Customer Reviews

Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear

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The magic duo Penn and Teller have a trick called "The Honor System." Instead of putting a curtain around the box from which Teller is to escape, they simply invite onlookers to keep their eyes closed, and open them once he is out. Those who take them up on the deal see Teller locked into a secure wooden box, and after a spell of eyes closed, they see him magically, inexplicably free. Those who peek see just how easily the trick is worked. Penn and Teller know that they can give away the secret of this or other tricks and there is still a show. The gadgets used in the illusions aren't the story, the performance is. Jim Steinmeyer knows this, too. He has designed illusions for magicians and Broadway shows, so he knows all the hardware. In his book _Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear_ (Carroll and Graf), he has given away lots of secrets. But he is not the stupid Masked Magician, revealing tricks for notoriety and fortune. What he has given us is an appreciation of magic history and the refinements in fooling people by clever stagecraft, but he has never forgotten to remind us of the dazzle of the performance.

The elephant of the title is one named Jennie, who, at the New York Hippodrome in 1918, vanished from her box on stage, under the direction of none other than Harry Houdini. The hardware he used to make Jenny disappear was surprisingly simple (as are most of the gadgets that make magical effects). It was a product of a boom in the art of conjuring that had started around sixty years before. "It's all done with mirrors" is a dismissive phrase, and yet the history given here of mirror illusions shows that they have been refined in countless ways, from putting ghosts on the stage to producing a talking disembodied head on a table. The ghost craze also manifested in spiritualism, and magicians were keen to cash in on the craze. Among them were the Davenport brothers of Buffalo, who allowed themselves to be bound with ropes inside a cabinet, whereupon in the dark, ghostly hands appeared, instruments were played, and so on. The brothers were tied up before the manifestations, and after, so it seemed as if they could not have been working the tricks. Other magicians could easily see this was a rope escape trick, dressed up in the fancy of the day. But spiritualists only saw the Davenports as demonstrating the truth of communication with the afterlife. The controversy didn't hurt business at all.

The stories of these tricks often involve intense competition between magicians. One who invented a trick was likely to see it performed by someone else shortly thereafter. Oddly, patenting a trick is little help; a patent has to have public details of how the mechanism works, and so if he does go to the trouble of patenting an effect, an inventor describes it in unhelpful ways, thwarting the patent process itself. The theft of secrets kept the illusions lively, as other means were found of doing similar effects and tricks were repackaged. "Sawing through a Woman" was invented by P. T. Selbit in 1921, a reaction to women's liberation and an outgrowth from the Grand Guignol theater. Before long it was "Sawing a Man in Two," "Sawing a Woman in Half," or "Matter through Matter." There were other illusions stretching a woman, or crushing her, and there were furious arguments about giving credit (and fees) to the correct inventors. Steinmeyer's story thus leaps repeatedly from one time to another, and from America to Europe. We in the audience ask how a magician has made an effect, and Steinmeyer has answered this thoroughly for some of the tricks discussed here. But there is a lot more than a "how", but also why, when, and who. On display here are the personalities behind the deceptions, and the evolution of the psychology of stage deception. Steinmeyer has given a great performance; we can know the trick and we are still left in wonder.

In an extremely entertaining and insightful new book, Jim Steinmeyer has
explained the world of the magicians. How they do it, how they entertain
audiences, and how, throughout the years they struggled for their careers,
begged, borrowed or stole people, secrets and ideas.

Imagine a cross between Longitude and Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women and
you'll have a good idea of Hiding the Elephant. It's a fun, lively and
well-written read, a page-turner organized like a mystery to keep pulling
you from story to story. This book is a combination of history, biography
and science, a tribute to the art of magic.

Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the accounts of magicians
like Davenport, Maskelyne or Devent, who changed what magicians did on stage
and the way magicians went about deceiving people. The author's "cast of
characters" have fantastic stories. Robert Houdin was asked to perform magic
for the French government and stop an uprising in Africa. Magicians Devent
and Melies discovered cinema. Houdini became a star by turning to dangerous
escapes. Morrit reinvented the way tricks were accomplished. Jarrett decided
to publish a book of all his secrets, explaining his best tricks for a few
dollars. Some of these stories end in triumph, some in tragedy. Many
magicians found that their careers ended when movies became popular. One
famous magician, at the height of his fame, tragically lost control of hands
and ended his life as an invalid.

The author points out that the greatest magicians were successful because
they were partly artists and partly scientists. Some time in the 1800s, they
discovered a way to make things disappear, or as the author says, "the
formula for invisibility," which led to some truly amazing new illusions.
Ghosts walked on the stage. People appeared in locked cabinets. Harry
Houdini made an elephant vanish on the stage of the Theatre Hippodrome.

