Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (* 7. December 1805 in Blois , France as Jean Eugène Robert ; † 13. June 1871 ) was a French magician of, machine designer and founder in 1845 in the rue de Valois (N ° 11) in Paris opened and The magic theater Théâtre Robert-Houdin moved to the Boulevard des Italiens (N ° 8) in 1854 .
Life
Robert-Houdin's father was a watchmaker , where he first learned the trade. Due to his training in precision mechanics, he was able to build “magical” devices with which he hit the nerve of the times; shortly before that, machines like Wolfgang von Kempelen's “ Chess Turk ” were on everyone's lips. In 1844, for example, he presented a writing machine at an exhibition in Paris.
Father of modern magic
In the middle of the 19th century he opened his own theater in the old Palais Royal , where he delighted the Parisian audience with elegant tricks, optical illusions and mental magic at his soirées fantastiques . Instead of the garments that jugglers are used to, Robert-Houdin favored stylish, contemporary clothing and created an elegant style that particularly appealed to an intellectual audience. Although Robert-Houdin only worked as a magician for eleven years, he shaped the appearance of magicians for several generations.
Robert-Houdin invented many tricks that became classics, e.g. B. the ethereal boy , a forerunner of the " floating virgin ". Many of his illusions had tricky mechanical secrets and were based on the use of electricity. Robert-Houdin performed magic for the top of society and toured the UK and Germany. His magic theater was later taken over by the animation pioneer Georges Méliès , who showed his first films there.
The American magician Harry Houdini used the surname Houdini as a tribute to his role model Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Machine pioneer
Robert-Houdin designed several clocks with ingeniously hidden mechanisms, such as a clock whose hands move due to the shifting of the center of gravity. He also built all kinds of amusement machines such as a mechanical bird, an acrobat swinging on a trapeze and a singing bust. He developed various electrical signal systems for everyday use.
In honor of Robert-Houdin, a museum was set up in Blois opposite the château of the same name . Various of the machines he designed can also be viewed.
Other services
Robert-Houdin is the first author known by name of a book on cheating that was immediately translated into several languages. His autobiography, written with all kinds of poetic freedom, which has also been translated into many languages (into German for the first time in 1969), is part of world literature and inspired, among other things. Harry Houdini , who even borrowed his last name from him, while the first name referred to Harry Kellar . In addition to numerous devices for entertainment purposes and signaling technology, Robert-Houdin also invented several instruments for examining the eyes. For this, the international ophthalmology congress in 1867 honored him with a gold medal.
propagandist
In his memoirs, Robert-Houdin reports on a mission undertaken on behalf of the French government during the Algerian war at the time . In order to prevent a rebellion by local magicians, the marabouts , in 1856, he was supposed to use his tricks to attract sympathy among the population, but also to illustrate the superiority of the French. Robert-Houdin had Algerians try in vain to lift a small box, which a little French girl managed to do with ease - since a hidden electromagnet had meanwhile been switched off. He also demonstrated catching rifle bullets, which he then shot at a wall, which then apparently began to bleed. Robert-Houdin finally convinced “that the magical power of France is ultimately far superior to the magic of the marabouts. The uprising was nipped in the bud ”.
Fonts
- Confidences d'un prestidigitateur. Une vie d´artiste (1858) - Memoirs
- Les Tricheries des Grecs dévoilés (1861) - card games
- Note sur de nouveaux instruments propres à l'observation des divers organes de l'oeil ainsi qu'à la manifestation des images entoptiques (1867) - Devices for eye examination
- Les secrets de la Prestidigitation et de la Magie (1868) - Magic
- Les Radiations Lumineuses (1869) - Ophthalmology
- Exploration de la Rétinue (1869) - Ophthalmology
- Magie et Physique amusante (1877, posthumous) - magic and physics
Honors
Robert-Houdin has a seat in the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame today .
The Académie des sciences has awarded him eleven times. In 1896, 25 years after his death, he was elected to the Société des gens de lettres .
literature
- Harry Houdini : The unmasking of Robert-Houdin. In: The Publishers Printing Co. New York 1908 ( online version ).
Web links
- Literature by and about Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin in the catalog of the German National Library
- MagicPedia. Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. In: geniimagazine.com. Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, accessed June 13, 2021 .
- Trailer for a video documentation
- Robert Houdin Museum in Blois
- Watch Wiki. Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. In: watch-wiki.org. Retrieved June 13, 2021 .
- Short biography: The life of Robert-Houdin
Individual evidence
- ↑ Blockchain - a technology that is revolutionizing the way we think , Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Oct. 2, 2017
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Robert-Houdin, Jean Eugène |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French magician |
DATE OF BIRTH | December 7, 1805 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Blois |
DATE OF DEATH | June 13, 1871 |