Magic Tricks

Essay by volcom3High School, 10th gradeB+, January 2007

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Magic is an art of entertaining an audience by tricking, and performing illusions that amaze them often by giving the impression that something impossible has been achieved. The people who perform these illusions are called magicians, illusionists or prestidigitators.

Early performances of magic start back in ancient Egypt. But the same plans such as the Trojan horse have been used in plays and public performances. Other than these tricks and deceptions of ancient times, the profession of illusionists mostly rose during the 18th century. Much of modern magic owes a lot to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. His specialty was making machines that acted and appeared to be real. But the greatest magician of the 19th century (or possibly of all time,) was Harry Houdini (1874-1926). His real name was Ehrich Weiss and he was the son of a Hungarian rabbi. He was developed and mastered the magic skill of escapology. He was highly skilled in lockpicking and escaping straitjackets, but also made use of the whole range of conjuring techniques, like fake equipment and illusion with individuals in the audience.

Houdini is probably the most famous celebrity of his profession.

There are many catagories of magic tricks that magicians do perform. Because it has been called a magic number, it's been said that there are only 7 categories of magic tricks. These include:

1. Production - the magician produces "something from nothing."

2. Vanish - the reverse of a production.

3. Transformation - transforming or skewing an object.

4. Restoration - restoring something to the state it once was.

5. Teleportation - fast movement from one place to another that can't be seen.

6. Levitation - illusions where the magician magically raises something into the air.

7. Penetration - where one solid object passes through another.

Other magic tricks like card...