Timeline of magic exposures

Timeline of magic exposures, secrets of how magic effects are performed were exposed to the public, which caused concerns to magicians of the day.

Prior to 1800s and the modern magician

• BC - The Apocrypha, written around the late 2nd century BC, tells the story of how Daniel exposed the priests at the Temple of Baal in Babylon, proving to King Cyrus how they had deceived him with a trick.

• 1584 - Reginald Scot exposed medieval witchcraft and magic in The Discoverie of Witchcraft

• 1780s - Henri Decremps, who became upset with the Italian conjurer Chevalier Pinetti, exposed many of his tricks in La Magie blanche dévoilée (White Magic Unveiled).

• 1785 – The Conjurer Unmasked by Thomas Denton was a translation of Decremps' book in English. Denton wrote in the preface: ". . . We promise for a certainty that it will operate as a spring to the industry of performers in that art by compelling them to some new inventions to deceive and amuse us."

• 1797 - Kosmann, a professor of physics in Germany, also explaining Pinetti’s experiments. Originally in periodical publications, these elucidations were collected, bound together and published in Berlin in the year 1797. The English translation of the title was "Chevalier Pinetti’s Recreations in Physics, or Explanation of His Tricks."

1800s

• 1811 - John Rannie, before the conclusion of his American tour, exposed the tricks in his repertoire, justifying this practice on the grounds that they too could then perform these feats. From his advertisement in Boston, January, 1811: "The audience may make choice of Twelve Deceptions, all of which he will lay open to their satisfaction."

• 1858 - Professor Wiljalba Frikell, advertised in The Times: "Notice - Professor Frikell begs to announce that in consequence of numerous numerous applications to him for lessons in magic, which he regrets he has been unable to accede to, he has the honour to inform his patrons that he will, during the remainder of the series between the second and third parts of each performance, give an explanation of one of his most popular tricks".

• 1865 - Henry Hatton, as P.H.C and P. H. Cannon, contributed "Lessons In Magic" to "Our Young Folks", "Harper's Young People" and "Harper's Round Table". Hatton also exposed a number of Robert Heller's effects in "The Century Magazine", among them Heller's Second Sight code. He also exposed the Sphinx Illusion in Our Young Folks for November, 1866, only a year after its invention. Frederick Powell and A.M. Wilson both got interested in magic from reading Hatton's series of articles on magic in "Our Young Folks".

• 1873 Professor Hoffman begins to supply magic tricks to "Every Boy's Annual" or " Boy's Own Paper ", a popular magazine for boys in London, England. Hoffman claims that he placed them there because magicians were so unprogressive and would not alter their acts. He continues to supply tricks to the magazine until 1877.

• 1876 - Hoffman publishes his serial in book form as Modern Magic. Mr. Maskelyne, when hearing that Prof. Hoffmann was launching Modern Magic on the market stated "Now we must invent new tricks." Hoffman eventually became a Member of the Inner Magic Circle, known as the "Grand Old Man of Magic" and his writings were termed the "Conjuror's Bible". This book was rated one of the "Ten basic books for a working library of conjuring" by H. Adrian Smith.

• 1885 - Charles Bertram during his appearances at the Egyptian Hall for Maskelyne & Cooke advertised that "In addition to the gems of Mr Bertram's marvellous repertoire he will EXPLAIN SOME WONDERFUL TRICKS for the benefit of the boys home for their holidays." Precisely what those tricks were is a mystery that remains unexplained, but mostly like were simple ones.

• 1890 - English popular press (The Coloured Pictorial, The New Penny Magazine, The Royal Magazine, The Windsor, The Metropolitan, The Strand) starting in the 1890 printed magic tricks as publicity items from Houdini, Howard Thurston, T. Nelson Downs, Nate Leipzig, P. T. Selbit, Oswald Williams, Servais Le Roy, Talma, Horace Goldin, Charles Bertram, Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant.