Along the way there are a number of secrets explained. The author says that
magicians "guard an empty safe," and that their presentation and artistry
are more important than their actual secrets. As a magician, I was familiar
with most of these secrets, but the author has a friendly, interesting,
step-by-step way of presenting these scientific principles so that you
understand the basic secrets and how they could be used on a stage to fool
an audience. I know that there's currently a lot of controversy about Hiding
the Elephant, as a magic organization is upset about this book and the
author's revelations. They feel that too much has been explained in Hiding
the Elephant. But I actually thought that Steinmeyer handled this all very
carefully. Don't worry. Next time you see a magician, you'll still be
amazed, and you'll have a new appreciation for what he's doing.

Even more important than the secrets, Steinmeyer has explained how audiences
think about magic, why they're interested in it and why they often welcome
being deceived. For example, some of the greatest illusions have been tied
to cultural events, fulfilling the particular fantasies or nightmares of the
audience. Much of this information is based on the author's own experience.
As an amateur magician, I've been a big fan of Steinmeyer's work and his
books, which are usually written for only for magicians. (He was the guy who
had the idea for making the Statue of Liberty disappear.) Hiding the
Elephant is an insider's view of magic, giving you a glimpse behind the
curtain. No matter how you've ever felt about David Copperfield or David
Blaine, you'll end up being a fan of magic by the end of the book,
understanding why magic fascinates us. I hope that audiences will consider
magic as an art and realize that its history has been filled with important
artists.

I recommend the book.

For years we've heard that it's all done with mirrors. Hiding the Elephant
is the story of just how it's done. Why we insist on looking here while
they're doing something else over there.

Starting with Houdini's greatest feat, attempting to make a live elephant
disappear, the author has tracked and explained the discovery of various
optical illusions, like how to become invisible by using mirrors. For
example, a magician in Paris actually made transparent ghosts, who performed
in plays that terrified his audiences. (I was surprised at how clever and
simple this could be done: again, think "mirrors.") Two spiritualist
brothers also produced the illusion of ghosts, although their version was
much less optical and much more psychological. These secrets are often easy
to understand, although I noticed that some secrets are explained in
deliberately sketchy form and remain concealed by the end of this book, like
a discussion of the famous "Sawn in Half" illusion. (Once a magician, always
a magician?) The author concentrates on why various secrets were useful and
how some were stolen or hoarded over the years. (Through some detective
work, he does manage to explain how Houdini did the elephant trick.) This
backstage element of the book might be the most interesting part. For
example, there were magicians who thought that secrets were worthless and
actually told audiences how they did it, because they thought that made
their magic tricks even better!
The book is fast moving and well written, leading us from one mystery to
another and re-introducing characters from the past or hinting about what's
just around the corner. It is illustrated with portraits of the magicians
executed by comic book artist William Stout, and there are photographs of
some of the magicians and their tricks. I actually wish there had been more
photos, as it would have been helpful to see some of these magicians in
action to appreciate their various tricks. I really enjoyed Hiding the
Elephant. The author makes the subject approachable and introduces us to a
number of unknown, interesting characters. Since these guys are masters of
deception, they might not always be trustworthy but they turn out to be
entertaining in their own way. Once we're entertained, it's easy to put one
over on us. That's how they do it!

I am surprised that one Amazon reviewer found the structure of this book to be inscrutable. I thought it was a well-structured book, which began and ended with the story of a disappearing donkey illusion, with the portion in between showing the history and development of the principles of illusion that made it possible. The elephant of the title is, in effect, a bit of illusion itself, since that trick as performed by Houdini turned out not to be very impressive to the audience, but a similar principle was used to greater effect for making a donkey disappear.

The book's focus is on illusions that involve disappearance using optical effects, but it covers far more territory in order to set the stage and context. From "Pepper's Ghost" and the effects of early film (George Melies) to the optical effects of Charles Morritt and John Nevil Maskelyne, with side trips into the spirit cabinet of the Davenport brothers and the escapes of Houdini, the book includes a wealth of history of magic.

Steinmeyer's book examines the nature of magic, and what makes an effective performance. He argues that a common implication of books of magic tricks is incorrect: "that executing and concealing the secret is always the ultimate goal of the exercise" (p. 93). Rather, he argues that "the deception in a magic show is a negative element, a hole in the middle of the performance. The performance is a sort of inadvertent dance around this hole, with the hope that each spectator will be coaxed to slip through it. ... The real art is in the subtle touches of reassurance that surround any deception and disguise it as a positive thing. With a gesture, a suggestion, ... the audience is convinced that they are watching a genuine wonder" (p. 94).

Steinmeyer's book is a genuine wonder, and I highly recommend it along with the works of Ricky Jay.

