To Fellow TMC Readers:

When is the earliest published unambiguous articulation of the idea that exposure of conjuring principles and secrets hurts only incompetent performers? When was it published? Who wrote it?

I’m doing a paper on a subject and thought I’d throw this question out to the brain trust. I'd like to avoid debates on exposure and the correctness of the statement, if possible -- just looking for the earliest published reference. And remember, it has to be a clear statement of the concept, nothing vague or of an inferential nature.

Many thanks in advance.

Clay

Walter Gibson has a couple of pages worth of strong words to say on the subject of exposure in magic in The Back Room section of The Phoenix, Issue #17, September 4, 1942. The opening paragraph runs as follows:

"A few months ago the 'Genii' began a series of articles by the greatest magical exposer of all time, a gentleman named Decremps, who flourished around the year 1790. Decremps' books rate as the most vicious of all exposes because they were written with the express purpose of damaging, defaming, maligning and ridiculing the Chevalier Pinetti, the leading magician of that time." [end]

Some other interesting comments appear in Issue #289, September 11, 1953, in the context of some tricks having been exposed to the public in a magazine titled, Coronet:

"Let it be said that we don't think that dopey 'exposures' like the one in 'Coronet' hurt magic a bit, because without decent illustrations, and with a scant description like the one given, we don't believe for an instant that an uninterested layman will remember for more than thirty seconds what he has read... we wish the next time an expose article appears in a national magazine that the 'boys' would refrain from sending in letters threatening to boycott the magazine. It's just a little silly." [end]

I hope this is of some use.

Many thanks for your reply, Neo.

Is that it for responses? Bummer! To my knowledge, this concept was introduced at least over 325 years ago.

- Seneca the Younger, In his 45th Epistle to Lucilius
(4 B.C.-A.D. 65)

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of that quotation. It was in Ty Argo's signature here in the Magic Café long ago. I later found the same quotation on the Internet using Google after seeing it in Ty Argo's signature. It is in Gary Barnard's signature now. Jonathan Townsend also has posted that quotation on the Genii forum. One of those guys might have the 45th Epistle to Lucilius.

Many thanks, Bill!

I read the Seneca quote to mean that exposure hurts enjoyment by the spectator. But I do not read it as a statement that exposure hurts only incompetent performers.

Clay

The following is a translation from the Westcar Papyrus:

Prince Hordadef stood before the king, and he said: "Your Majesty has heard tales regarding the wonders performed by magicians in other days, but I can bring forth a worker of marvels who now lives in the kingdom."
King Khufu said: "And who is he, my son?"
"His name is Dedi," answered Prince Hordadef. "He is a very old man, for his years are a hundred and ten. Each day he eats a joint of beef and five hundred loaves of bread, and drinks a hundred jugs of beer. He can smite off the head of a living creature and restore it again; he can make a lion follow him; and he knows the secrets of the habitation of the god Thoth, which Your Majesty has desired to know so that you may design the chambers of your pyramid."
King Khufu said: "Go now and find this man for me, Hordadef."
The prince went down to the Nile, boarded a boat, and sailed southward until he reached the town called Dedsnefru, where Dedi had his dwelling. He went ashore, and was carried in his chair of state towards the magician, who was found lying at his door. When Dedi was awakened, the king's son saluted him and bade him not to rise up because of his years. The prince said: "My royal father desires to honour you, and will provide for you a tomb among your people."
Dedi blessed the prince and the king with thankfulness, and he said to Hordadef: "Greatness be thine; may your Ka have victory over the powers of evil, and may your Khu follow the path which leads to Paradise."
Hordadef assisted Dedi to rise up, and took his arm to help him towards the ship. He sailed away with the prince, and in another ship were his assistants and his magic books.
"Health and strength and plenty be thine," said Hordadef, when he again stood before his royal father King Khufu. "I have come down stream with Dedi, the great magician."
His Majesty was well pleased, and said: "Let the man be brought into my presence."
Dedi came and saluted the king, who said: "Why have I not seen you before?"
"He that is called cometh," answered the old man; "you have sent for me and I am here."
"It is told," King Khufu said, "that you can restore the head that is taken from a live creature."
"I can indeed, Your Majesty," answered Dedi.
The king said: "Then let a prisoner be brought forth and decapitated."
"I would rather it were not a man," said Dedi; "I do not deal even with cattle in such a manner."
A duck was brought forth and its head was cut off, and the head was thrown to the right and the body to the left. Dedi spoke magic words. Then the head and the body came together, and the duck rose up and quacked loudly. The same was done with a goose.
King Khufu then caused a cow to be brought in, and its head was cut off. Dedi restored the animal to life again, and caused it to follow him. His Majesty then spoke to the magician and said: "It is told that you possess the secrets of the dwelling of the god Thoth."
Dedi answered: "I do not possess them, but I know where they are concealed, and that is within a temple chamber at Heliopolis. There the plans are kept in a box, but it is no insignificant person who shall bring them to Your Majesty."
"I would fain know who will deliver them unto me," King Khufu said.

