Jacob Philadelphia
Jacob Philadelphia | |
---|---|
Born | Jacob Meyer August 14, 1735 |
Died | 1795 (aged 59–60) Köthen, Germany |
Notable work | Little Treatise on Strange and Suitable Feats |
Jacob Philadelphia was a
Biography
He is believed to have been born in
When he converted to
In James Randi's view, Meyer was probably the "first American-born...magician to attain any fame".[6]: 28 He was an early pioneer of phantasmagoria, a performance magic show with a focus on the appearance of ghostly figures.[7] His shows involved "magic lantern, mirror effects, and various magnetic and electrical (usually high-voltage) demonstrations"[6]: 28
The Little Treatise on Strange and Suitable Feats was written by Meyer in 1774. In 1758, he toured England. Although he presented himself as being a scientist, many took him for a magician. In 1777 he refused to lecture in
Meyer retired in Köthen, Germany, and died at the turn of the century [6]: 29
Biographical novel
A biographical novel has been written by Marion Philadelphia in German about the life of Jacob Philadelphia. Its title is Der Gaukler der Könige (The Conjurer of Kings).[8]
See also
References
- ISBN 0-02-865928-7
- ^ Sachse, Julius (1907). "Jacob Philadelphia, Mystic and Physicist". Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society. 16: 73–94. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- ^ [https://web.archive.org/web/20070212041608/http://www.bartleby.com/65/ma/magic-THEAT.html Archived 2007-02-12 at the Wayback Machine magic, in entertainment. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
- ^ Magic and magicians - Early American Magicians
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-03-14. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ OCLC 26162991.
- ^ Ruffles, Tom (October 2004). Ghost Images: Cinema Of The Afterlife. Mcfarland & Co. pp. 19–20.
- ISBN 3-7645-0071-9