NEWS, LECTURES & EVENTS
Registrations are now open and includes all the lectures and events from 21 to 24 August, the welcome party, the gala dinner and the closing show.
Lunch on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 are not included (additional registration for these events will be opened later on but are not mandatory).
Cancellation is free until December 2024, except a 5% processing fee commission. From January to April 2025 cancellation costs are 50% of the registration fees, from May 2025 no refunds will be possible.
The Official Poster of the event is ready !
We hope that you like it and that you will like as well the full conference.
See you in August 2025 !
We’re working actively at the program and we do have a lot of interesting ideas already on the table! Do you want to take a glimpse to it? Follow the updates below...
Pauliina Räsänen (Finland)
Paulina is an illusionist and PhD researcher at the The School of History, Culture and Arts Studies, University of Turku. Her research interest is the feminine viewpoint to the history of circus and magic arts. After flying on the trapeze in Cirque du Soleil, Räsänen co-founded ArtTeatro Ltd, a Finland based circus and magic production company.
During the Conference in Riga Paulina will speak about her research:
Celebrated but Forgotten:
Female Magicians in the Northern Europe in 1880s-1890s.
Celebrated but Forgotten:
Female Magicians in the Northern Europe in 1880s-1890s.
During the Golden Era of Magic, many female magicians became international stars of magic on Northern European stages. Viennese Sidonie Roman (1850*-1950*) and Danish Pauline Schmidt (1865-1944) traveled on their own across Northern European countries of Finland, Sweden, Russia, Norway, France, Poland and Denmark captivating audiences with their novelty illusions and magical feats. Despite their impressive careers and groundbreaking contributions to the art of magic, these women have been overshadowed by their male counterparts in the annals of history. Through an examination of their lives, careers, and achievements, I aim to shed light on the agency of traveling female artists, who shaped the new womanhood ideals at at the threshold of the modern era.
Dace Pezzoli (Latvia)
Performer, former teacher, sand painting artist, head of Museum and Theater of Illusion MYSTERO, Dace is also researcher of Latvian history of magic.
Together with former Riga Circus Director Lolita Lipinska, Dace collected information about Latvian magicians from XIX till XX century beginning, the result have been partially published in short videos (translated in English and Russian language) that are free to watch in the web page of Mystero.
In her lecture
Tales of a Latvian travelling magician:
San Martino de Kastrozza
Dace will finally unveil many little-known anecdotes about the life of "Professor San Martino De Kastrozza".
During the last 20 years Dace collected as much as possible information about the life and the repertoire of Jūlijs Skrastiņš and this lecture is the result of this research.
Tales of a Latvian travelling magician:
San Martino de Kastrozza
San Martino de Kastrozza real name was Jūlijs Skrastiņš (sometimes mistakenly wrote as – Krastiņš); he was a Latvian magician, born in Valmiera in 1877 and died in Braunau, Austria, in 1946, where is actually buried.
In 1891 a young Jūlijs met in Riga Bruno Schenk who take him in his troupe as his assistant and student.
From that moment Jūlijs Skrastiņš understood what to do in his life and never look back. His career and success grow rapidly and bring him around the world in front of head of State as the King of Spain, the Shah of Persia or the Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
De Kastrozza (also mistakenly known as “De Kastrocca”) toured extensively in all Europe especially in Estonia (where he met his wife Emilia Anete, his partner in the show as Miss Iris De Kastrozza”) and in Finland, where he was often resident for long periods, for that reason, today, there is still confusion about his origin and is often confused as Finnish or Estonian. However he was born and raised in Latvia, where he often comes back to perform between 1910 and 1937 and was very popular and well known.
We are proud to announce the participation of a panel of experts from the University of Bologna, Italy, to introduce the project "UseFool", a very interesting research of which you can read below ! The researchers will debate in a panel titled:
"THE ARABIC MEDIAEVAL TRADITION: IT’S JUST LIKE MAGIC!"
ERC Project UseFool
Knowledge and manipulation of nature between usefulness and deception in the Arabo-Islamic tradition (9th–15th c.)
UseFool brings together a corpus of previously unexplored Arabic technical sources that illustrate how to exploit the properties of natural substances in order to entertain and deceive.
The project considers for the first time the technical knowledge of nature as applied by merchants, charlatans, craftsmen, and entertainers in the streets, markets, and other public and private urban spaces of the Arabo-Islamic Mediaeval and early modern world.
Erudite scholars and street performers alike were engaged with the knowledge of nature and its numerous applications. UseFool investigates the parallel development of this interest in the different social and intellectual groups engaged in the transmission of this knowledge and involved in its practice.
Lucia Raggetti
A Rabbit from the Turban.
The Natural Science of Magic in the Arabo-Islamic Middle age.
