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Stock magic poster from Mike Caveney's Egyptian Hall Collection. (Patrice Roe / Los Angeles Times) |
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Roxy, who has a collection of 4000 books on magic, came from Italy to speak on the history of "Lightning Calculators." These are the performers who calculate mathematical problems at a "lightning" rate. Roxy discovered that a majority of those with this mathematical ability tended to be like Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man."
An exception is Arthur Benjamin, professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Benjamin has performed as a "mathemagician" since his teens. He had us staring in amazed amusement as he rattled off the square root of some exceptionally huge number, his answer confirmed by those given electronic calculators for verification.
Jules Fisher, multi-Tony award winning Lighting Designer, gave the talk, "Light in Magic." Fisher's company produced the iconic World Trade Center "Tribute in Light" memorial in New York City.
"I was seduced first by magic and then by light," Fisher said.
He noted how light affects the eye and "how the eye works, affects magic." Fisher used pieces of cloth, all black but made from different materials, to illustrate how subtle lighting effects must be.
Frankie Glass used cloth, too, but as part of her duties as another in the quartet of conference organizers. Glass, producer of TV shows such as the History Channel's series "History vs. Hollywood," has created the costumes for the last few conferences.
"I'm not a professional costume designer. I just use the techniques my granny taught me," Glass said.
Along with the centerpiece of Gaughan's rising cards, conference-goers saw other performances using restored magical apparatus. Caveney performed "The Million Dollar Mystery," built originally in the 1930s for the San Francisco magician Charles Carter. Baskets of balls, buckets of water and a woman are all produced from a box about 18-inches square.
Jim Steinmeyer, award-winning illusion designer and another of the conference organizers, presented "Finding the Lady." This effect is an oversized version of the street con, the Three Card Monte. Instead of trying to find the Queen of Hearts from three overturned cards on a piece of cardboard set up on a street corner, you try to find a woman from behind giant-sized cards set up on stage.
A real treat was Steinmeyer's second presentation of the illusion showing how it works. It was fascinating. Don't ask how he did it -- everyone there was sworn to secrecy.
Those attending the conference can be as interesting as the presentations. Teller of Penn & Teller could be seen conversing with other magic buffs.
Bill Self, a producer on the 1960s series "Lost in Space" and "Land of the Giants," has attended most of the conferences. He was also one of the stars of the 1951 sci-fi classic film "The Thing From Another World."
Neil Patrick Harris, star of TV's "How I Met Your Mother" and before that "Doogie Howser, MD," also attended this year's event. Harris performed at the 2005 conference in a grisly illusion in which he appeared to dissect an audience member.
Another conference attendee was John McLaughlin, former acting director of the CIA. When asked if he had attended many of the conferences, he responded simply, "You have to be invited."
McLaughlin, who presented "Magic and Intelligence, Kindred Arts" at the 2005 conference, says he has been interested in magic since he was a boy and sees a parallel between it and intelligence work. McLaughlin, now a college professor, says he uses magic to show his students how easy it is to be fooled.
Not officially part of the conference but offered to registrants was the opportunity to take a tour of "Extraordinary Exhibitions: Broadsides From the Collections of Ricky Jay" at the Hammer Museum in Westwood.
Jay, who was instrumental in the conference's origins in 1989, was present Friday morning to offer an insider's glimpse into his collection of broadsheets dating as far back as the 1618 promotion of "The Learned Horse." (Jay is known for his stage performances as well as parts in the films "Boogie Nights" and "The Prestige" and the TV shows "The Unit," "Kidnapped" and "Deadwood.")
Jay's exhibition at the Hammer runs through Nov. 25. There you can find broadsheets promoting learned cats, singing mice and industrious fleas. If you prefer human performers, see the sheets on the Surprising Stone Eater (1788), Miss Silvia the Ceiling Walker (1891) or Wm. Powers in "Feats of Activity" (1789).
