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Hiding the Elephant

How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear

By: Jim Steinmeyer, Teller (Foreword by)

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Paperback | 15 September 2004 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
362 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.32 x 13.97 x 2.54

Paperback

$52.75

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Now in paperback comes Jim Steinmeyer’s astonishing chronicle of half a century of illusionary innovation, backstage chicanery, and keen competition within the world of magicians. Lauded by today’s finest magicians and critics, Hiding the Elephant is a cultural history of the efforts among legendary conjurers to make things materialize, levitate, and disappear. Steinmeyer unveils the secrets and life stories of the fascinating personalities behind optical marvels such as floating ghosts interacting with live actors, disembodied heads, and vanishing ladies. He demystifies Pepper’s Ghost, Harry Kellar’s Levitation of Princess Karnak, Charles Morritt’s Disappearing Donkey, and Houdini’s landmark vanishing of Jennie the elephant in 1918. The dramatic mix of science and history, with revealing diagrams, photographs and magicians' portraits by William Stout, provides a glimpse behind the curtain at the backstage story of magic.

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Arts & Entertainment Dance & Other Performing Arts History Earliest Times to Present Day Modern History from 1700 to 1900 Hobbies, Games & Puzzles Indoor Games General & World History

List of Illustrations	p. vii
Cast of Characters	p. x
Foreword	p. xiv
Introduction	p. xvii
Overture	p. 1
The Ghost	p. 19
A New Type of Magic	p. 45
The Formula for Invisibility	p. 71
The Chief	p. 91
Two Wizards	p. 115
Father and Son	p. 137
Stealing Secrets	p. 159
Special Effects	p. 177
Magic Words	p. 197
Solomon	p. 219
Houdini	p. 239
Jennie	p. 257
Sensations	p. 275
Keeping Secrets	p. 297
Encore	p. 317
Acknowledgments and Notes	p. 333
Index	p. 353
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Hiding the Elephant

How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear

At a Glance

Paperback

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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