121-549: Pepper's ghost is an illusion technique, used in the theatre , cinema , amusement parks , museums , television , and concerts , in which an image of an object off-stage is projected so that it appears to be in front of the audience. The technique is named after the English scientist John Henry Pepper (1821–1900), who popularised the effect with a theatre demonstration in 1862. This launched an international vogue for ghost-themed plays which used this novel stage effect during
242-529: A telegram to be sent between Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington and Andrew Johnson , President of the United States who was in Washington at the time. The message took just under 10 minutes to arrive in the United States with a reply coming in after around 20 minutes. This transmission was hailed as a significant achievement for science. With wife Mary Ann (born circa 1831), Pepper had
363-626: A 90-foot (27 m)-long scene features multiple Pepper's ghost effects, brought together in one scene. Guests travel along an elevated mezzanine , looking through a 30-foot (9.1 m)-tall pane of glass into an empty ballroom . Animatronic ghosts move in hidden black rooms beneath and above the mezzanine. A more advanced variation of the Pepper's Ghost effect is also used at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror . The walk-through attraction Turbidite Manor in Nashville, Tennessee, employs variations of
484-450: A box with a small sheet of glass, placed at an angle of forty-five degrees, and it reflected a concealed table, with plastic figures, the spectre of which appeared behind the glass, and which young people who possessed the toy invited their companions to take out of the box, when it melted away, as it were, in their hands and disappeared." In 1863, Henri Robin maintained that Séguin's polyoscope had been inspired by his own original version of
605-453: A certain degree of sleight of hand and carefully functioning mechanisms and devices to be performed convincingly. This form of magic was popular around the turn of the 19th century—today, many of the original mechanisms used for this magic have become antique collector's pieces and may require significant and careful restoration to function. Magicians describe the type of tricks they perform in various ways. Opinions vary as to how to categorize
726-422: A computer screen. The computer screen affords ways to incorporate magic from the magician's wand to the computer mouse. The use of computing technologies in performance can be traced back to a 1984 presentation by David Copperfield , who used a Commodore 64 to create a "magic show" for his audience. More recently, virtual performers have been experimenting with captivating digital animations and illusions that blur
847-533: A conventional magic show. Bizarre magic often uses horror, supernatural, and science fiction imagery in addition to the standard commercial magic approaches of comedy and wonder. Shock magic is a genre of magic that shocks the audience. Sometimes referred to as "geek magic", it takes its roots from circus sideshows , in which 'freakish' performances were shown to audiences. Common shock magic or geek magic effects include eating razor blades, needle-through-arm , string through neck and pen-through-tongue. Comedy magic
968-436: A description of an illusion, titled "How we may see in a Chamber things that are not" that is the first known description of the Pepper's ghost effect. Porta's description, from the 1658 English language translation (page 370), is as follows. Let there be a chamber wherein no other light comes, unless by the door or window where the spectator looks in. Let the whole window or part of it be of glass, as we used to do to keep out
1089-492: A design for theatres which required costly, impractical rebuilding of an auditorium to host the illusion. The theatres, which he approached, were not interested. In another bid to attract interest, he advertised his models for sale and in late 1862 the models' manufacturer invited John Henry Pepper to view one. John Henry Pepper was a scientific all-rounder who was both an effective public educator in science and an astute, publicity-conscious, commercial showman. In 1854, he became
1210-555: A doll's house in the attraction's queue, similar to the preshow in the current iteration of the attraction. Museums increasingly use Pepper's ghost exhibits to create attractions that appeal to visitors. In the mid-1970s James Gardener designed the Changing Office installation in the London Science Museum , consisting of a 1970s-style office that transforms into an 1870s-style office as the audience watches. It
1331-469: A feat of magic supposed to have been able to be performed by the ancient magoi. The performance of tricks of illusion, or magical illusion, and the apparent workings and effects of such acts have often been referred to as "magic" and particularly as magic tricks. One of the earliest known books to explain magic secrets, The Discoverie of Witchcraft , was published in 1584. It was created by Reginald Scot to stop people from being killed for witchcraft. During
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#17327767224411452-490: A figure flying around a theatre backcloth painted as the sky. The hidden actor, lying under bright lights on a rotating, matte black table, wore a costume with metallic spangles to maximise reflection on the hidden glass screen. This foreshadows some 20th century cinema special effects. Giambattista della Porta was a 16th-century Neapolitan scientist and scholar who is credited with a number of scientific innovations. His 1589 work Magia Naturalis ( Natural Magic ) includes
1573-416: A given effect, and disagreement as to what categories actually exist. For instance, some magicians consider "penetrations" a separate category, while others consider penetrations a form of restoration or teleportation. Some magicians today, such as Guy Hollingworth and Tom Stone have begun to challenge the notion that all magic effects fit into a limited number of categories. Among magicians who believe in
1694-402: A glass screen could produce convincing illusions. He also outlined a series of plays featuring ghost effects, which his apparatus could enable, and worked out how complex illusions, like image transformations, could be achieved through the technique. But in terms of applying the effect in theatres, Dircks seemed unable to think beyond remodelling theatres to resemble his peepshow model. He produced
1815-405: A head off, and then "restore" it, make something appear to move from one place to another, or they may escape from a restraining device. Other illusions include making something appear to defy gravity, making a solid object appear to pass through another object, or appearing to predict the choice of a spectator. Many magic routines use combinations of effects. Among the earliest books on the subject
