Help us get to over 8,749 articles in 2024.

If you know of a magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them. Contact us at magicpediahelp@gmail.com

Difference between revisions of "Psycho"

From Magicpedia, the free online encyclopedia for magicians by magicians.
Jump to: navigation, search
(New page: Psycho was an Automaton created by John Nevil Maskelyne first shown to audiences in January of 1875. Psycho looked like a miniature man, dressed in Hindu garb with an turban...)
 
(References)
Line 8: Line 8:
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
* Professor Hoffmann's Modern Magic, Chapter IV.
+
* Professor Hoffmann's [[Modern Magic]], Chapter IV.
* Hiding the Elephant By Jim Steinmeyer
+
* [[Hiding the Elephant]] By Jim Steinmeyer
 
[[Category:Illusions]]
 
[[Category:Illusions]]

Revision as of 18:35, 5 April 2009

Psycho was an Automaton created by John Nevil Maskelyne first shown to audiences in January of 1875.

Psycho looked like a miniature man, dressed in Hindu garb with an turban. He sat cross-legged on a wooden chest. The chest sat up on a clear glass cylinder. Under his hand was a rack for thirteen playing cards. The wooden chest he sat on, would be opened and shown that it was much too small to conceal a person.

Psycho would by a card game of whist by moving his hand along the rack of cards in from of him, lifting a card and handing it to Maskelyne to play.

Maskelyne filled the Egyptian Hall theater presenting Psycho and it was much debated in the press about whether it was a pure mechanical invention or not. By September 2nd 1878, Psycho had already given 2,000performances.

References