The Mediaeval Arabo-Islamic culture offers a unique case study
for the exploration of illusionistic magic and in the premodern world of entertainment.
The uniquely abundant textual corpus:
-four different handbooks and countless literary echoes-
allows to explore different perspective on magic for entertainment: that of the master of courtly ceremonies, the one of the officer appointed to control public life and markets, or the learned performer who could enchant princes and enthrall common people equally.
Between the lines of manuscripts and through the replication and re-enactment of the procedures, one sees that a deep knowledge of nature animates the tricks, and this is where history of science and history of magic meet.
Sara Fani & Marianna Marchini
Magic on the Tip of the Pen. Impossible Surfaces and Inks for Special Effects
Making and using ink for writing was a commonly shared experience in the premodern Arabo- Islamic world, a practice based on an empirical knowledge of natural substances.
Almost any ink, however, has the potential to turn into an extraordinary experience.
In the case of black ink, it is enough to tweak the order of the phases and the writing will seem to appear from thin air;
while coloured inks are presented as a technical wonder in themselves.
Moreover, the writing surface offers another angle to exploit the wonders of writing
Marco Baschetti & Marianna Marchini
Let’s Egg on! History, Tricks & Secrets of Arabic Mediaeval Egg Magic
Between its association with a synthesis of the cosmos and its culinary role, eggs are one of the magic tools that invariably occurs in premodern Arabic handbooks on illusionism and magic tricks.
Either in a dedicated chapter or listed among other special effects, eggs play a major role, possibly for their large availability. The range of tricks is definitely wide, from the roly-poly egg to the soften ones that can pass though rings and bottle necks.
A special case is represented by the tradition of writing on eggs, which is attested already from antiquity and travelled through many centuries and different cultures till our time and in Central Europe was introduced only in the late XVI century from Giambattista Della Porta in his Magiae Naturalis.
The Arabic episode of this story, along with its replication, gives the occasion to solve the technical riddle of inscribed eggs.
Meet the experts of UseFool (Italy):
Lucia Raggetti
Professor of Arabic science, PI of the UseFool Project, her expertise focuses on Arabic manuscript sources dealing with the knowledge of nature, about which she published
widely.
Sara Fani
Assistant Professor of Arabic, expert in Arabic paleography, codicology, and early prints. She widely published on Arabic manuscripts, inks, and Arabic technical literature ingeneral.
Marco Baschetti
PhD candidate working on the pseudo-galenic tradition of uroscopy in Arabic,
its Greek roots and later reception.
Marianna Marchini
Assistant Professor of photo-chemistry, she is a pioneer in the
interdisciplinary research that unites humanities and hard sciences.
Walter Maffei (Italy)
Walter Maffei is a professional magician and actor from North Italy.
Since childhood he has been fascinated, literally, by the magic of movies, with time this interest developed in a particular collection of information and video clip and, later on, in a perpetual research of the anthropologic aspect of magic in modern culture.
In the lasts years he received numerous international awards and his articles and glossary have been edited on books and magazine for magician in Italy.
In his lecture
Magic & Movies:
A short story of a long relationship
Walter Maffei will explore 100 years of the cinema/magic perfect combination.
Magic & Movies:
A short story of a long relationship
From George Melies till our modern days, Cinema and Magic have often crossed their paths.
Have you ever thought about how many times we have seen an illusionist or a magician in a film?
Since the cinema was born, until today, we can count thousands of cinema scenes in which the protagonists are magicians. Many movies have even had the character of illusionist as the main role.
For several years magic tricks and illusions have even been used as “special effects” in movies, long before the modern CGI was introduced.
In a short compilation of movies extracts Walter Maffei will illustrate a short history of this connection with a bit of humor and storytelling.
The first visit is confirmed!
Welcome to the SPLENDID PALACE
Splendid Palace is one of the most magnificent and long-standing European cinemas that has brought joy to film lovers with excellent quality art since 1923.
Since the very beginning, the cinema stood out due to an excellent film repertoire and perfect service. During the silent film era, a wonderful orchestra provided the visitors with an immersive experience into the films’ universes.
Splendid Palace was a trailblazer in many aspects. It was the first cinema in the Baltics to screen sound films, and in the 1930s, it became the premier venue for showing Latvian films. The cinema was very successful – statistics show that from 1923 to 1940, the cinema was visited by 6 million viewers.
HOUDINI movies:
"The Master Mystery"
Step back in time: once you enter the Splendid Palace doors you will feel like to be back in the '20.
For this reason, during the visit of this magnificent building, we will organize the projection of a selection of the Houdini movie "The Master Mystery" with live music from a piano to give a full feeling of the silent movies era and, of course, the magic of Houdini.
Besides, during the day, there will be other activities that will connect movies with magic, as the conference of Walter Maffei (see above in the news) and others at which we are working.
