David Devant
David Devant , real name David Wighton , (born February 22, 1868 in London , † October 13, 1941 in London) was a British magician . He performed both alone and together with John Nevil Maskelyne and his son Nevil Maskelyne . Devant was one of the best British wizards of his time. With Nevil Maskelyne he wrote the book Our Magic , which became a standard work in stage magic.
Life
David Devant - son of a low-income draftsman - could only attend school since he was ten. He contributed to the family's livelihood while doing odd jobs during his youth. He became interested in magic at an early age, read relevant literature and attended and analyzed performances by John Nevil Maskelyne and George Cooke as Maskelyne & Cooke at the Egyptian Theater . In 1893 he was hired by Maskelyne and convinced him of the possibilities that film offered for stage magic. Among other things, Devant procured a theatrograph, the first film projector produced in England by Robert William Paul (1869-1943). When Cooke died in 1904, Devant took on his role in Maskelyne's performances in the duo now called Maskelyne & Devant .
In 1905 Devant became the first president of the newly formed wizards' association The Magic Circle . Together with John's son Nevil Maskelyne , he wrote the book Our Magic in 1911 , which describes the theoretical and practical foundations of stage magic. In addition, Devant also appeared with Nevil's son Jasper Maskelyne as a "random boy from the audience" in London while John was on tour. In 1912 and 1913 Percy Thomas Tibbles appeared in Devant's Illusion Window of a Haunted House . In 1914, Devant and the Maskelynes separated, and in 1920 he retired from show business for health reasons. David Devant died in Putney, London in 1941 .
Devant has a seat in the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame today .
Fonts
- My Magic Life . Hutchinson, London 1931.
Web links
- David Devant
- Short biographies of stage magicians, a. a. David Devant
- Victorian cinema (English)
- Homepage of the Magic Circle (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Devant, David |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | David Wighton (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British magician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 22, 1868 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 13, 1941 |
| Place of death | London |