• In Mahatma August 1899, it was reported that Herr Carl Willmann of Hamburg, Germany (1849 - 1934 a well known manufacturer of magical apparatus), editor of the Zaubervelt, "advocates the forming of a society of performers and amateurs to devise means of putting a stop to the abuse of publicly exposing the secrets of tricks, resorted to by some performers to the detriment of the art."

1900 - 1910

• During the 1900s, Clinton Burgess, within his column in Mahatma, roasted the various exposes of the days and carried on a campaign against all forms of magical exposure.

• 1900 - In Mahatma (June 1900), Walter G. Peterkin stated about exposure that "much of the evil is no doubt due to the bad example set by Kellar and the late Alexander Herrmann, both of whom allowed, at times, exposes to figure on their programs. In fact Kellar in late years gives practically an illustrated lecture on palming coins, showing all the moves even to the reverse palm."

• 1902 - Charles Bertram exposed the Diminishing Cards in "Simple Conjuring Tricks for Christmas" in The Daily Mail on 23 December 1902, following the publication of The Modern Conjurer.

• 1902 - The Society of American Magicians, founded on May 10, 1902 was founded on "the elevation of the Art of Magic, the promotion of harmony among magicians, and the opposition of the unnecessary public exposure of magical effects".

• 1903 - The Drawing Room Entertainer (Cecil H. Bullivant) and Magic Made Easy (David Devant) were published by C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd. in London as inexpensive (only one or two shillings a piece) paperback books. These series of books on conjuring as other allied arts were published until 1930 in a standard format of illustrated yellow covers. This series becomes known as the Yellow Perils because they posed a threat of wide public exposure that seemed analogous to the then current (since 1898) catch-phrase "Yellow Peril", for the widely perceived threat to Western civilization of the so-called "Yellow Races" of East Asia.

• 1909. The Royal Magazine ran a series of eight articles by David Devant beginning with the December 1908 issue in which he explained many of his illusions interspersed with anecdotes. These led to him being expelled from the Magic Circle (for the first time).

• 1909 - Order of the Magi, also known as Manchester's Magicians' Society, was organized for "the purpose of binding together in friendly co-operation those interested in the Art of Magic, and to prevent, as far as possible, the abuse of secrets and exposure of methods which are not common to the general public, and in every other way to raise the status of the Magician."

1910s

• 1910 Henry Hatton with Adrian Plate publish "Magicians' Tricks, How They Are Done" which draws the wrath of many colleagues by permitting key sections to be reprinted in "St. Nicholas", a bestselling magazine for boys. The tricks were originally serialized in "Our Young Folks" between March, 1865, and October, 1868 in Boston.. The scandal did not have too much on an effect on Hatton as he was later elected President of the SAM in 1912.

• 1911 - The Philadelphia "North American" newspaper ran a series exposing Thurston's best illusions before he arrived in town. Thurston played to packed houses when he did arrive.

• 1912 The film "Spiritualism Exposed" presented the preparations of a seance, where the mysterious floating hand appears, the manipulating of the bells and tambourines . . . . and as each event happens, for the benefit of the audience, the preparations and method of working these fakes was also provided. The methods for producing the effects of reading sealed letters and of spirit slate writings were are exposed.

• 1912 – The Australian Society of Magicians objects in The Magic Mirror to the traveling magician Wong Tong Sun exposing magic secrets to the public press on the Bullet Catch.

• 1913 - A New York newspaper reveals the secrets of many stage illusions, getting the material from models supplied by Dr. Ellison of the S.A.M.

• July 1913 issue of Popular Mechanics explains the sliding dice box. This magazine would continue to expose magic and be a thorn in the magicians side for over 50 years, even getting some members which help the magazine expelled.

• March 1915 The Crystal Coffin is exposed and explained by Hereward Carrington in the Modern Mechanics.

• October 1915 Sphinx reported by "Society of Twin City Magicians" a successful attempt to stop exposure. "During Fair week, a magician was billed at the Powers Mercantile Co,, Minneapolis. He was to give and expose the following illusions: Cremation, Spider and the Fly, Ashra, Handcuffs, Noah's Ark, etc. He started out bravely, but our prevention committee, S. L. Poziski, got busy with the manager of the above concern, with the result that a clamp was put on the gentleman who was doing things and no intentional exposes were made."