You can read more about the Cinema building in the web page: www.splendidpalace.lv/en
Flip Hallema - FL!P (The Netherland)
Born Rotterdam 1941. Company and later freelance graphic- and industrial designer. Since 1972 professional magician with an international career. Known for his creativity and the FL!Pstick-move (used by many magicians).Was presented with the Performing Fellowship Award 2005 by the Academy of Magical Arts, Hollywood. Loves philosophy, nature, art and cooking. And delving in the History of Magic!
in his lecture: Six generations of Bamberg magicians: from Eliaser to Fu Manchu. FLIP will tell more about one of the biggest European dinasty of magicians.
Six generations of Bamberg magicians: from Eliaser to Fu Manchu.
The Bamberg dynasty originated in Holland, some were only famous in their own country, two of them, Okito and Fu Manchu, became world famous. Although a lot has been written about the latter two, extensive search during the last years have brought more interesting and surprising information to light about them and more members of that talented and enterprising family. The talk will be accompanied by picture projections, an Okito requisite demonstration and a short family-movie.
If all goes well, a very detailed, extensive and probably final biography (by Ko Sturkop with my support) will be ready and available at the conference.
Maciej Puławski (Poland)
I am a PhD candidate at the University of Warsaw, in the Doctoral School of Humanities, in the field of literature studies. In 2021, I obtained my Master’s degree in Italian Studies with a thesis focused on the political thought of Machiavelli’s Mandragola and its connections with De principatibus. In my doctoral research I work on Renaissance Tuscan comedies, focusing on their impact on the Medici’s politics, aiming to depict a holistic image of their propaganda in theatrical writings presented during wedding celebrations. I also analyse comical representations of different aspects of social life in the 16th century, their symbolic meanings and their comparison with historical reality. So far I have presented my papers at various conferences and workshops, both at national level (Jagiellonian University, Kraków) and abroad (Medici Archive Project, Florence, A kind of magic: visioni e declinazioni interdisciplinari del magico. University of Turin).
The "Magician" intended as a doctor, alchemist or sorcerer is a precursor of the modern illusionist as, often, the techniques used to perform the so called miracles or healings were nothing more than sleight of hands.
In his lecture
Charlatanism on stage: pseudo-magical rituals and cures in Italian Renaissance comedies.
Maciej Puławski will explore the figure of the charlatans in the 16 Century litterature.
Charlatanism on stage:
pseudo-magical rituals and cures in Italian Renaissance comedies.
Magical aspects, the presence of various supernatural cures or remedies represent one of the characteristics of Renaissance comedies, undoubtedly inherited from their ancient predecessors. Since cardinal Bibbiena’s Calandria, the phenomenon appeared in numerous theatrical writings of “commedia erudita” spread throughout the courts of Italian city-states and duchies. In fact, the figure of a mage or a necromancer developed in different directions, both as a separate on-stage character and as a temporary occupation of another protagonists (i.e. when a servant or a lover temporarily pretended to posses magical skills).
On the other hand, the charlatanry, is not confined to spells or incantations of the self-proclaimed magicians. Some characteristics of sorcery can be also traced in miraculous medical treatments supposedly curing serious health disorders, such as in case of Machiavelli’s Mandragola, where a magical potion heals infertility of a protagonist. In other terms, many extraordinary medical therapies from the texts are strictly related to popular beliefs and superstitions, that is why they can be easily considered as a form of magic.
The principal objective of this presentation will consist of a comparative analysis of different forms of magic and magicians (sorcerers, necromancers or false physicians) in Italian comedies from the 16th century. The exam shall begin with the texts mentioned above, passing to the subsequent ones, such as Ariosto’s Negromante. The representative selection of comedies shall provide a complex analysis of the phenomenon, i.e. the development of mage-charlatan in Renaissance drama and the variety of tricks and treatments used to deceive credulous on-stage characters.
Anne Goulden (UK)
Anne Goulden married John Davenport 48 years ago and became interested in magic history as a result. Initially she worked on Lewis Davenport’s career but her interests broadened into such areas as the Maskelynes, music hall, and the entertainment business generally.
She wishes it to be known that her husband’s family is not related to the American Davenport Brothers in any way. Lewis Davenport’s real name was Ryan.
The subject of her lecture is the 1865 encounter between J N Maskelyne and the Davenport Brothers in Cheltenham, England.
That encounter is important in British magic history for two reasons:
- It set Maskelyne & Cooke off on their long career as professional entertainers
- It led directly to the two Maskelyne theatres in London: the Egyptian Hall and St George’s Hall.