Jim Steinmeyer's "Hiding the Elephant" is a captivating exploration of the development of illusions from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Steinmeyer jumps from describing one magician to expounding on another in a manner that may be disconcerting at first, but he ties the exploits of these characters together in a manner that turns out to be quite deft. Steinmeyer's discussion of how various illusions were created and performed is interesting, although perhaps somewhat upsetting to some current magicians (most illusions are, as Steinmeyer suggests, based on a few basic precepts). Even more interesting are the characters who created and fought over these illusions, and Steinmeyer describes these conjurers quite nicely.
A magician who created an illusion in the era Steinmeyer describes faced a dilemma - once he presented an illusion, other magicians were likely to discern how the effect was achieved, and copy it. If the effect were patented, the secret of the effect was available to the general public - an even worse situation in the minds of most illusionists. The way in which various magicians handled this dilemma is a major subject of "Hiding the Elephant". Some magicians would team up, some would campaign against each other, but it seems that they were all linked together by their craft. Another point Steinmeyer drives home is the talent involved in creating illusions. The magicians described in "Hiding the Elephant" employed understandings of optics, physics, and psychology to deceive their audiences, usually without any training in these areas. Those magicians who succeeded also understood changing social moods. Sawing a woman in half, for instance, was in part a reaction to the growing suffrage movement, and some feminist leaders of the day were invited to be assistants in the new illusion.
Steinmeyer's treatment of Houdini is especially interesting. Houdini isn't given the attention one would expect from a book covering the era in which he performed, and this alone is noteworthy. The coverage Houdini gets is not what one would expect, either. Steinmeyer points out that Houdini was at best a mediocre illusionist (even the disappearing elephant illusion referred to in the title, when performed by Houdini, received only a lukewarm response). Steinmeyer points out that Houdini could be petty and unfair in his criticism of others, especially in his book discrediting the magician from which he took his name. This isn't to say that Steinmeyer doesn't admire Houdini or respect his talent as a showman or escape artist. It seems that Steinmeyer simply wants to place Houdini "side by side" with the other magicians and escape artists of the era, instead of singling Houdini out for praise as many others do.
Jim Steinmeyer is a talented illusion designer, and his love for the craft shows in his exploration of its history. "Hiding the Elephant" is a worthwhile read, even for those who aren't fans of magic. In fact, it may change the minds of some who feel that way.

Jim Steinmeyer is one of the finest writers in the field of magic and illusion. Here he traces the development of some of the basic principles of stage magic illusions. Many readers will be surprised at how old some of these principles are! The author embarked on a personal quest to recreate a couple of quirky illusions whose secrets were lost to the magical fraternity, and succeeded at both, going so far as to build one of them and present it at a convention of magical historians.

The vivid writing makes the reader feel that he or she has met and conversed with the odd characters that make up the historical cast of the book. Meet Harry Kellar, so determined to discover the secret of a levitation that he rises from his front-row seat during a performance, walks up the steps to the stage past the footlights, and takes a good hard look. Meet Houdini, whose worldwide fame as an escape artist never fulfilled his need to be thought of as a great magician. Meet Maskelyne, the last of an old school, and his sometimes partner Devant Devant, one of the first of a new school.

But most of all, discover one of the most startling secrets of magic, as expressed so perfectly by a master of illusion: "magicians guard an empty vault."

You'll have to read the book to understand that statement. It will be time well spent.

If you're looking for a book to teach you magic tricks, this is not the book for you. Granted, it describes how some grand illusions work (mostly those that aren't in use any longer), but the book is more about the history of magic. But don't let that turn you off. It's not the dry, boring history you'd find in a textbook. There are anecdotes, personal recollections, and much more. It's a very easy read, and it's absolutely fascinating.

This is a fascinating history of the "golden age of magic" from about the last third of the 19th Century to about the first third of the 20th Century. If you're a professional magician or serious hobbyist you simply must read this book. If you're not a magician but enjoy well-written popular history you'll like it as well.

Although the book does reveal some of the workings of some older illusions, there are no "Masked Magician" or William Poundstone style exposures for exposure's sake here. None of the revelations are gratuitous; they're necessary to appreciate the story.

Steinmeyer is not only a master illusion designer and builder but a true scholar of his art and a very good writer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I bet you will too.

When the Jim Steinmeyer (the inventor genius behind the scenes of today's great magic acts) of 75 years ago, Guy Jarrett, wrote a book on magic he advertised it as 'Terse, pithy, no prolixity, no pictures of magi and bla bla / Read my book and cease being just a "drug store magician" with an apologetic delivery "doing at tricks" and get sense into your head ...' By contrast, Steinmeyer is sober, calm, methodical - but just as good an example of how refreshing it can be to read an author without literary ambition. Everything in Hiding the Elephant is as meticulously thought-out as any of his stage effects. The subject matter is fascinating, and Steinmeyer truly makes it read like a lost world. Of course it is not an instruction manual, but contrary to what others have let on Steinmeyer does explain the tricks. For all these reasons, what we have is a real page-turner, ladies and gen-tle-men!

Jim Steinmeyer loves magic. Better yet, he knows more about the history of magic than just about anybody. Best of all, Steinmeyer is a superb writer, telling these great stories with a delightful, self-effacing wit. It pretends to be about magic, but it's really a fascinating rogue's gallery of flim-flam artists, geniuses, charlatans and showmen -- the great (and, in the case of Houdini, not-so-great) magical artistes of the19th and 20th centuries. Reading this book is pure pleasure. Good job.