Dedi prophesied that three sons would be born to Rud-dedit, wife of the chief priest of Ra. The eldest would become chief priest at Heliopolis and would possess the plans. He and his brothers would one day sit upon the throne and rule over all the land.
King Khufu's heart was filled with gloom and alarm when he heard the prophetic words of the great magician.
Dedi then said: "What are your thoughts, O King? Behold your son will reign after you, and then his son. But next one of these children will follow."
King Khufu was silent. Then he spoke and asked: "When shall these children be born?"
Dedi informed His Majesty, who said: "I will visit the temple of Ra at that time. Now explain to me how you do these wondrous things?"

Dedi said, “I would be most happy to explain all my wonders to your majesty, for only incompetent magicians are harmed by such exposure.”

So Dedi told his Majesty how he had performed his marvels and swore him to secrecy. Together they formed the first magic society, where they told all the members their secrets and swore each of them to secrecy, but to no avail. Today everyone knows how to cut off the head of a goose and restore it to life. So much for secret magic societies.

Dedi was honored by His Majesty, and there afterwards dwelt in the house of the Prince Hordadef. He was given daily for his portion an ox, a thousand loaves of bread, a hundred jugs of beer, and a hundred bunches of onions. As Dedi said on his death bed, “It was a cheap price to pay for revealing my most prized magic secrets to the Pharaoh!”

The stories in the Westcar Papyrus are thought to have been composed during the Middle Kingdom or the Second Intermediate Period. ca. 18th century BC. Certain inaccuracies may have crept in during translation.

Many thanks, SB.

Is the excerpt provided with tongue in cheek? If not, what's your source for the translation?

Thanks in advance,

Clay

Thwhat? Thmee thstick thmy thtongue thin thmy thcheek?

Actually, Jonathan figured it out first by finding my original source:
http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/texts/westcar_papyrus.htm

Scroll down to the part about Djedi the Magician and wonder if Dedi was of the ancient order of Jedi Knights before there was a Geroge Lucas.

I'll use as my usual excuse that I was off my medication at the time.

Well, it was entertaining ...

So (sigh), we're back to the search. So far, the earliest unequivocal statement I can find is in the latter half of the 17th century.

What is the source and what is the statement? I showed you mine, now show us yours.

No, you didn't show us yours -- you made it up!

I posed this question in connection with an article I'm writing, the details of which, alas, I'm saving for that article. Sorry! But I'll provide a hint: assuming folks read what they buy, it's under the noses of at least 1,000 magicians.

Clay

Without knowing what I'm talking about (the usual case), since you won't reveal your source and I don't know if I'm one of the sacred thousand or not, I would guess that the later half of the 17th century would be about right, since that was the beginning time of magicians formally congregating with other magicians, forming societies, and worrying about exposure from their peers. I would imagine that prior to that, magicians kept pretty much to themselves and were not much discussed in newspapers. But what do I know? Good luck with the project and congratulations on not falling for such an obvious anachronism.