Program & events
Here is the final program of the Conference!
We look forward to seeing you in Riga in August to celebrate the twentieth anniversary:
- Full program EUROPEAN HISTORY OF MAGIC COLLECTOR 2025 -
THU 21 AUGUST
15:00-16:00 Reception at Riga Circus - visit of the premises
16:00-16:20 Welcome speech from Organizers (Enrico & Dace), Circus director
16:20-16:55 Lecture: Magicians that performed at the Riga Circus from 1888 till nowadays – by Lolita Lipinska
16:55-17:30 Conference: Flying Sphere Tamers and Bubble Manipulators: Soap bubble performers during the Vaudeville era – by Enrico Pezzoli
17:30-17:50 Opening Performance (Carillon, duo “Elastic Iguana”, Mantas Wizard)
17:50 – 18:00 Short introduction about program and logistic for the day
18-00-19:40 Free time for dinner
19:40 Autobus transfer to MYSTERO – meeting point: Kempinski Hotel
20:00 Social event: Opening Party in MYSTERO (snacks, drinks, performances)
22:30 and 23:30 Autobus transport back to Old Town – Kempinski Hotel
FRI 22 AUGUST
9:00 Autobus transfer to MYSTERO – meeting point: Kempinski Hotel
9:30 – 11:30 “Magicians and Charlatans between the Renaissance and the Modern Age” conferences:
- Aurelio Paviato: The Asti Manuscript
- Salvatore Rapacciuolo: Fast and Loose - The Many Incarnations of a Scam
- Maciej Puławski: Charlatanism on stage: pseudo-magical rituals and cures in Italian Renaissance comedies.
11:30 - 12:00 Coffee break
12:00 – 13:30 “Great Dynasties of magicians” lectures:
- Fergus Roy: Gilly - Gilly The Life of George Davenport
- Flip Allema: Six generations of Bamberg magicians: from Eliaser to Fu Manchu.
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch break (Lunch at Mystero)
14:30 – 16:00 Project “Usefool” conferences:
- Lucia Raggetti: A Rabbit from the Turban.The Natural Science of Magic in the Arabo-Islamic Middle age.
- Sara Fani & Marianna Marchini: Magic on the Tip of the Pen. Impossible Surfaces and Inks for Special Effects
- Marco Baschetti & Marianna Marchini: Let’s Egg on! History, Tricks & Secrets of Arabic Mediaeval Egg Magic
16:00 - 16:30 Coffee break
16:30 – 18:30 “Women in Magic and Research” conferences:
- Dace Pezzoli: Tales of a Latvian travelling magician: San Martino de Kastrozza
- Anne Goulden: The Davenport Brothers and J N Maskelyne.
- Pauliina Räsänen: Celebrated but Forgotten: female magicians in the Northen Europe in 1880-1890's
18:30 Autobus transport back to Old Town – Kempinski Hotel
20:00 Social event 2: Reception with the Mayor of Riga and Gala Dinner at The Small Guild (Mazā ģilde - Amatu iela 5, Riga Old Town)
SAT 23 AUGUST
9:00 Autobus transfer to Latvian University Library – meeting point: Kempinski Hotel
9:30 - 10:10 Conference: Magic in advertising and advertising in magic – by Jan Isenbart
10:10 - 10:50 Conference: Modern trend of collecting – by Gabe Fajuri
10:50 - 12:20 Visit of expo “From alchemists to charlatans and illusionists in Latvia”
12:20 Autobus transport from Latvian University Library back to Old Town – Kempinski Hotel
12:35 - 14:15 Free time for lunch
14:15 Autobus transfer to CINEMA Splendid Palace – meeting point: Kempinski Hotel
14:35 - 15:20 Visit of the historical Splendid Palace Cinema and exposition of comics panels about Houdini
15:20 - 15:30 welcome speech (from Organizers and Cinema director)
15:30 - 16:20 Conference: Dante in Hollywood – by Mike Caveney
16:20 - 17:10 – Break – Outdoor welcome drink, and magic time
17:10 - 18:30 projection of HOUDINI movie Terror Island with live piano music
18:30 Autobus transport back to Old Town – Kempinski Hotel
18:50 - 20:00 Free time for dinner
20:00 Autobus transfer to MYSTERO – meeting point: Kempinski Hotel
20:30 Social event 3: Gala Magic Show – Aurelio Paviato presents: Tales of a craftsman of Illusions
21:55 – Charity Magic Auction by Gabe Fajuri from Potter & Potter (The proceeds will be donated to the Riga Children's Hospital)
22:40 - 00:00 After show party (Announcement 2027 Conference place, games, drinks…)
23:00 First bus transport back to Old Town – Kempinski Hotel
00:00 Second bus to Old Town
SUN 24 AUGUST - Hotel Kempinski Conference hall
9:00 – 13:30 Market – Expo – Exchange
13:30 - 14:30 Free time for lunch
14:30 - 15:15 Conference: 20 years of the EMHC – A short history of the conference – by Wittus Witt
15:15 - 16:15 Special event: World premiere of documentary movie "3 BOOKS – the Gunther Dammann Story"- by Freddie Rutz -
16:15 - 17:15 Panel discussion Strategies for Sustaining Magic History Communities
16:15 - 18:00 Market – Expo – Exchange
18:00 - Closing of Conference 2025 -
So far we have confirmed the following lectures (details on the NEWS):
- Flip Hallema: Six generations of Bamberg magicians: from Eliaser to Fu Manchu.
- Dace Pezzoli: Tales of a Latvian travelling magician: San Martino de Kastrozza
- Anne Goulden: The Davenport Brothers and J N Maskelyne.
- Lucia Raggetti: A Rabbit from the Turban.The Natural Science of Magic in the Arabo-Islamic Middle age.
- Sara Fani & Marianna Marchini: Magic on the Tip of the Pen. Impossible Surfaces and Inks for Special Effects
- Marco Baschetti & Marianna Marchini: Let’s Egg on! History, Tricks & Secrets of Arabic Mediaeval Egg Magic
- Gabe Fajuri: Modern trend of collecting
- Pauliina Räsänen: Celebrated but Forgotten: female magicians in the Northen Europe in 1880-1890's
- Maciej Puławski: Charlatanism on stage: pseudo-magical rituals and cures in Italian Renaissance comedies.
- Jan Isenbart: Magic in Advertising and Advertising’s Magic
- Mike Caveney: Dante in Hollywood
- Salvatore Rapacciuolo: Fast and Loose - The Many Incarnations of a Scam
- Wittus witt: 20 years of the EMHC – A short history of the conference
- Fergus Roy: Gilly - Gilly The Life of George Davenport
- Aurelio Paviato: The Asti Manuscript
- Enrico Pezzoli: Flying Sphere Tamers and Bubble Manipulators: Soap bubble performers during the Vaudeville era
- Lolita Lipinska: Magicians that performed at the Riga Circus from 1888 till nowadays
- Panel discussion: Strategies for sustaining Magic History communities (hosted by Marco Pusterla)