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Robert H. Gysel
Robert Henry Gysel (November 18, 1880 – January 5, 1938), also known as Bob Gysel, was an American escape artist, magician and skeptic. Biography Gysel planned to work as a pharmacist but dropped out of college. He practised as a medium under the name Joseph R. Johnson in Toledo, Ohio. He learned the tricks of the séance room and was a supplier of magic effects for fraudulent mediums. It has been suggested by magic historians that Gysel worked as an agent for Harry Houdini in the 1920s, debunking spiritualist mediums and psychics.Silverman, Kenneth. (1996). ''Houdini!: The Career of Ehrich Weiss''. HarperCollins Publishers. p. 363 However, John Cox has written that Gysel "provided Houdini with information on mediums and other magic-related matters, but it doesn't appear Gysel was ever employed as one of Houdini's agents." Gysel claimed he could expose the tricks of any medium. He considered Arthur Conan Doyle to be "the nickel plated dumbell of Spiritualism." He shared with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert H
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honour, praise, renown" and '' berht'' "bright, light, shining"). It is the second most frequently used given name of ancient Germanic origin. It is also in use as a surname. Another commonly used form of the name is Rupert. After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form ''Robert'', where an Old English cognate form (''Hrēodbēorht'', ''Hrodberht'', ''Hrēodbēorð'', ''Hrœdbœrð'', ''Hrœdberð'', ''Hrōðberχtŕ'') had existed before the Norman Conquest. The feminine version is Roberta. The Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form is Roberto. Robert is also a common name in many Germanic languages, including English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Scots, Danish, and Icelandic. It c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genii (magazine)
''Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine'' is a magazine devoted to magic and magicians. It is a monthly magazine first published in September 1936, currently edited by Richard J. Kaufman and owned by Randy Pitchford. The magazine is based in Washington, DC. History ''Genii'' was founded by William Larsen, Sr. in 1936, and it was published as the official organ of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians, which had been founded in 1933. The original print run was 750 copies, which went down to 500 for the second and third issues. Upon Larsen's death in 1953 it was subsequently edited and published by his wife Gerrie Larsen, son William Larsen, Jr. and his wife Irene Larsen, grandson Dante Larsen, and granddaughter Erika Larsen. In 1998, it was sold to The Genii Corporation headed by magic author Richard Kaufman. ''Genii'' appears as both a conventionally printed magazine and a digital edition, which includes audio and video supplements. Subscribers also receive free access to al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Skeptics
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports teams Soccer * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1938 Deaths
Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the authoritarian regime. ** state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Safinaz Zulficar, who becomes Farida of Egypt, Queen Farida, in Cairo. * January 27 – The Honeymoon Bridge (Niagara Falls), Honeymoon Bridge at Niagara Falls, New York, collapses as a result of an ice jam. February * February 4 ** Adolf Hitler abolishes the War Ministry and creates the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of the Armed Forces), giving him direct control of the German military. In addition, he dismisses political and military leaders considered unsympathetic to his philosophy or policies. Gene ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1880 Births
Year 188 (CLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Fuscianus and Silanus (or, less frequently, year 941 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 188 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Publius Helvius Pertinax becomes pro-consul of Africa from 188 to 189. Japan * Queen Himiko (or Shingi Waō) begins her reign in Japan (until 248). Births * April 4 – Caracalla (or Antoninus), Roman emperor (d. 217) * Lu Ji (or Gongji), Chinese official and politician (d. 219) * Sun Shao, Chinese general of the Eastern Wu state (d. 241) Deaths * March 17 – Julian, pope and patriarch of Alexandria * Fa Zhen (or Gaoqing), Chinese scholar (b. AD 100) * Lucius Antistius Burrus, Roman politician (executed) * Ma Xian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rose Mackenberg
Rose Mackenberg (July 10, 1892 – April 10, 1968) was an American investigator specializing in fraudulent psychic mediums, known for her association with Harry Houdini. She was chief of a team of undercover investigators who investigated mediums for Houdini in the 1920s. After Houdini's death she continued to investigate spiritualist fraud for over 20 years and was known as an expert on the subject. She testified in court cases and before Congress and was interviewed in national magazines and on television. Early life Mackenberg was born July 10, 1892, and lived in Brooklyn, New York City. In her early years she worked as a stenographer in a law office and as an investigator in New York City. She later reported that, in her early life, she had believed that psychics and fortunetellers really were able to communicate with spirits and foretell the future. Houdini's investigator In the early 1920s, Mackenberg was working on a case involving investment losses that had been ad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fulton Oursler