• November, 1915 - Charles Oursler (aka Samri Frikell) authored "Magic Tricks for the Boy Wizard to Perform" in the issue of "The Woman's Home Companion" which exposed five tricks: Bracelet on Cord, dissolving Half Dollar (glass disc fake), Traveling Egg and The Mystic Afghan Bands, and the magic appearance of a streamer of ribbon by which he exposed one of the subtlest productions known to magicians. It was then reported in the Demon's Club Annual for 1915 that Oursler was expelled from the club for exposing.

• 1917 - Dr. Nix attended in person a film of his magic at a theater. As the picture was being shown he 'pattered' to each trick. Afterward it was announced on the screen: 'Dr Nix will now show you how these wonderful things are done.' The programme was repeated and each trick in its turn exposed.

• 1918 - The Pentz's Active League of Magicians, P.A.L.M., is formed by Collins Pentz whose main purpose was to speak against exposure of magic secrets. They only lasted a year.

• 1919 Exposures continue to be reported in many science related magazines include "Electrical Experimenter", "Popular Science Monthly" and "Popular Mechanics".

1920s

• 1920 - Will Hays, the "czar of the motion-picture world", declared that no exposure of methods would be allowed in moving pictures.

• 1920, Clarence T. Hubbard who ran items on tricks in Popular Mechanics, Popular Science Monthly and Boys World, letter to the editor in the August issue of Sphinx is published in which he explains his side of exposing items that "wouldn't hurt the rankest amateur".

• 1921 - Harry Houdini's "open letter to all editors" is printed in the November issue of the MUM which states "Noting the epidemic of exposures in the various scientific and daily papers, might I call your attention to the fact that by so doing you are taking away the bread and butter of honest, hard working, ambitious magicians".

• 1922 - Horace Goldin sues and an eventually wins an injunction to stop the makers of a short film which were exposing the method of his Sawing a woman in half illusion. The SAM also worked hard at stopping this exposure. From the May 1922 MUM Editorial Notes by Houdini "That motion picture theatre managers are willing to co-operate to prevent the exposure of magical secrets is indicated by the replies received from managers of Broadway theatres ... all agreed that the practice of exposure as signalized by the film production of "Sawing a Woman in Two" is unfair and unethical."

• 1922 - Houdini put himself at odds with many members of SAM in October when he published an article in Popular Radio in which he explain some Spiritualist manifestations. To illustrate he exposed magician David P. Abbott's talking teakettle. Abbott and others complained, but Houdini explained away his wrongdoing with letters from the magazine and others. Apparently the exposed parts were supposed to be removed prior to publishing.

• 1922 - Chairman of the new SAM Exposure Committee, Servais Le Roy, recommends the creation of the "Protective Union of Magicians", a body that could oversee the protection of original material.

• 1923 – The Magic Circle Council considered complaints on the growing practice of the exposure of tricks on films, and decided to issue a warning that members of THE CIRCLE guilty of such conduct in future would be expelled from the Society.

• 1923 The SAM Protective Union of Magicians Branch presents its definitions of exposures of magic and recommends steps to be taken to put a stop to such exposures in the Sept/Oct issue of MUM>

• 1923 Dunninger stars supplying material for a monthly page of magic in "Science and Invention". Several months after the long-running series began, the

National Conjurers' Association, the only club of his craft that Dunninger ever joined, expels him for exposing magic secrets.

• 1924 Howard Thurston,, then vice-president of SAM, offered a series of fifty simple tricks to the Philadelphia Ledger Syndicate who in turn published them as Thurston's Lessons in Magic which is distributed throughout the United States and Canada. These fifty tricks were from the line of magic tricks that Thurston had previously distributed in boxes of candy. The magic column in The Billboard charged Thurston with blatant exposure of trade secrets which sentiments were echoed by many magicians. A letter from the SAM condemning Thurston's actions was sent to the great magician. Thurston wrote back that he would resign if the society really believed that teaching small tricks was harmful to magicians. In the February issue of the Sphinx, Thurston defends his position on teaching small tricks to the general public.

