and Other Essays On Illusion
Steinmeyer, Jim: Art & Artifice
©1998 Jim Steinmeyer; Hahne
Hardcover, no dj, 192 pages
Comments:
Contents: (Chapters, from book ToC)
7 Chapter l Art and Artifice: Steele Mac Kaye; Maskelyne and Devant: theatrical
wizardry and the limits of theatrical reality
49 Chapter 2. The Moth in the Spotlight: David Devant and the magnificent illusion inspired from a dream; The Mascot Moth
77 Chapter 3. Above and Beneath the Saw: P.T. Selbit, Horace Goldin, and magic’s great success; Sawing a Lady in Halves, as products of their times.
107 Chapter 4. Mr. Morritt’s Donkey - In Theory: Charles Morritt, the Mystery Man, and the problems presented by his incredible creations.
139 Chapter 5. Mr. Morritt’s Donkey - In Practice: Rediscovering Morritt’s Disappearing Donkey, a lost secret in the optics of stage illusion.
| First Edition | Yes |
|---|
| Owner | Bryan-Keith Taylor |
|---|---|
| Location | Magic Library (Home) |
| Index | 5476 |
| Added Date | Oct 05, 2020 14:20:06 |
| Modified Date | Apr 06, 2026 14:24:01 |
| Book Condition | Near Mint |
|---|
Jim Steinmeyer
(b.1958) has been called by The New York Times the "celebrated invisible man—inventor, designer and creative brain behind many of the great stage magicians of the last quarter-century." He's also the inventor of the Nine Card Problem.
Biography
Steinmeyer has worked with most of the leading magician around the world, produced magic for their television specials, and authored many books on illusions and the history of magic. He served as a consultant for notable magicians including Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield and Lance Burton and developed magic for Orson Welles, Harry Blackstone, and The Pendragons.
He was the Magic Designer for Doug Henning on his four television specials, six touring shows and two Broadway shows.
For one of David Copperfield's television specials, Jim proposed the scenario and secret by which the Statue of Liberty "disappeared."
In 1991 he was awarded The Creative Fellowship by The Academy of Magical Arts.
Steinmeyer produced the 1997 four hour A&E Television Special, "The Story of Magic," hosted by Ricky Jay.
Books
Jarrett (1981)
Antonio Diavolo, A Souvenir of his Performance (with John Gaughan) (1986)
Device and Illusion (1991)
Strange Powers and Other Problems for Magicians (1992)
The Magic of Alan Wakeling: The Works of a Master Magician (1993)
Modern Art and Other Mysteries (1995)
Art & Artifice and Other Essays on Illusion (1998)
The Science Behind the Ghost (1999)
The Complete Jarrett (2001)
Discovering Invisibility (2001)
Impuzzibilities (2002)
Hiding the Elephant (2003)
Artificial Conclusions (2003)
The Glorious Deception (2005)
The Conjuring Anthology (2006)
Further Impuzzibilities (2006)
The Secret No One Tells You (2008)
A Tribute to Robert Harbin - Two Lectures (2009)
Technique and Understanding (2009)
Modern Art and Other Mysteries (2009)
The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston vs. Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards (2011)
Subsequent Impuzzibilities (2011)
References
The Linking Ring, Vol. 71, No. 2, February 1991, Memoirs Of A Magician's Ghost, by John Booth, CHAPTER 251 – Jim Steinmeyer: Consultant Extraordinary, page 63
The Linking Ring, Vol. 71, No. 3, March 1991, Memoirs Of A Magician's Ghost, by John Booth, CHAPTER 251 (continued) – Steinmeyer on Creativity, page 67
Jim Steinmeyer: Deviser of Illusions By T. A. Waters, MAGIC Magazine, September 1996
Cover Genii Magazine, Vol. 66, No. 11, November 2003
http://www.jimsteinmeyer.com