Modern Magic by Professor Hoffmann

In the mid-19th Century, Angelo Lewis, a British lawyer and writer with a passion for sleight of hand, wrote a series of articles on conjuring for several boys’ magazines. In 1876, using the pseudonym “Professor Hoffmann”, Lewis expanded these articles into a book entitled Modern Magic, the first in a series of books penned by Lewis. Modern Magic revolutionized the study and craft of magic, inspiring and teaching generations of magicians.

In writing Modern Magic, Lewis violated the then-existing code among magicians that secrets were not to be revealed — even for educational purposes. Indeed, Lewis’ books exposed so many secrets that one performer wrote “Hoffmann deserves to be hanged.” But Modern Magic is about more than historical interest — in its 562 pages and 318 beautiful engravings, the book features effects using coins, cards, handkerchiefs, watches, hats, dice and dominos, among other items, and offers advice and ideas about stage illusions, patter, presentation and the use of the magic wand.

The hundreds of effects carefully described in this volume, as well as countless insights into performing, constitute a gold mine for the modern magician. With good reason, this book has stood the test of time.

Copyright 1998-2001 Gary R. Brown