1936-692: A high level of world renown. He opened a second theatre in Glasgow in 1845. Towards the end of the century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre venues became the norm. The British performer J N Maskelyne and his partner Cooke were established at the Egyptian Hall in London 's Piccadilly in 1873 by their manager William Morton , and continued there for 31 years. The show incorporated stage illusions and reinvented traditional tricks with exotic (often Oriental ) imagery. The potential of
2057-563: A legend that is still recounted today. Pepper incorporated the ghost into his shows, amazing his audiences for a while but, once again, the public desire for his shows tailed off after a month. For a time he tried his hand as playwright, producer, and actor, putting on a romantic drama called Hermes and the Alchymist . The show was poorly received and lasted only a few weeks. Over the next two years he took his show around Australia, visiting New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. After
2178-559: A life-size Charles III and Governor-General of the island appear on stage talking about climate change . German company Musion installed a holostage in the German Football Museum in Dortmund in 2016. The 1940 film Beyond Tomorrow uses the technique to show the three ghosts in the second half of the film. Teleprompters are a modern implementation of Pepper's ghost used by the television industry. They reflect
2299-854: A life-sized Pepper's ghost of Shane Warne was opened at the National Sports Museum in Melbourne, Australia. The effect was also used at the Dickens World attraction at Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom. Both the York Dungeon and the Edinburgh Dungeon use the effect in the context of their "Ghosts" shows. Another example can be found at Our Planet Centre in Castries, St Lucia , which opened in May 2011, where
2420-442: A limited number of categories (such as Dariel Fitzkee , Harlan Tarbell , S.H. Sharpe), there has been disagreement as to how many different types of effects there are. Some of these are listed below. Many magic routines use combinations of effects. For example, in " cups and balls " a magician may use vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportation and transformations as part of the one presentation. The methodology behind magic
2541-407: A live audience, who provide the remote viewer with a reassurance that the illusions are not obtained with post-production visual effects . Many of the principles of stage magic are old. There is an expression, "it's all done with smoke and mirrors", used to explain something baffling, but effects seldom use mirrors today, due to the amount of installation work and transport difficulties. For example,
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#17327767224412662-468: A mirror—appear to morph into another (or vice versa). This is the principle behind the Girl-to-Gorilla trick found in old carnival sideshows . Another variation: the hidden room may itself be painted black, with only light-coloured objects in it. In this case, when light is cast on the room, only the light objects strongly reflect that light, and therefore appear as ghostly, translucent images on
2783-501: A modern technical and historical authority on Pepper's Ghost, has expressed doubts as to the reliability of Robin's claims for his 1847 performances. Whatever Robin did in 1847, by his own account it produced nothing like the stage effect whereby Pepper, and later Robin himself, astonished and thrilled audiences during 1863. In October 1852 Pierre Séguin, an artist, patented in France a portable peepshow-like toy for children, which he named
2904-522: A patent was registered for the United States. In Britain, theatre productions using Pepper's Ghost toured far outside major cities. The performers travelled with their own glass screens and became known as "spectral opera companies". Around a dozen such specialist theatre companies existed in Britain. A typical performance would comprise a substantial play where apparitions were central to the plot, like an adaption of Dickens' A Christmas Carol , followed by
3025-685: A popular theatrical art form. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, magicians such as John Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant , Howard Thurston , Harry Kellar , and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success during what has become known as "the Golden Age of Magic", a period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theatre , vaudeville , and music halls . Meanwhile, magicians such as Georges Méliès , Gaston Velle , Walter R. Booth , and Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques informed by their knowledge of magic. Magic has retained its popularity into
3146-501: A scientific solution to the problem might be possible and decided to attempt a rainmaking experiment. He took out a front page advertisement in the 30 January 1882 issue of The Brisbane Courier to publicise the event, scheduled for 4 February 1882 at the Eagle Farm Racecourse . Further advertisements mentioned that there would be "several interesting Illustrations of Atmospheric Phenomena" and gave some details about
3267-431: A share of the credit, the technique is still named after the man who popularised it. Some reports have suggested that, at the time, Pepper claimed to have developed the technique after reading the 1831 book Recreative Memoirs by famed showman Étienne-Gaspard Robert . Pepper's demonstrations of "the ghost effect" were received with amazement by the general public while intriguing his fellow scientists. People returned to
3388-404: A short comic piece which also used ghost effects. One company, for instance, "The Original Pepper's Ghost and Spectral Opera Company" had 11 ghost-themed plays in its repertoire. Another such company during a single year, 1877, performed at 30 different places in Britain, usually for a week but sometimes for as long as six weeks. By the 1890s, however, novelty had faded and the vogue for such theatre
3509-470: A site-specific one-off, or a use of a commercial system such as the Cheoptics360 or Musion Eyeliner. Products have been designed using a clear plastic pyramid and a smartphone screen to generate the illusion of a 3D object. The core illusion involves a stage specially arranged into two rooms or areas, one into which audience members can see, and a second (sometimes referred to as the "blue room") that
3630-482: A son (born circa 1856). Between 1874 and 1879 the family toured the United States and Canada before being invited to Australia. They arrived in Melbourne on 8 July 1879 and Pepper gave his first lecture just four days later. Interest in his demonstrations began to wane after a month, so he took his show to Sydney. Pepper heard tales of Fred Fisher, a farmer in nearby Campbelltown who had mysteriously disappeared in 1826. A supposed sighting of Fisher's ghost sparked
3751-541: A speech or script and are commonly used for live broadcasts such as news programmes . A 1985 episode of Mr. Wizard's World demonstrates Pepper's ghost in one of its educational segments. On 1 June 2013, ITV broadcast Les Dawson: An Audience With That Never Was . The program featured a Pepper's ghost projection of Les Dawson , presenting content for a 1993 edition of An Audience with... to be hosted by Dawson but unused due to his death two weeks before recording. Magic (illusion) Magic , which encompasses
