A Note on the Names of Selected Magicians

Abstract

This note defines the concept of “magic” and comments on the meaning of its various synonyms. Second, it suggests a typology of names based on 150 selected stage names or pseudonyms employed by magicians. Finally, it contains an appendix with a selected list of magicians’ stage names and real names including birth and death dates (where available) and place of birth (where available).

Keywords:

• conjuring
• effect
• illusion
• legerdemain
• magic
• magicians
• prestidigitation
• sleight-of-hand
• pseudonym
• stage name
• trick
• trompe l’oeil

Note on contributor

Frank Nuessel is Editor of Names: A Journal of Onomastics (2008–). He is a University Scholar at the University of Louisville. He served as President of the Semiotic Society of America (2011), and Chief Reader of AP Italian (2006–2009, 2011–2012). He was President of the American Association of Teachers of Italian (2012–2014).