Angelo John Lewis, known pseudonymously as Professor Hoffmann (born 1839–1919), was an English-born

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

illusionist Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of close-up magic, parlor magic, and stage magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural me ...

and writer who has been described as "the most prolific and influential magic author and translator until modern times."''Professor Hoffmann''
at lybrary.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.

Life

Professor Hoffmann was born as Angelo John Lewis in London, England on 23 July 1839. He studied law at

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

and became a barrister in London. During the early 1860s he learned magic from a book and became an amateur

magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...

ian. Under the pen name Professor Hoffmann, in 1873 he published a series of articles in ''Routledge's Every Boy's Annual'' which "launched his career as the most prolific and influential magic author and translator until modern times." In 1876, Professor Hoffman published ''

Modern Magic ''Modern Magic'' by Professor Hoffmann (real name ''Angelo Lewis'') is a treatise in book form, first published in 1876, detailing the apparatus, methods and tricks used by the magicians and conjurors of that era. Hoffmann was considered to be ...

'' to educate the public in how to become a magician, including how to perform

sleight of hand Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' () comprises fine motor skills used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card fl ...

tricks, as well as how to dress and speak. Hoffmann's book was successful, allowing him to become a full-time writer. He subsequently published a variety of books and articles, including the children's novel ''Conjurer Dick'' and several compendiums of illusions. He also wrote on

card game A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including famil ...

s including

patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

Works

The following is a selection of Hoffmann's works:''Angelo Lewis'' (Professor Hoffmann)
at worldcat.org. Retrieved 31 Dec 2021.

(1876) * ''The Cyclopaedia of Card and Table Games.'' (1891). * ''The Illustrated Book of Patience Games.'' (1892). * ''Latest Magic, Being Original Conjuring Tricks'' 020 reprint* ''Bridge'' (1924) * ''Selected Patience Games'' (188?) * ''Card Tricks with Apparatus'' (1892)

References

20th-century English male writers 1839 births 1919 deaths Card game book writers {{England-writer-stub