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3872-446: A theatre or auditorium. This type of magic is distinguished by large-scale props, the use of assistants and often exotic animals such as elephants and tigers. Famous stage illusionists, past and present, include Harry Blackstone, Sr. , Howard Thurston , Chung Ling Soo , David Copperfield , Lance Burton , Silvan , Siegfried & Roy , and Harry Blackstone, Jr. Parlor magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic (which
3993-590: A universal term for any illusion produced via a reflection on an unnoticed glass screen. It is routinely applied to all versions of the illusion, which are now quite common in 21st century displays, peepshows, and installations in museums and amusement parks. However, the specific optics in these modern displays often follow Séguin's or Dircks' earlier designs rather than the modification for theatres which first brought Pepper's name into enduring usage. Several proprietary systems produce modern Pepper's ghost effects. The "Musion Eyeliner" uses thin metalized film placed across
4114-692: A while." While Robin later became famous for many effective, imaginative, and complex applications of "Pepper's Ghost" at Robin's own theatre in Paris, such shows only began mid-1863 after John Henry Pepper had demonstrated his own method for staging the illusion at the London Polytechnic in December 1862. Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin , contemporary French grand master of stage magic, regarded Robin's performances and other 1863 ghost shows in Paris as "plagiarists" of Pepper's innovation. Jim Steinmeyer ,
4235-440: Is Gantziony's work of 1489, Natural and Unnatural Magic , which describes and explains old-time tricks. In 1584, Englishman Reginald Scot published The Discoverie of Witchcraft , part of which was devoted to debunking the claims that magicians used supernatural methods, and showing how their "magic tricks" were in reality accomplished. Among the tricks discussed were sleight-of-hand manipulations with rope, paper and coins. At
4356-493: Is a form of street performing or busking that employs a hybrid of stage magic, platform, and close-up magic, usually performed ' in the round ' or surrounded by the audience. Notable modern street magic performers include Jeff Sheridan , Gazzo , and Wittus Witt . Since the first David Blaine TV special Street Magic aired in 1997, the term "street magic" has also come to describe a style of 'guerilla' performance in which magicians approach and perform for unsuspecting members of
4477-454: Is commonly used by children's magicians and mentalists . Corporate magic or trade show magic uses magic as a communication and sales tool, as opposed to just straightforward entertainment. Corporate magicians may come from a business background and typically present at meetings, conferences and product launches. They run workshops and can sometimes be found at trade shows, where their patter and illusions enhance an entertaining presentation of
4598-531: Is for a few people or even one person) and for smaller audiences than stage magic. In parlor magic, the performer is usually standing and on the same level as the audience, which may be seated on chairs or even on the floor. According to the Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians by T.A. Waters, "The phrase [parlor magic] is often used as a pejorative to imply that an effect under discussion is not suitable for professional performance." Also, many magicians consider
4719-412: Is hidden to the side. A plate of glass (or Plexiglas or plastic film) is placed somewhere in the main room at an angle that reflects the view of the blue room towards the audience. Generally, this is arranged with the blue room to one side of the stage, and the plate on the stage rotated around its vertical axis at 45 degrees. Care must be taken to make the glass as invisible as possible, normally hiding
4840-493: Is often referred to as a science (often a branch of physics) while the performance aspect is more of an art form. John Henry Pepper John Henry "Professor" Pepper (17 June 1821 – 25 March 1900) was a British scientist and inventor who toured the English-speaking world with his scientific demonstrations. He entertained the public, royalty, and fellow scientists with a wide range of technological innovations. He
4961-686: Is primarily remembered for developing the projection technique known as Pepper's ghost , building a large-scale version of the concept by Henry Dircks . He also oversaw the introduction of evening lectures at the Royal Polytechnic Institution (University of Westminster) and wrote several important science education books, one of which is regarded as a significant step towards the understanding of continental drift . While in Australia he tried unsuccessfully to make it rain using electrical conduction and large explosions. Pepper
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5082-405: Is the offspring of two fathers…. To Mr. Dircks belongs the honour of having invented him…. and Professor Pepper has the merit of having improved him considerably, fitting him for the intercourse of mundane society, and even educating him for the stage." Short plays using the new ghost illusion swiftly became sensationally popular. Pepper staged many dramatic and profitable demonstrations, notably in
5203-471: Is the use of magic in which is combined with stand-up comedy. Famous comedy magicians include The Amazing Johnathan , Holly Balay , Mac King , and Penn & Teller . Quick-change magic is the use of magic which is combined with the very quick changing of costumes. Famous quick-change artists include Sos & Victoria Petrosyan. Camera magic (or "video magic") is magic that is aimed at viewers watching broadcasts or recordings. It includes tricks based on
5324-504: Is typically below the visible stage but in other Pepper's Ghost set-ups it can be above or, quite commonly, adjacent to the area visible to the viewers. The scale can be very much smaller, for instance small peepshows, even hand-held toys. The illustration shows Pepper's initial arrangement for making a ghost image visible anywhere throughout a theatre. Many effects can be produced via Pepper's Ghost. Since glass screens are less reflective than mirrors, they do not reflect matte black objects in
5445-685: The BRISBANE RACECOURSE, ON SATURDAY NEXT, 4TH FEBRUARY, BY PROFESSOR J. H. PEPPER. To prevent overcrowding in the vicinity of the Professor's Apparatus, a small nominal charge of SIXPENCE admission to the Course will be made. — Advertisement in The Brisbane Courier , 30 January 1882 The summer of 1882 brought a drought to the south-east of Queensland with little rain and intense temperatures. Pepper believed that