Charles Fulton Oursler (January 22, 1893 – May 24, 1952) was an American journalist, playwright, editor and writer. Writing as Anthony Abbot, he was an author of mysteries and detective fiction. His son was the journalist and author Will Oursler (1913–1985). Background Oursler was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a poor city transit worker. His childhood passions were reading and stage magic. He was raised in a devout Baptist family, but at 15, he declared himself an agnostic. While still in his teens, he got a reporter's job for the '' Baltimore American''. Career Oursler moved to New York City to edit '' The Music Trades''. He freelanced for a variety of publications early on. His short stories appeared in '' The Black Cat'', '' Detective Story Magazine'', '' The Thrill Book'', and especially ''Mystery Magazine''. Many of his stories, such as "The Magician Detective", incorporate magicians and magic into the plots. In the 1920s, Oursler aided Harr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tarbell Course In Magic
The ''Tarbell Course in Magic'' is a notable encyclopedia of magic amongst professional and amateur magicians. It has eight volumes; the first five were part of the original home-study correspondence course compiled in 1928 by Harlan Tarbell, the remaining three volumes being added on later. This magic volume series was originally designed as a correspondence course for budding magicians. Once they were collected and bound, the series has become an unparalleled reference standard for magicians. In its impact on the magic world, it is second perhaps in its influence on the art of magic only to Hoffman's ''Modern Magic'', and many professional magicians have based their careers on the ''Tarbell Course''. __TOC__ Structure The entire collection comprises more than one-hundred lessons in every aspect of magic including micromagic/close-up magic, escapology, mentalism and stage illusions. It is the most comprehensive literary work in magic history. The original five volumes contai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
An Independent Magazine For Magicians
An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian anime convention * Ansett Australia, a major Australian airline group that is now defunct (IATA designator AN) * Apalachicola Northern Railroad (reporting mark AN) 1903–2002 ** AN Railway, a successor company, 2002– * Aryan Nations, a white supremacist religious organization * Australian National Railways Commission, an Australian rail operator from 1975 until 1987 * Antonov, a Ukrainian (formerly Soviet) aircraft manufacturing and services company, as a model prefix Entertainment and media * Antv, an Indonesian television network * ''Astronomische Nachrichten'', or ''Astronomical Notes'', an international astronomy journal * ''Avisa Nordland'', a Norwegian newspaper * ''Sweet Bean'' (あん), a 2015 Japanese film also known as ''An'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Needle-through-arm
Needle-through-arm is a magic illusion that was created by Bruce Spangler and later popularized by comedy actor/magician Harry Anderson. The trick can be performed as part of either a stage magic or a parlor magic routine. As the name would suggest, needle-through-arm relies on shock value to have a comedic effect. Although the trick popularized by Anderson is an illusion, other magicians, such as David Blaine, have apparently performed the trick by actually sticking the needle through a fistula surgically created in the performer's arm. History The effect was originally invented by Bruce Spangler, who debuted the trick at the premier of the 1960 movie ''Macumba Love'' and later sold it under the name "You-Do Voodoo". Harry Anderson popularized the trick in the 1980s, performing it on television on ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1982 and selling his own version of the trick. Presentation In presentation, the magician produces a hat pin, roughly ten inches long, and demonstrates th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Escapology
Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists (also classified as escape artists) escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks, and other perils, often in combination. History The art of escaping from restraints and confined spaces has been a skill employed by performers for a very long time. It was not originally displayed as an overt act in itself but was instead used secretly to create illusions such as a disappearance or transmutation. In the 1860s, the Davenport Brothers, who were skilled at releasing themselves from rope ties, used the art to convey the impression they were restrained while they created spirit phenomena. Other illusionists, including John Nevil Maskelyne, worked out how the Davenports did their act and re-created the tricks to debunk the brothers' claims of psychic power. However, the re-creations did not involve overt escape, merely a replicat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
