Playing Cards Enter Toy Hall of Fame!
We are very pleased to announce that playing cards have joined the stick, amongst other items, in the National Toy Hall of Fame! Congratulations to playing cards on this achievement! To learn more visit these websites:
Playing cards would certainly make it into a magician’s apparatus hall of fame. What else would be in there?
3 Year Old Tightrope Walker
A 3 year old girl walks across a tightrope stretched over an enclosure containing six Siberian tigers. When asked if she likes tightrope walking, she said, “Yes, because I started at a very young age”. Rumor has it that next year they will be featuring a 4 year old tightrope walker.
Robot Magicians?
This is amazing! A robot hand that can grab, throw, catch, dribble, tie knots, spin pens, etc. How long will it be before we can watch a robot expertly perform the whole calendar of sleights in Erdnase? Will sleights of the future be developed on the computer and available for download onto our robot hands? Will practice become obsolete? Exciting and interesting times are at hand, literally.
Learn more about this here.
Ask Alexander 2.0 Beta!
Those of you who have logged in to Alexander recently may have noticed the new look and some new features. We are calling it Ask Alexander 2.0, and, although we are still working on many neat ideas, it is coming along nicely.
The first thing you will notice is the new design which was elegantly conceived and created by Dave Buck. Second, you will notice a number of improved functions with regard to the search. These include thumbnail pictures of the book covers next to the results, more results, and, this is the big one, a much faster search! Try it and see, even a search for “Houdini” or other big search term returns the results almost immediately. 
Third, we have expanded upon the collections idea with a page feature called “My Alex”. Here you can assemble a bookshelf of your favorite books and give them ratings so you can locate them instantly. Additionally, there is a button to repeat your last search or to look at all of your previous searches.
Hopefully these new features will help you find some wonderful new knowledge and improve your magic! Thank you very much to Dan Smith, Dave Buck, and Dan Smith for all of their help in this and future iterations of Alexander. Also, if you have computer skills that may be of help to us, please consider volunteering as we could certainly use the help in making a great tool even better. Happy searching!
Alexander 2.0 Beta to be Unveiled at Magic-Con!
One of the most exciting events of 2010 is nearly upon us, and we are excited to announce that we will be playing a small part in this grand endeavor. In addition to appearances and talks by nearly every epic magician on the planet (please check out the line up here, it is breathtaking), Conjuring Arts will be present to unveil the new look and functionality of Ask Alexander 2.0 Beta. Those of us at the center lucky enough to check out this version of Ask Alexander have been very pleased and are excited for everyone to see the results.
Thanks to Dan and Dave Buck for letting us have this opportunity and for their help in designing Alex 2.0!
Stevie Starr: The Regurgitator
Stevie Starr’s performance at F.I.S.M. 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden was one of the highlights of this grand event. While not presented as magic, Mr. Starr’s performances have a lot in common with our art, and he is certainly a very entertaining performer. The clip featured here is from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and offers a couple of Mr. Starr’s astounding feats of sleight of stomach.
Conjuring Arts in the NY Times!
On Sunday, March 7, 2010, the New York Times published an article on the Millionaires’ Magician, Steve Cohen, titled “Grand Illusions”. Mr. Cohen has been known to frequent the library when researching effects for his show Chamber Magic which plays at the Waldorf-Astoria here in New York. The article features a profile of Mr. Cohen as well as some of the tricks he performs. Additionally there are portions of the article which focus on where and how he acquires his secrets, one of which is Conjuring Arts!
If you don’t have access to the print edition of the article, it is available electronically here.
Ricky Jay on 60 Minutes
Ricky Jay is featured on a recent 60 Minutes piece, titled “Scams: Pigeon Fever”, to discuss the nature of scams and human gullibility. Mr. Jay explains why experts in certain fields are more likely to be hoodwinked, demonstrates the blind faith people put in authority, and cautions against anything that seems too good to be true. Additionally they have a scene in Mr. Jay’s library where we get to see some excellent pieces from his collection as he discusses some prominent historical scams.
Watch the whole piece above or watch the excerpts featuring Mr. Jay below:
Magic: The Science of Wonder
A new magic event looms on the horizon! Magic: The Science of Wonder is a new museum exhibit which is going to be shown in Texas at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Featuring many notable performers, including John Carney and Richard Hatch, as well as a plethora of artifacts, video, props, and other potentially intriguing displays, this exhibit holds some promise. It aims to showcase the interrelationship of science and magic by not only demonstrating some perplexing effects but also introducing some of the subtle and crafty methodology magicians use to enhance their illusions.
They have also provided video clips of John Carney and Richard Hatch performing some particularly elegant magic:
Watch Richard Hatch’s beautiful routine with the Cups and Balls:
Watch John Carney as he does one of the most dazzling effects with coins ever conceived:
Magic Show
There is a traveling exhibit of magic related art roaming around England called Magic Show. Check it out to see if it interests you and then see if it is possible for you to see it in person. One of the curators and artists is Jonathan Allen who, in 2007, guest edited an issue of Cabinet magazine devoted to magic. There are more than 20 artists represented, and it looks like a very fascinating affair. In particular, the Center for Tactical Magic sounds like a most glorious addition to any venture so, perhaps, pay particular attention to their shenanigans if you get the opportunity.
Find more information on this event here.
Additionally, there is a catalog available for the exhibition which might prove a suitable substitute for the actual experience if need be: catalog.
