The oldest trick in Magic
The first ever recorded magic trick was historically recorded as being performed by a Magician called Dedi around 2,700 BC. The trick he performed was the cups and balls magic trick and the images were found on pyramids in Egypt. However some stories say he was a fictional Magician and other historians have debated this for a long time. Hi, I’m Roger Lapin a London Magician.
The first official recording of a magic trick being performed was by a group of Roman Magicians called the Acetabularii in 300 AD. Pictured below you can see they used small stones and what is thought to be vinegar cups to perform this trick.
So to answer the question, what was the first magic trick ever performed it is accepted amongst most magicians that the first magic trick ever performed is the cups and balls.
And in fact when I perform this routine, I will always introduce it as the “Oldest trick in the book!”
If you are looking for a Close up Magician or a Table Magician or an After Dinner Magician for your next event please get in touch.
If you want to learn how to do the cups and balls Paul Daniels explains it very well below
When was the first card trick performed?
Most historians attribute the first card trick to be performed by Giovanni Giuseppi Pinetti or Joseph Pinetti an Italian Magician from the 1700’s
Another question I get asked all the time is why do Magicians like using cards?
I think the answer to this question is because playing cards are so widely used and everyone knows what a pack of cards is, so to be able to perform a magic trick with cards or card tricks makes it easy for anyone watching to understand what is going on.
How many magic tricks are there?
Since the first ever magic trick was invented, there are now literally 1000’s of magic tricks being performed by magicians all over the world, from small tricks to friends to large illusions disappearing buildings and elephants!
The 8 types of Magic
| Levitation | Making something float or appear to fly without aid |
| Penetration | Pushing and object through another object |
| Prediction | Predicting a future event or thought |
| Restoration | Restoring an item that was previously damaged |
| Transformation | Changing one item into another |
| Transposition | Moving one object from one place to another |
| Appearance | Making an object appear |
| Vanish | Making an object disappear |
Magic falls into only 8 types and any trick that you will see performed be it large or small will fall into one of these 8 categories.
Hi, I’m Roger Lapin a Close up Magician based in the UK and available to hire for wedding reception entertainment and corporate events across the south of England. Recent performances have been as a Surrey Magician