The Davenport Brothers and J N Maskelyne
The Davenport Brothers visited Cheltenham on 9 March 1865 and unintentionally launched Maskelyne & Cooke on their long career as public entertainers. Two members of the Maskelyne family published accounts of that visit. They portrayed J N Maskelyne as the lone genius who unmasked the Davenport Brothers. For many years the Maskelyne version of the story was the best that was available and historians were forced to rely on it. Nowadays, however, we have online access to the newspapers of the time. They provide a wealth of detailed information.
Anne uses contemporary press reports to follow the Davenport Brothers around England in the months leading up to their Cheltenham visit. The newspaper record tells a story which is more complicated and much more interesting than the Maskelyne version.
Jan Isenbart (Germany)
Jan Isenbart is a German magic author, collector, and creator. He is a member of the Magic Circle of Germany (MZvD) and an active supporter of the Magic Arts Foundation (Stiftung Zauberkunst).
Since 2009 Jan has been running an English and German magic blog at www.zzzauber.com (meaning mmmagic). He has spoken at EMHC 2019, The Magic Circle History Day 2022 and at several German-speaking conferences on topics as diverse as Magicians at War, Hieronymus Bosch, Magic Postage Stamps, and Kalanag's Polaroid Trick (with Jonathan Allen).
Magic in Advertising and Advertising’s Magic
For more than 150 years, companies have been using magic and magicians in their brand advertising. Based on a broad sample of magic ads, this presentation seeks to identify recurrent images, tricks, and strategies that have been employed in order to sell products. It also takes a look at some famous magicians who acted as spokesmen for certain brands. This eclectic tour de force demonstrates the deep impact of magic on popular culture as reflected in mass advertising since the mid-19th century. In reverse, it shines a clouded light on the rather stereotypical perception of magic and its performers through the lens of brand advertising.
HEADQUARTER HOTEL
We secured the Kempinski Hotel as headquarter during the conference.
At first let me say that this is absolutely one of the best Hotel in Riga, which will ensure not only a lot of comfort but it is also the perfect location as is situated right in the Old Town at a walking distance to a couple of place where we will have excursions, the gala dinner and where we will also organize the 2 days expo-market and the final day events (Sunday 24).
You can book your room at a discounted rate for the period of the conference using the code below, simply add the code and you will automatically get the special rate.
Code: MAGIC2025
The rate that we got are the following:
- 270 EUR per Superior room per night
- 300 EUR per Deluxe room per night
- 320 EUR per Opera Deluxe room per night
The rate include all tax, breakfast and full day access to the Hotel SPA
However, keep in mind that August is a very busy month in Riga, as it is the peak of the summer season and many events and festivals take place during this period. we recommend you book your hotel as early as possible to avoid the risk of not finding a place anymore.
We are happy to confirm the cooperation with Riga Circus! The opening of the Conference will take place in the premises of the Circus, where it will be possible to admire a collection of historical posters from their archives.
The Riga circus (Salamonsky Circus) is the only permanent circus building in the Baltic states and one of the first in Europe.
Built in 1888 by impresario and circus artist Albert Salamonsky, in the past this place featured not only strongmen, jugglers, clowns, and acrobats, but also the first cinema shows in Riga, concerts and wonders of art from all over the world. Many famous illusionists did perform in the ring and a special lecture will be organized about this matter.
Panel discussion: Strategies for Sustaining Magic History Communities (Sunday 24)
Co-hosted by Marco Pusterla and Véronique Faber this session will bring together representatives from various magic history associations and communities to discuss recurring challenges they face and share their experiences in addressing them.
Many countries have communities united by their interest in the subject and shared language. However, managing these exchanges on a voluntary basis over the long term and attracting new members can be difficult. The objective of this session is to learn from each other’s experiences in discussing with the participants and identify common strategies for overcoming these obstacles.
Fergus Roy (UK)
Fergus Roy was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1935 and attended Strathclyde University where he obtained a B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry.
In 1980 he succumbed to his passion for magic by joining his wife Betty Davenport in the Davenport Magic business. During 1984/5 he devised and presented a TV series “Illusions” and was awarded his Membership of the Inner Magic Circle. Between 2009/12 wrote a series of 4 books “The Davenport Story” for which he received The Milbourne Christopher Award for Literature. He has enjoyed lecturing in both Europe and the USA and in 2024 was invited to present his acclaimed lecture “Murray - The Marco Polo of Magic” at the Blackpool Magicians Convention.
Gilly - Gilly
The Life of George Davenport
Fergus Roy latest research has been on George Davenport, known as Gilly, the legendary head of Davenports Magic whose contribution to the dominance of Davenports in the magic business during the 20th. Century has never been fully discussed nor appreciated.
Fergus will be presenting at the EMHC convention the results of his research in his lecture “Gilly - Gilly, The Life of George Davenport” where he will recount in detail many little-known events in the life of this extraordinary man.
A market of antique props, poster, memorabilia will be organized during Saturday and Sunday. If you are interested in a space let us know.