5566-962: The Mystery Lodge exhibit at the Knott's Berry Farm theme park in Buena Park, California , and the Ghosts of the Library exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois , as well as the depiction of Maori legends called A Millennium Ago at the Museum of Wellington City & Sea in New Zealand. The Hogwarts Express attraction at Universal Studios Florida uses
5687-403: The Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1847 and went on to take the role of analytical chemist and lecturer the year after. By the early 1850s he was its director. He introduced a series of evening classes covering educational and trade topics, and lectured by invitation at some of the most prestigious schools across England, including Eton , Harrow , and Haileybury . Amongst the students at Eton
5808-516: The methods they use to achieve their effects , although they often share their techniques through both formal and informal training within the magic community . Magicians use a variety of techniques, including sleight of hand , misdirection , optical and auditory illusions , hidden compartments , contortionism and specially constructed props , as well as verbal and nonverbal psychological techniques such as suggestion , hypnosis , and priming . The term "magic" etymologically derives from
5929-504: The "polyoscope". This used the very same illusion, based on reflection, which ten years later Pepper and Dircks would patent in Britain under their own names. Although creating illusory images within a small box is appreciably different from delivering an illusion on stage, Séguin's 1852 patent was eventually to lead to the defeat of Pepper's 1863 attempt to control and license the "Pepper's Ghost" technique in France as well as in Britain. Pepper described Séguin's polyoscope: "It consisted of
6050-415: The (invisible) pane of glass in the room visible to the audience. This can be used to make objects appear to float in space. The type of theatre use of the illusion which John Henry Pepper pioneered and repeatedly staged in the 1860s were short plays featuring a ghostly apparition which interacts with other actors. An early favourite showed an actor attempting to use a sword against an ethereal ghost, as in
6171-516: The 17th century, many books were published that described magic tricks. Until the 18th century, magic shows were a common source of entertainment at fairs . The "Father" of modern entertainment magic was Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin , who had a magic theatre in Paris in 1845. John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London in the 1840s. Towards the end of the 19th century, large magic shows permanently staged at big theatre venues became
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#17327767224416292-583: The 1860s and subsequent decades. The illusion is widely used for entertainment and publicity purposes. These include the Girl-to-Gorilla trick found in old carnival sideshows and the appearance of "ghosts" at the Haunted Mansion and the "Blue Fairy" in Pinocchio's Daring Journey , both at Disneyland in California . Teleprompters are a modern implementation of Pepper's ghost. The technique
6413-442: The 18th century, magic shows were a common source of entertainment at fairs , where itinerant performers would entertain the public with magic tricks, as well as the more traditional spectacles of sword swallowing , juggling and fire breathing . In the early 18th century, as belief in witchcraft was waning, the art became increasingly respectable and shows would be put on for rich private patrons. A notable figure in this transition
6534-644: The 20th century included Okito , David Devant , Harry Blackstone Sr. , Harry Blackstone Jr. , Howard Thurston , Theodore Annemann , Cardini , Joseph Dunninger , Dai Vernon , Fred Culpitt , Tommy Wonder , Siegfried & Roy , and Doug Henning . Popular 20th- and 21st-century magicians include David Copperfield , Lance Burton , James Randi , Penn and Teller , David Blaine , Criss Angel , Derren Brown , Dynamo , Shin Lim , Jay & Joss and Hans Klok . Well-known women magicians include Dell O'Dell and Dorothy Dietrich . Most television magicians perform before
6655-400: The 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and the internet , with magicians such as David Copperfield , Penn & Teller , Paul Daniels , Criss Angel , David Blaine , Derren Brown , Mat Franco , and Shin Lim modernizing the art form. Through the use of social media , magicians can now reach a wider audience than ever before. Magicians are known for closely guarding
6776-562: The Great. Herrmann was a French magician and was part of the Herrmann family name that is the "first-family of magic". The escapologist and magician Harry Houdini (1874–1926) took his stage name from Robert-Houdin and developed a range of stage magic tricks, many of them based on what became known after his death as escapology . Houdini was genuinely skilled in techniques such as lockpicking and escaping straitjackets, but also made full use of
6897-566: The Greek word mageia (μαγεία). In ancient times, Greeks and Persians had been at war for centuries, and the Persian priests, called magosh in Persian, came to be known as magoi in Greek. Ritual acts of Persian priests came to be known as mageia , and then magika —which eventually came to mean any foreign, unorthodox, or illegitimate ritual practice. To the general public, successful acts of illusion could be perceived as if it were similar to
7018-557: The Pepper's ghost effect, such that guests entering "Platform 9 + 3 ⁄ 4 " seem to disappear into a brick wall when viewed from those further behind in the queue. The Curse at Alton Manor , an attraction at the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire , England, uses multiple Pepper's ghost effects. These include the ride's preshow, where characters are projected inside an empty doll's house before disappearing as
7139-613: The Table. He throws up a Pack of Cards, and causes them to be living birds flying about the room. He causes living Beasts, Birds, and other Creatures to appear upon the Table. He blows the spots of the Cards off and on, and changes them to any pictures. From 1756 to 1781, Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic, sometimes under the guise of scientific exhibitions, throughout Europe and in Russia . The "Father" of modern entertainment magic
7260-820: The United Kingdom are the ghost of Annie McLeod at the New Lanark World Heritage Site, the ghost of John McEnroe at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum , which reopened in new premises in 2006, and one of Sir Alex Ferguson , which opened at the Manchester United Museum in 2007. Other examples include the ghost of Sarah (who picks up a candle and walks through the wall) and also the ghost of the Eighth Duke at Blenheim Palace . In October 2008
7381-528: The United Kingdom, and some American reprints became prescribed school texts in Pennsylvania and Brooklyn. Pepper was fascinated with electricity and light. In 1863 he illuminated Trafalgar Square and St. Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the marriage of Edward Albert, Prince of Wales , and Alexandra of Denmark . He achieved this using a variation of the arc lamp . On 21 December 1867 at a banquet of "noblemen and scientific gentlemen" Pepper arranged for
