a magic shop, with larger props on shelves behind the counter and smaller props in wood-framed vitrines.

I'm also more of a props and mechanical/self-working guy myself (Professor Hoffmann, Ottokar Fischer, Dunninger's Encyclopedia).

Sure, there are some categories of tricks that can only be done by sleight of hand -- and I admire that (e.g., René Lavand's "I can't do it any slower" ) -- but there's backstage and stage front. 😉

By which of course I mean that if the spectators/audience don't know how it's done, but it's easy to do, that frees up one's attention for a proper presentation and delivery.

Next on PHILOSOPHIES OF MAGIC: Dynamo makes a great shark appear inside David Berglas' Steinberg Grand.

Some web magicians I have enjoyed in recent years (performance only, because I'm a fan more than a practitioner):

Patrick Kun
Ollie Mealing
Cyril

I'd be happy to learn of others. 🙂

I don't know if you've seen these guys. They crack me up showing how tricks are done.
YouTube

@gambrel said
I don't know if you've seen these guys. They crack me up showing how tricks are done.
[youtube]t5s7RAJ7v-4[/youtube]

I'm not a fan of exposure.

My challenge to them would be:

OK, show us a few things that cannot be explained.

(Some South Koreans seem to be very competitive -- they might very well do that. 😉 )

@Kevin-Eleven
I enjoyed Val Valentino as The Masked Magician showing how tricks are done. He ended up in court, another professional sued him as he showed how an illusion that was being sold to other pros was done.
When I was young I'd ask my grandpa how a trick on TV was done. Grandpa almost always could figure it out
Kreskin did a trick, he predicted which team would win a tug o war. I looked at Grandpa, Grandpa reminded me how slippery our floor was after he used silicone spray to waterproof camp gear.
Gramps was a bright man.
Valentino hoped his reveals would inspire others to the trade.
To me knowing how most tricks are done didn't ruin the fun. It only highlighted the theatrics.
Since then my granddaughter asks me, how did he do it. Now I'm the all knowing Grandpa.

@gambrel said
@Kevin-Eleven
I enjoyed Val Valentino as The Masked Magician showing how tricks are done. He ended up in court, another professional sued him as he showed how an illusion that was being sold to other pros was done.
When I was young I'd ask my grandpa how a trick on TV was done. Grandpa almost always could figure it out
Kreskin did a trick, he predicted which team would wi ...[text shortened]... theatrics.
Since then my granddaughter asks me, how did he do it. Now I'm the all knowing Grandpa.

Hmm. Yeah, on the other side of this I can see how exposure might set the stage for those few effects that cannot be explained.

If I were a practitioner, I'd aim more for "Wow! That was awesome! Thank you!" versus "Get away from us, you freak! You had better shut that magic down or don't show your face in this town again, because we know what you look like and where you live."

Either of which I suppose is better than, "Yeah, saw that on YouTube the other day."

Magic does not seem to be very prominent at the moment, but thank goodness it has gone through some cultural evolution -- e.g., most guys with any sense are not pretending to saw women in half or put blades through them.

@kevin-eleven said
Hmm. Yeah, on the other side of this I can see how exposure might set the stage for those few effects that cannot be explained.

If I were a practitioner, I'd aim more for "Wow! That was awesome! Thank you!" versus "Get away from us, you freak! You had better shut that magic down or don't show your face in this town again, because we know what you look like and where y ...[text shortened]... - e.g., most guys with any sense are not pretending to saw women in half or put blades through them.

Magic had a revival of sorts with Angel, Henning and Copperfield, then it faded. There are so many talented magicians with great tricks and illusions I don't know why it isn't more popular. Maybe a new charismatic magician will take center stage.
The heyday of magic was Thurston, Kellar, Houdin, Houdini, long before our time.