Between the Most famous magicians and illusionists Of history we have in mind the classic Houdini, Copperfield or Fu-Manchú, but there are many more, thanks to their tricks and their innovation in this art, have managed to keep alive a cultural sector that was born thousands of years ago.
Illusionists, or magicians, are engaged in entertaining the public, whether in a theater, on the street, on television or at a private party, with their tricks and unlikely actions that seem to break, sometimes, all the laws of the Physics, logic and common sense.
There are several types of wizards: Cardomagons (those who use cards for their tricks), numismagos (use coins), escapists (magicians specializing in escaping from traps, boxes, cages, straitjackets, release from wives or chains, etc.), mentalists (Diviners of the thought of the spectators through questions or missions that charge the public), etc.
These artists of deception, specialists in the illusion, aces of the trick, have always attracted the attention of the human being. As soon as there is a magician in a room or a group of friends, others will leave everything they are doing to give immediate attention. It seems that the human being loves in a special way that they deceive him whenever he never discovers the trick, that the secret of the magician remains in the air.
Illusionism was known in history as white magic (to distinguish it from satanic black magic), simulated magic, or retreat.
Top 22 most famous magicians
1- The Great Houdini
Famous Hungarian escapist, emigrated to the United States, where he joined a circus to show his surprising and impossible escapades. Houdini was able to escape from chains, handcuffs, straitjackets, closed boxes with bars, cages, etc.
His most famous trick was"metamorphosis." It was that they put Houdini in a sack and then in a box, all tied with padlocks and chains. Then a girl or an assistant would climb onto the box and put a curtain on them for a few seconds. Then Houdini would be released, out of the sack, and the girl or the helper tucked into the sack and into the box.
Undoubtedly, he is the number 1 magician par excellence. About him books have been written, films have been made and much ink circulated discussing his impossible feats.
2- Fu-Manchú
He is remembered for his famous"Chinese shadows", figures he made with his hands and they seemed to be scenes from a film, made with great skill and speed in front of the public.
He mastered many classic magic tricks. He knew many languages and was a great communicator of masses. He worked with many assistants and humor was always present in his shows.
3- Richiardi Jr.
Peruvian magician. He always began his performances with the trick of the cups of rice, which he invented at 4 years. He turned water cups into cups of rice. He thought starting with this trick would give him luck for the rest of the show.
Besides magician and illusionist, he was singer, dancer and actor. Their shows were very complete and the staging almost unsurpassed due to this great versatility.
4- Jasper Maskelyne
He was known as"the wizard of war"because he participated in World War II. This British illusionist was the inventor of a trick that would not be for the classic audience sitting in their seats, but for the Nazis.
He prepared a great deception in El Alamein, creating the illusion of a false army using cardboard tanks, false train tracks, barracks, water tanks... All false! A Fake , As the Anglo-Saxons would say. The ploy worked and the Nazis moved to avoid the attack of these"great troops"and won that important battle.
Dai Vernon
Better known as"the teacher"for the rest of the world's magicians. This Canadian illusionist became famous for being the only one who managed to deceive the Great Houdini. He challenged the wizards around the world to ensure that he was able to discover any trick, from any wizard, as long as they allowed him to see him three times in a row.
Dai Vernon used, to deceive the Great Houdini, the trick of the letter, called"the ambitious letter." It was a simple trick where a card was inserted through the center of the deck and then that letter was the one that was right above it, to which it turned around.
Well, Houdini could not figure out the trick when he saw it three times. Confident of his skill, Dai allowed him to see the trick five more times, making a total of eight. Houdini found himself defeated. Dai Vernon had defeated him. He was also a specialist in improving tricks of other magicians.
6- David Blaine
In the late 90's of the twentieth century appeared this spectacular magician who, among other tricks, was burned alive or put into a block of ice for 63 hours. These and other physical prowess of style are the hallmark of this illusionist.
7- Siegfried Fischbacher
This German magician used white Siberian tigers (the largest and strongest) and lions to practice their magic. Unfortunately, in one spectacle, one of the tigers bit him in the neck when he put his head in his mouth and ripped most of his skull, and inflicted severe wounds that made him lose a lot of blood. They managed to save his life, but obviously the show disappeared.
8- David Copperfield
He may be the most famous modern magician. He acted alone and some of his tricks were: to make the Statue of Liberty disappear, to cross the Great Wall of China or to float over the Grand Canyon of Colorado.
9- Criss Angel
A young magician is able to walk between two buildings in front of a crowd, walk on the water or cut himself in two. He is also expert in levitation tricks.
10- Penn and Teller
Penn Jillete and Raymond Teller are a duo who triumphed in the late 1980s. They were witty magicians and sometimes showed the public how they had done the trick, explaining it, like their famous"Balls and Cups"trick. Teller never spoke during performances.
11- Dynamo
For many fans, he is the best magician today. Like Criss Angel, she walks on water, through windows or reads the public mind.
12- Herbert Becker
Famous magician who created several television programs. In the 70s he was named best wizard of the United States.
13- Uri Geller
Known throughout the world during the 1970s and 1980s, also in Spain, he rose to fame by doubling spoons with his mind in front of the television camera, giving indications so that the spectators could do it at home as he .
In Spain participated for the first time in the program"Directísimo"of José María Íñigo. The next day, there was no mention of anything else in the whole country.
14- Nicolae Filipp Ladru
The scientific magician. In fact, he was a well-known physicist who used illusionism to show the effects of light, sound, electricity, or magnetism. His tricks were very popular in France and other European countries. In Paris a special room was built for him, so that he could safely carry out all his tricks-experiments.
15- Kio
Emil Teodórovich Girshfeld Renard, actor of the first miniatures theater, circus artist after and finally illusionist. This Russian made unique numbers with aquariums, turned women into lions or made flying grand pianos.
16- Tamariz
Juan Tamariz specialized in cartomagia, numismagia and magic up close. This Madrilenian has acted in rooms of all the world, obtaining always the recognition of the public. He is a very important magician and very well valued internationally.
He is considered a great theoretician of magic, having created great number of magic passes and routines used by many modern magicians. He created the method"the false tracks", by which it is necessary to get the viewer to abandon the desire to want to discover the secret of the magic trick and to focus only on enjoying and living it. He has published numerous magic books translated into several languages.
17- Jorge Blass
Actor and magician, this Spanish illusionist sold one of his tricks to the famous David Copperfield.
18- Inés"La Maga"
There are not too many women in this world, but here we have one. Practice close-up magic with cards, coins, rings, and other small objects that sit very close to the viewer.
19- The pop magician
Young Spanish magician, is having a great success with his teletransportation show.
20- Paulino Gil
This veteran of Zamora continues to dazzle the public of all ages with his dubious and quick tricks and his connection with the public.
A few years ago he received an important international award in recognition of his long artistic work. His show is titled"Chequín", is the story of a traveler arriving at a hotel. From there, magic is the protagonist.
21- Yunke
Very popular Spanish magician today, which surprises everyone with a way of understanding magic totally different from conventional. He creates magical spaces that will surprise and agitate the viewer.
22- Héctor Mancha
Very interesting Spanish magician, canary, who is known for a great trick where he makes appear and disappear notes. He was World Champion of Magic in 2015. He confesses to like the"pickpocket", tricks consisting of taking objects from the spectators without them realizing it.
References
- The Top Tens (Ten Magicians of the 20 Th Century).
- THE COUNTRY, Guide to Leisure. The Spanish magicians that you should know.