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#17327767224417502-495: The angled glass screen. Pepper's Ghost can be adapted to make performers apparently materialise from nowhere or disappear into empty space. Pepper would sometimes greet an audience by suddenly materialising in the middle of the stage. The illusion can also apparently transform one object or person into another. For instance, Pepper sometimes suspended on stage a basket of oranges which then "transformed" into jars of marmalade. Another 19th century Pepper's Ghost entertainment featured
7623-533: The area hidden from the audience. Thus Pepper's Ghost showmen sometimes used an invisible black-clad actor in the hidden area to manipulate brightly lit, light-coloured objects, which can thus appear to float in air. Pepper's very first public ghost show used a seated skeleton in a white shroud which was being manipulated by an unseen actor in black velvet robes. Hidden actors, whose heads were powdered white for reflection but whose clothes were matte black, could appear as disembodied heads when strongly lit and reflected by
7744-446: The audience close to the magician, sometimes even one-on-one. It usually makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards (see Card manipulation ), coins (see Coin magic ), and seemingly 'impromptu' effects. This may be called "table magic", particularly when performed as dinner entertainment. Ricky Jay , Mahdi Moudini , and Lee Asher , following in the traditions of Dai Vernon , Slydini , and Max Malini , are considered among
7865-562: The audience even joined in by trying to launch the kite themselves. The newspapers were also unkind with the Warwick Examiner and Times describing the event as being a "pseudo-scientific fiasco". Pepper felt very badly treated by fellow scientists and the general public and in a letter written to The Brisbane Courier dated 27 May 1882 he stated: "My experiment in Queensland was received with such derision and insults that in
7986-529: The audience. A common variation uses two blue/hidden rooms, one behind the glass in the main room, and one to the side, the contents of which can be switched between "visible" and "invisible" states by manipulating the lighting therein. The hidden room may be an identical mirror-image of the main room, so that its reflected image exactly matches the layout of the main room; this approach is useful in making objects seem to appear or disappear. This illusion can also be used to make an object, or person—reflected in, say,
8107-474: The century. The new illusion, soon to be labeled Pepper's Ghost, offered a completely different and more convincing way to produce ghost effects, using reflections not projection. A claim to be the first user of the new illusion in theatres came from the Dutch-born stage magician Henrik Joseph Donckel, who became famous in France under the stage name Henri Robin . Robin said he had spent two years developing
8228-491: The classic technique, enabling guests to see various spirits that also interact with the physical environment, viewable at a much closer proximity. The House at Haunted Hill , a Halloween attraction in Woodland Hills, California, employs a similar variation in its front window to display characters from its storyline. An example that combines the Pepper's ghost effect with a live actor and film projection can be seen in
8349-503: The cold. But let one part be polished, that there may be a Looking-glass on bothe sides, whence the spectator must look in. For the rest do nothing. Let pictures be set over against this window, marble statues and suchlike. For what is without will seem to be within, and what is behind the spectator's back, he will think to be in the middle of the house, as far from the glass inward, as they stand from it outwardly, and clearly and certainly, that he will think he sees nothing but truth. But lest
8470-470: The concept and replicated it on a larger scale, taking out a joint patent with Dircks. Pepper debuted his creation with a Christmas Eve production of the Charles Dickens play The Haunted Man in 1862 and Dircks signed over all financial rights to Pepper. Through this the effect became known as "Pepper's ghost", much to the frustration of Dircks, and though Pepper insisted that Dircks should have
8591-580: The devil and the occult. During the 19th and 20th centuries, many stage magicians even capitalized on this notion in their advertisements. The same level of ingenuity that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions such as the Trojan Horse would also have been used for entertainment , or at least for cheating in money games . They were also used by the practitioners of various religions and cults from ancient times onwards to frighten uneducated people into obedience or turn them into adherents. However,
8712-484: The director and sole lessee of the Royal Polytechnic where he held the title of Professor. The Polytechnic ran a mix of science education courses and eye-catching public displays of scientific innovations. After seeing Dircks' peepshow model in 1862, Pepper quickly devised an ingenious twist whereby, through adding an angled sheet of glass and a screened-off orchestra pit, almost any theatre or hall could make
8833-496: The face of those hard steely railings I shall leave to others the honour and expense of trying to do good by gently persuading the clouds to drop fatness." In the coming years, other scientists attempted what Pepper called "cloud compelling" (see weather modification ). In another letter to The Brisbane Courier in April 1884, Pepper referred to one of them, saying that he hoped the scientist would "not be unappreciated or treated with
8954-472: The fact-checking website Snopes dedicated a page to debunking the trick. German magician Wittus Witt performed interactive magic tricks live on TV from 1993 to 1997. Viewers were able to call Wittus Witt live in the television studio and perform a magic trick with him directly. In total, Witt performed this special magic 87 times, every other week. Theatrical magic describes a dramaturgically well thought-out performance that has been specially designed for
9075-521: The famous Pepper's Ghost , a stage illusion first used in 19th-century London, required a specially built theatre. Modern performers have vanished objects as large as the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and a space shuttle, using other kinds of optical deceptions. Magic is often described according to various specialties or genres. Stage illusions are performed for large audiences, typically within
9196-589: The foremost practitioners of close-up magic. Escapology is the branch of magic that deals with escapes from confinement or restraints. Harry Houdini is a well-known example of an escape artist or escapologist . Pickpocket magicians use magic to misdirect members of the audience while removing wallets, belts, ties, and other personal effects. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Well-known pickpockets include James Freedman , David Avadon , Bob Arno , and Apollo Robbins . Mentalism creates
