Magician Mike Caveney Gives a Look into Magical History

Covering 500 years’ worth of magical history was magician Mike Caveney’s aim when he spoke last week at the Redlands Forum at Esri. The house was full, with some even standing in the aisles, to hear Caveney’s presentation on the progression of ancient magic to modern illusions. “Magicians have always used science to fool laymen,” Caveney said as he stood in front of a screen, lit with an image of an ancient witch doctor. “That’s all of you,” he joked. In describing the dynamics of the first self-opening doors (the secret being pulleys and weights) to the struggle of early magicians being associated with witchcraft, the hour-long forum provided not only an educational experience but a thoughtful, witty and at times humorous look into a subject that has mystified and intrigued mankind for ages. Magic and illusion have been sources of entertainment for centuries; they’ve fallen out with the public and returned time and again. In 1876 a book was published in England titled, “Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring,” written by one Professor Hoffman. The book, in what Caveney described as being an earth-shattering event for magicians everywhere, examined and disclosed the secret behind every magic trick. And though magicians thought their careers were at an end, the publication of the book ushered in what is commonly called “The Golden Age of Magic.” It wasn’t until 1964, when television programs turned towards rock n’ roll for entertainment, that magic fell back under the radar. Then in 1974, in a moment that seemed to spring from nowhere, Doug Henning premiered his performance called “The Magic Show” on Broadway; the art of magic suddenly became as popular as it once was in the 1920s. This was called the “Magic Boom.” Among the audience was Gay Blackstone, a television and stage producer and wife of Harry Blackstone Jr. who was an American stage magician and television performer. His father, Harry Blackstone Sr., commonly known as “The Great Blackstone,” was also a famed magician and illusionist of the 20th century. Mrs. Blackstone and her husband lived in Redlands for many years, their kids having all graduated from Redlands High. She’s been a close friend of Mike Caveney for many years. “When I was nine, I could see my path before me,” Caveney recounted after the forum. “I was given a magic trick and I was completely hooked.” Looking at the curious faces of the children in the audience, it seems magic still holds that otherworldly wonder for many.