• 1925 - A Magic section Sunday supplement ran in the New York World under Houdini's name exposing simple tricks for kids. Known as the "Red Magic" supplements, due to the fact they were printed in red, proved enormously popular with the general public but less magicians. In the Sphinx, even Houdini's old friend Dr. Wilson joined in the chorus condemning his disregard for magic's most basic rule. Houdini ended up explaining away that we was not really involved with the selection of tricks and that the agreement was to have the tricks approved by the SAM expose committee prior to publishing.

• 1926 - In January issue of Popular Science magazine, Houdini revealed some tricks and extolled their value by writing "Simple though they be, they are real professional tricks that I myself use or have used on stage or that have been used by some of the most famous conjurers that the world has ever known." In the following month's Popular Science, Houdini contradicts his previous statement in the following month's issue writing "To expose the tricks of any reputable magician would be contrary to the ethics of my profession".

• 1926 - Upon his death, Houdini's trick column in Popular Science magazine was been taken over by a Mr. Bronaldo Murray.

• 1926 - Dunninger starts his series called Magic for Everybody in Science & Invention magazine.

• 1926 - Len Vintus, editor and publisher of the Linking Ring is taken to task for issuing a booklet of tricks for the general public.

• 1928 The Maskelynes were involved in an exposure controversy with Cyril Shields, who conceived the idea of a series of radio programs in which he would explain simple tricks to children. Shields gave his side of the story in a letter to the Magic Wand of June-September 1928. Shields would later write "Broadcast Conjuring Tricks".

• 1928 - The book "Masked Magical Glossary", by Harry Leat and Wilfrid Johnson of London was published by Leat. This contained a list of about two hundred special words, which it is suggested be used by magicians publishing books to make the meaning of any magical writings obscure to the uninitiated.

• 1928 - Hugh Mackay publishes "A Transmitter for Telepathists" which to eliminate exposure by the casual reader was accompanied with a loose leaflet that was to be destroyed after purchase. The leaflet explains the code or "mask" in which certain words or phrases in the book. Making the book incomprehensible to the casual observer.

• 1928 - In the December Sphinx it is reported that the I. B. M. and the Exposure Committee of the S. A. M. persuaded Howard Thurston to removed four questionable items from his booklet "Fooling the World".

• 1929 - Fred Keating, a member of the SAM Expose Committee, persuades Popular Mechanics editor to allow the SAM to approve future magic tricks before being published.

• 1929 - Mr. Cusick of the Chicago SAM Assembly is praised in the February Sphinx for obtaining the consent of the editor of the Illinois Decatur-Herald to stop the exposure of magic in his paper.

• 1929 - The April Sphinx reports that the "POWERFUL RADIO-KEITH-ORPHEUM CIRCUIT BACKS UP EXPOSE COMMITTEE". As a result of complaints lodged with the Expose Committee of the S. A. M. against a movie comedy "NOISY NEIGHBORS" exposing the Buatier pull and the Protean Cabinet and other magical effects the S. A. M. now has the assurance of the world's largest vaudeville circuit that no similar reels will be knowingly booked.

• 1929 - The Sphinx, May 1929, reports that the publishers of Popular Mechanics and Popular Science Monthly had each broken their promise to not expose. The April Popular Mechanics describes a dozen or more handkerchief tricks under the title of "Easy Handkerchief Tricks," by Sam Brown and "Magic With a Bit of Rope" by Geo. S. Greene heads the article in the Popular Science Monthly.

• 1929 - R. D. Adams in Modern Mechanics" for October exposes some of Houdini's secrets, The Chinese Torture Cell, Milk Can Escape, and handcuff releases. According to the editor's note,Adams built much of Houdini's apparatus and promised more in future issues.