It translates quite literally as “keep your trap shut”.īefore sitting down, Jamie takes me on a tour of the upper and bottom floors, all of which are adorned with hundreds of props and magical artefacts collected over more than a century, including Harry Houdini's handcuffs, and Maurice Fogel's X-rays, which show bullets lodged in his chest and hip, the result of his attempt to catch a bullet in his teeth. On closer inspection it is clearly embellished with the twelve signs of the Zodiac, with the Latin saying Indocilis Privata Loqui inscribed under the headstone. Front and centre of the main hallway is a spiralling staircase, which snakes its way up five floors around a striking floor mosaic. But as I enter through its heavy steel-girded doors to meet Jamie, the structure's masonic architecture is readily apparent. On approach, the building looks surprisingly discreet, tucked away down an old narrow alley close to Euston station. But today, Jamie has been granted special dispensation to take me on a tour of its mysterious collections, as he continues to add the final touches to his show. Becoming a household name during his stint on Britain’s Got Talent last year, Raven is well frequented with the Prince of Wales’s magical talents, having viewed the set of cups and balls he performed with on multiple occasions, down in the Circle’s underground museum collection.Īside from its members, few outsiders have ever been permitted to enter the Magic Circle. “He did his audition in the same place as all of our members the handcuffs from his trick are downstairs in the museum.” Indeed, the Prince of Wales is perhaps the best known (yet least associated) member of the exclusive club, having passed his entrance exam in 1975. “Don’t forget that list includes Prince Charles too,” says Jamie Raven, as we meet to discuss his latest show, which for the first time in the society’s history, will take place inside the Circle’s headquarters in north London. Harry Houdini, David Copperfield and the modern television star Dynamo are just some of the more iconic figures to have found a second home behind its walls, hidden among a select crop of magicians who, like them, were chosen on merit and originality. Conjured up by the founding fathers at the turn of the 20 th century, it remains the world’s premier magic society – one which is fiercely private and shrouded in secrecy. London museums - Information, Facts and Figures about LondonĬopyright 2016.For more than a century, the Magic Circle has remained a closed book, its mysterious practices hidden from the outside world. You can ask all of your questions, regarding the cost, hours and more. To arrange a guided tour, you have to contact the organisers. Here is the time to suspend your disbeliefs to fully enjoy what the museum has to offer. A visit to the Magic Circle Museum is recommended not just to people who are planning to pursue a career in magic but also to people who would like to be awed by magical tricks. The museum is undoubtedly an interesting place to visit what with all the magical and mysterious that it offers on display. Suddenly, magic had become a lot cooler than it was before. After the first Harry Potter film was announced in 2001, the membership actually doubled. You may be interested to know that the Harry Potter franchise had a hand in increasing the number of magician members in the organisation. Specifically, some of the items that you will find in the museum include rifles from Maurice Fogel’s “Bullet Catch”, the robes of Chung Ling Soo, television magicians’ props and more. Included in the museum, as well, are magic tricks, posters, photos, programs, props and toys. The Magic Circle Museum showcases magic artefacts such as those used by illusionists and magicians. While the magicians meet together to talk about how they could further promote magic, they have also promised not to reveal their secrets to the public. Today, there are about eighty female magicians in the circle. In 1991, more than three quarters of the members believed it was time to admit women. For several decades, the Magic Circle consisted of only male magicians.
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