9317-622: The front of the stage at an angle of 45 degrees towards the audience; recessed below the screen is a bright image supplied by an LED screen or powerful projector. When viewed from the audience's perspective, the reflected images appear to be on the stage. The "Cheoptics360" displays revolving 3D animations or special video sequences inside a four-sided transparent pyramid . This system is often used for retail environments and exhibitions. The world's largest implementation of this illusion can be found at The Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor attractions at several Walt Disney Parks and Resorts . There,
9438-410: The ghost image fade in and out of visibility. When the lights are bright in the main room and dark in the blue room, the reflected image cannot be seen. When the lighting in the blue room is increased, often with the main room lights dimming to make the effect more pronounced, the reflection becomes visible and the objects within the blue/hidden room seem to appear, from thin air, in the space visible to
9559-482: The illusion before trying it in 1847 during his regular shows of stage magic and the supernatural in Lyons. However, he found this early rendering of the ghost effect made little impression on the audience. He wrote: "The ghosts failed to achieve the full illusory effect which I have subsequently perfected." The shortcomings of his original techniques "caused me great embarrassment, I found myself forced to put them aside for
9680-415: The illusion visible to a large audience. First public performance in December 1862—a scene from Charles Dickens's The Haunted Man — produced rapturous responses from audience and journalists. A deal was struck between Pepper and Dircks whereby they jointly patented the illusion. Dircks agreed to waive any share of profits for the satisfaction of seeing his idea implemented so effectively. Their joint patent
9801-435: The illustration. To choreograph other actors' dealings with the ghost, Pepper used concealed markings on the stage floor for where they should place their feet, since they could not see the ghost image's apparent location. Pepper's 1890 book includes such detailed explanation of his stagecraft secrets, disclosed in his 1863 joint application with co-inventor Henry Dircks to patent this ghost illusion technique. The hidden area
9922-1024: The impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses special powers to read thoughts, predict events, control other minds, and similar feats. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Well-known mentalists of the past and present include Alexander , The Zancigs , Axel Hellstrom , Dunninger , Kreskin , Deddy Corbuzier , Derren Brown , Rich Ferguson , Guy Bavli , Banachek , Max Maven , and Alain Nu . Theatrical séances simulate spiritualistic or mediumistic phenomena for theatrical effect. This genre of stage magic has been misused at times by charlatans pretending to actually be in contact with spirits or supernatural forces. For this reason, some well-known magicians such as James Randi (AKA "The Amazing Randi") have made it their goal to debunk such paranormal phenomena and illustrate that any such effects may be achieved by natural or human means. Randi
10043-535: The lecture theatre of London's Royal Polytechnic. By late 1863, the illusion's fame had spread extensively with ghost-centred plays performed at multiple London venues, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris, and New York. Royalty attended. There was even a shortage of plate glass because of demand from theatres for glass screens. A popular song from 1863 celebrated the "Patent Ghost": At Music Halls, Theatres too, This "Patent Ghost" they show. The Goblin novelty to view, Some thousands nightly go. By his own account, Pepper, who
10164-442: The lines between magic tricks and reality. In some cases, the computer essentially replaces the online magician. In a 2008 TED Talk, Penn Jillette discussed how technology will continue to play a role in magic by influencing media and communication. According to Jillette, magicians continue to innovate in not only digital communication but also live performances that utilize digital effects. The 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns ushered onto
10285-413: The lower edge in patterning on the floor and ensuring lights do not reflect off it. The plate catches a reflection from a brightly lit actor in an area hidden from the audience. Not noticing the glass screen, the audience mistakenly perceive this reflection as a ghostly figure located among the actors on the main stage. The lighting of the actor in the hidden area can be gradually brightened or dimmed to make
10406-475: The method that he planned to employ. Pepper started his experiments in the weeks leading up to the public event. He gathered a range of materials including ten swivel guns, powerful rockets from HMS Cormorant , a land mine, and a large quantity of gunpowder. The plan would be to create a bonfire that would billow smoke into the air, then an explosion in the clouds would contribute to a change in their electrical condition. He theorised that this would trigger
10527-407: The nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Mechanical magic is a form of stage magic in which the magician uses a variety of mechanical devices to perform acts that appear to be physically impossible. Examples include such things as a false-bottomed mortar in which the magician places an audience member's watch only to later produce several feet away inside a wooden frame. Mechanical magic requires
10648-421: The norm. As a form of entertainment, magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television magic specials. Performances that modern observers would recognize as conjuring have been practiced throughout history. For example, a trick with three cups and balls has been performed since 3 BC and is still performed today on stage and in street magic shows. For many recorded centuries, magicians were associated with
10769-467: The omission had occurred so repeatedly that Dircks believed that Pepper was deliberately striving to fix his name alone in the minds of the general public. A good half of Dircks' 106-page book, The Ghost , comprises such recriminations with detailed examples of how Pepper hid Dircks' name. An earlier 1863 Spectator article had presented the Dircks/Pepper partnership thus: "This admirable ghost
10890-521: The performances of his rivals, John Henry Anderson and Alexander Herrmann . John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London . In 1840 he opened the New Strand Theatre, where he performed as The Great Wizard of the North . His success came from advertising his shows and captivating his audience with expert showmanship . He became one of the earliest magicians to attain
