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This library for wizards in New York City is by appointment only

This library for wizards in New York City is by appointment only

By Alina Simone for PRI’s The World..

Acquiring the esoteric knowledge necessary to become a good magician has never been easy. Some magicians only share their techniques with their protégés. Others take their secrets and tricks with them to their graves.

Then there’s Harry Houdini, who liked to scorch the magical earth behind him by publishing the mechanics of an act after he was done with it, deliberately shriveling the market for his imitators.

But one particular institution helps modern magicians get on the right path. The fifth floor of a non-descript high-rise in midtown Manhattan may not be the first place you would go in search of magic, but that’s exactly where one of the rarest repositories of magical literature in the world is housed — the Conjuring Arts Research Library.

“I wanted a place that was available for anyone with an appointment, to be able to come in and find some of the rarest material — the things that you couldn’t find, almost anywhere else in the world,” says Bill Kalush, the founder of Conjuring Arts Research Center.

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Magician Jeff McBride and his Clone

Magician Jeff McBride and his Clone

Losander is known as “the Master of Levitation.” In the most famous part of his act, a table floats impossibly, darting around as if possessed.

It’s not just his signature illusion, it’s his magical legacy. Losander sells his floating tables to magicians around the world. And they can cost thousands of dollars. At least, that was until a knock-off started appearing on Chinese websites.

At the beginning when these copies popped up like mushrooms, I got very upset,” Losander says. “They even sell cheaper than I can buy the materials. You can sell a floating table for $30,” he adds with a laugh.

Losander says the cheap copies don’t work, but the websites would have you believe you’re buying the original product. In fact, one of them displays pictures of Losander’s own tables; it even embeds Losander’s promotional video.

http://wgbhnews.org/post/magician-jeff-mcbride-and-his-clone

The Secrets Behind Harry Houdini’s Ten Greatest Illusions..

The Secrets Behind Harry Houdini’s Ten Greatest Illusions..

By Steve Winalda for Gizmodo

There is an unwritten rule among magicians never to reveal how a trick is done. So when a 2004 exhibition explained Harry Houdini’s illusions, magicians around the world were apoplectic. David Copperfield called it a breach of magic protocol, and performers declared that they would boycott the exhibition. Many claimed to still use Houdini’s tricks themselves.

But Harry has been dead nearly 90 years. Despite their claims, few modern illusionists use his dated techniques. And the great magician’s secrets had been revealed decades earlier. He had been in his grave just three years when his team began spilling the beans.

This list is for those who want to know Houdini’s secrets. Those who don’t want to know should stop reading now…

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Criss Angel to launch third production, aims for six in next four years..

Criss Angel to launch third production, aims for six in next four years..

By Robin Leach for the Las Vegas Sun..

Tied into the 88th anniversary of magician Harry Houdini’s still-discussed death and on the eve of his own sixth anniversary of Cirque du Soleil’s “Believe” at the Luxor now approaching 2,500 shows, magician Criss Angel reveals that he’s launching a third live production — and he plans to have a total of six in the next four years.

“That’s the goal,” he told me this morning when he revealed a June 2015 world premiere of “The Supernaturalists.” He’s signed eight mind-blowing global magicians who destroy reality for the show titled from his 2003 Sci-Fi special that also was used in the Ludacris song about “Mindfreak.”

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