For those hoping for an invitation to the 2009 Conference on Magic History, the waiting list is long. Indeed, generally someone needs to die before there is an opening. If you don't want to rely on chance, the Jay exhibit will give you a small taste of what these conferences are about.
patrice.roe@latimes.com
An exception is Arthur Benjamin, professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Benjamin has performed as a "mathemagician" since his teens. He had us staring in amazed amusement as he rattled off the square root of some exceptionally huge number, his answer confirmed by those given electronic calculators for verification.
Jules Fisher, multi-Tony award winning Lighting Designer, gave the talk, "Light in Magic." Fisher's company produced the iconic World Trade Center "Tribute in Light" memorial in New York City.
"I was seduced first by magic and then by light," Fisher said.
He noted how light affects the eye and "how the eye works, affects magic." Fisher used pieces of cloth, all black but made from different materials, to illustrate how subtle lighting effects must be.
Frankie Glass used cloth, too, but as part of her duties as another in the quartet of conference organizers. Glass, producer of TV shows such as the History Channel's series "History vs. Hollywood," has created the costumes for the last few conferences.
"I'm not a professional costume designer. I just use the techniques my granny taught me," Glass said.
Along with the centerpiece of Gaughan's rising cards, conference-goers saw other performances using restored magical apparatus. Caveney performed "The Million Dollar Mystery," built originally in the 1930s for the San Francisco magician Charles Carter. Baskets of balls, buckets of water and a woman are all produced from a box about 18-inches square.
Jim Steinmeyer, award-winning illusion designer and another of the conference organizers, presented "Finding the Lady." This effect is an oversized version of the street con, the Three Card Monte. Instead of trying to find the Queen of Hearts from three overturned cards on a piece of cardboard set up on a street corner, you try to find a woman from behind giant-sized cards set up on stage.
A real treat was Steinmeyer's second presentation of the illusion showing how it works. It was fascinating. Don't ask how he did it -- everyone there was sworn to secrecy.
Those attending the conference can be as interesting as the presentations. Teller of Penn & Teller could be seen conversing with other magic buffs.
Bill Self, a producer on the 1960s series "Lost in Space" and "Land of the Giants," has attended most of the conferences. He was also one of the stars of the 1951 sci-fi classic film "The Thing From Another World."
Neil Patrick Harris, star of TV's "How I Met Your Mother" and before that "Doogie Howser, MD," also attended this year's event. Harris performed at the 2005 conference in a grisly illusion in which he appeared to dissect an audience member.
Another conference attendee was John McLaughlin, former acting director of the CIA. When asked if he had attended many of the conferences, he responded simply, "You have to be invited."
McLaughlin, who presented "Magic and Intelligence, Kindred Arts" at the 2005 conference, says he has been interested in magic since he was a boy and sees a parallel between it and intelligence work. McLaughlin, now a college professor, says he uses magic to show his students how easy it is to be fooled.
Not officially part of the conference but offered to registrants was the opportunity to take a tour of "Extraordinary Exhibitions: Broadsides From the Collections of Ricky Jay" at the Hammer Museum in Westwood.
Jay, who was instrumental in the conference's origins in 1989, was present Friday morning to offer an insider's glimpse into his collection of broadsheets dating as far back as the 1618 promotion of "The Learned Horse." (Jay is known for his stage performances as well as parts in the films "Boogie Nights" and "The Prestige" and the TV shows "The Unit," "Kidnapped" and "Deadwood.")
Jay's exhibition at the Hammer runs through Nov. 25. There you can find broadsheets promoting learned cats, singing mice and industrious fleas. If you prefer human performers, see the sheets on the Surprising Stone Eater (1788), Miss Silvia the Ceiling Walker (1891) or Wm. Powers in "Feats of Activity" (1789).
For those hoping for an invitation to the 2009 Conference on Magic History, the waiting list is long. Indeed, generally someone needs to die before there is an opening. If you don't want to rely on chance, the Jay exhibit will give you a small taste of what these conferences are about.
patrice.roe@latimes.com
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