11011-410: The polyoscope, of which Pepper had been ignorant. During the next four years Robin developed spectacular and original applications of the illusion in Paris. One famous Robin show depicted the great violinist Paganini being troubled in his sleep by a demon violinist, who repeatedly appeared and disappeared. During the next two decades, performances using the illusion spread to several countries. In 1877
11132-411: The products offered by their corporate sponsors. Pioneer performers in this arena include Eddie Tullock and Guy Bavli . Gospel magic uses magic to catechize and evangelize. Gospel magic was first used by St. John Bosco to interest children in 19th-century Turin , Italy to come back to school, to accept assistance and to attend church. The Jewish equivalent is termed Torah magic. Street magic
11253-440: The profession of the illusionist gained strength only in the 18th century, and has enjoyed several popular vogues since. Opinions vary among magicians on how to categorize a given effect, but a number of categories have been developed. Magicians may pull a rabbit from an empty hat, make something seem to disappear, or transform a red silk handkerchief into a green silk handkerchief. Magicians may also destroy something, like cutting
11374-418: The public on the street. Unlike traditional street magic, this style is almost purely designed for TV and gains its impact from the wild reactions of the public. Magicians of this type include David Blaine and Cyril Takayama . Bizarre magic is a branch of stage magic that creates eerie effects through its use of narratives and esoteric imagery. The experience may be more akin to small, intimate theater or to
11495-403: The rainfall. Several helpers tried to launch a 20-foot steel kite into the air but had little success, finding it to be unwieldy. He reduced its size in time for the main show. The Eagle Farm event was attended by nearly 700 people. Pepper's smaller kite only managed to fly a short distance into the sky and had to be abandoned. The swivel guns were then fired, attempting to create an explosion in
11616-665: The range of conjuring techniques, including fake equipment and collusion with individuals in the audience. Houdini's show-business savvy was as great as his performance skill. There is a Houdini Museum dedicated to him in Scranton, Pennsylvania . The Magic Circle was formed in London in 1905 to promote and advance the art of stage magic. As a form of entertainment, magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television specials, which opened up new opportunities for deceptions, and brought stage magic to huge audiences. Famous magicians of
11737-547: The restricted viewing angles of cameras and clever editing. Camera magic often features paid extras posing as spectators who may even be assisting in the performance. Camera magic can be done live, such as Derren Brown 's lottery prediction. Famous examples of camera magic include David Copperfield's Floating Over the Grand Canyon and many of Criss Angel 's illusions. Classical magic is a style of magic that conveys feelings of elegance and skill akin to prominent magicians of
11858-470: The room is bathed in ultraviolet light , and a scene where Emily Alton, the attraction's central antagonist, appears in a corporeal form before vanishing, in a similar fashion to effects used at the Disney parks. The effect was also used in the ride's previous iterations, The Haunted House and Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back; where Emily Alton and her cat Snowy could be seen as small corporeal ghosts inside
11979-475: The skill should be known, let the part be made so where the ornament is, that the spectator may not see it, as above his head, that a pavement may come between above his head. And if an ingenious man do this, it is impossible that he should suppose that he is deceived. From the mid-19th century, the illusion, today known as Pepper's Ghost, became widely developed for money-making stage entertainments, amid bitter argument, patent disputes, and legal action concerning
12100-441: The sky. However, due to an overfilling of powder in one of the guns, the only explosion of significance was the gun itself which was sent crashing into the empty grandstand. Another potentially dangerous incident was the launching of the rockets, one of which flew horizontally, narrowly missing the crowd. The crowd were not impressed by the efforts of Pepper and his team, laughing and jeering at their failed attempts. Some members of
12221-423: The stage illusion, which Séguin had witnessed while painting magic lantern slides for another part of Robin's show. Henry Dircks was an English engineer and practical inventor who from 1858 strove to find theatres which would implement his vision of a sensational new genre of drama featuring apparitions which interacted with actors on stage. He constructed a peepshow-like model which demonstrated how reflections on
12342-406: The stage was exploited for hidden mechanisms and assistants, and the control it offers over the audience's point of view. Maskelyne and Cooke invented many of the illusions still performed today—one of his best-known being levitation . The model for the look of a "typical" magician—a man with wavy hair, a top hat, a goatee, and a tailcoat—was Alexander Herrmann (1844–1896), also known as Herrmann
12463-505: The subgenres of illusion , stage magic, and close-up magic , among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world. Modern entertainment magic, as pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin , has become
12584-546: The technique's authorship. A popular genre of entertainment was stage demonstrations of scientific novelties. Simulations of ghostly phenomena through innovative optical technology fitted these well. Phantasmagoria shows, which simulated supernatural effects, were also familiar public entertainments. Previously, these had made much use of complex magic lantern techniques, like the multiple projectors, mobile projectors, and projection on mirrors and smoke, which had been perfected by Étienne-Gaspard Robert/Robertson in Paris early in
12705-405: The term "parlor" old fashioned and limiting, since this type of magic is often done in rooms much larger than the traditional parlor, or even outdoors. A better term for this branch of magic may be "platform", "club" or "cabaret". Examples of such magicians include Jeff McBride , David Abbott , Channing Pollock , Black Herman , and Fred Kaps . Close-up magic (or table magic) is performed with
12826-483: The theater and theater-like situations. It is not about individual tricks that are strung together, but about logical connections of tricks that lead to a story. The protagonists of this magic stage art were the German magician Fredo Marvelli , Punx , and Alexander Adrion . In the United States, they included Richard Hatch and Max Maven . Mathemagic is a genre of stage magic that combines magic and mathematics . It
12947-553: The theatre repeatedly in an attempt to work out the method being used; famed physicist Michael Faraday eventually gave up and requested an explanation. Pepper wrote eleven popular science books, starting with his first publications in the 1850s. 1861's The Playbook of Metals , built upon the work of Antonio Snider-Pellegrini and is regarded as an important step in the understanding of continental drift . The books became so successful, particularly The Boy's Playbook of Science , that they could be found in secondary schools throughout
13068-475: The time, fear and belief in witchcraft was widespread and the book tried to demonstrate that these fears were misplaced. Popular belief held that all obtainable copies were burned on the accession of James I in 1603. During the 17th century, many similar books were published that described in detail the methods of a number of magic tricks, including The Art of Conjuring (1614) and The Anatomy of Legerdemain: The Art of Juggling ( c. 1675 ). Until
13189-492: The tour he settled in Ashgrove , Brisbane , Queensland , and worked as a public analyst. There he built a house, now the heritage-listed Woodlands . While there Pepper continued to deliver lectures and is believed to have been the first person to formally teach chemistry in the state. ANNOUNCEMENT EXTRAORDINARY. THE GREAT SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT OF TAPPING THE CLOUDS ! OR, RAIN-MAKING ! Will be attempted on
13310-449: The trickery behind deceptive magic, and became famous for a new technique now known as "Pepper's ghost". Liverpudlian engineer Henry Dircks is believed to have devised a method of projecting an actor onto a stage using a sheet of glass and a clever use of lighting, calling the technique "Dircksian Phantasmagoria ". The actor would then have an ethereal, ghost-like appearance while seemingly able to perform alongside other actors. Pepper saw
13431-516: The world stage a surge of online magic shows. These shows are performed via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom . Some online magic tricks recreate traditional card tricks and require user participation, while others, like Plato's Cursed Triangle, are based on mathematical, geometrical, and/or optical illusions. One such online magic trick, called Esmeralda's Crystal Ball, became a viral phenomenon that fooled so many computer users into believing that their computer had supernatural powers, that
13552-406: Was Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin , originally a clockmaker, who opened a magic theatre in Paris in 1845. He transformed his art from one performed at fairs to a performance that the public paid to see at the theatre. His speciality was constructing mechanical automata that appeared to move and act as if alive. Many of Robert-Houdin's mechanisms for illusion were pirated by his assistant and ended up in
13673-648: Was Quintin Hogg , who would go on to become a philanthropist and benefactor of the Royal Polytechnic Institution. Pepper also lectured in New York and Australia. Pepper became a highly regarded science performer and often went by the name "Professor Pepper". He regularly demonstrated a range of scientific and technological innovations with the intention of entertaining and educating the audience about how they worked. He used many of these to expose
13794-588: Was born in Westminster , London and educated at King's College School . While there he became interested in chemistry, as taught by John Thomas Cooper . Cooper acted as a mentor to Pepper, who went on to become an assistant lecturer at the Grainger School of Medicine at the age of 19. In around 1843 he was elected a Fellow of the Chemical Society . Pepper delivered his first lecture at
13915-606: Was designed and built by Will Wilson and Simon Beer of Integrated Circles. Another particularly intricate Pepper's ghost display is the Eight Stage Ghost built for the British Telecom Showcase Exhibition in London in 1978. This display follows the history of electronics in a number of discrete transitions. More modern examples of Pepper's ghost effects can be found in various museums in the United Kingdom and Europe. Examples of these in
14036-597: Was entitled to all profits, made considerable earnings from the patent. He ran his own performances and licensed other operators for money. In Britain, he was initially successful in suing some unlicensed imitators, deterring others by legal threats, and defeating a September 1863 court action by music-hall proprietors who challenged the patent. However, while in Paris in summer 1863 to assist a licensed performance, Pepper had proved unable to stop Henri Robin and several others who were already performing unlicensed versions there. Robin successfully cited Séguin's pre-existing patent of
14157-472: Was in steep decline. Pepper's Ghost remained in use however at sensational entertainments comparable to "dark rides" or "ghost trains" at modern funfairs and amusement parks: a detailed account survives of audience participation in two macabre entertainments, which both used Pepper's Ghost, within a "Tavern of the Dead" show which visited Paris and New York in the 1890s. Since the 1860s, "Pepper's Ghost" has become
14278-718: Was obtained provisionally in February 1863 and ratified in October 1863. Before Dircks' partnership with Pepper was a full year old, Dircks published a book which accused Pepper of plotting to systematically stamp Pepper's name alone on their joint creation. According to Dircks, while Pepper took care to credit Dircks in any communications to the scientific community, everything which reached the general public—like newspaper reports, advertisements and theatre posters—mentioned Pepper alone. Whenever Dircks complained, he said, Pepper would blame careless journalists or theatre managers. However,
14399-421: Was the "foremost skeptic" in this regard in the United States. Children's magic is performed for an audience primarily composed of children. It is typically performed at birthday parties, preschools, elementary schools, Sunday schools, or libraries. This type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer assistants. Online magic tricks were designed to function on
14520-516: Was the English showman, Isaac Fawkes , who began to promote his act in advertisements from the 1720s—he even claimed to have performed for King George II . One of Fawkes' advertisements described his routine in some detail: He takes an empty bag, lays it on the Table and turns it several times inside out, then commands 100 Eggs out of it and several showers of real Gold and silver, then the Bag beginning to swell several sorts of wild fowl run out of it upon
14641-573: Was used to display a life-size illusion of Kate Moss at the 2006 runway show for the Alexander McQueen collection The Widows of Culloden . In the 2010s, the technique has been used to make virtual artists appear onstage in apparent "live" concerts, with examples including Elvis Presley , Tupac Shakur , and Michael Jackson . It is often wrongly described as "holographic". Such setups can involve custom projection media server software and specialized stretched films. The installation may be
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