THE MAGIC CIRCLE MUSEUM LONDON PROFESSIONAL

The Magic Circle's headquarters houses a theatre, libraries, a dining room, a clubroom and bars. It was voted the UK's Number One Venue in the hospitality industry's Top 20 UK Venues poll 2008. Since 1998, The Magic Circle building in central London near Euston Station in Camden has been available for meetings and corporate entertainment. Anyone breaking this or any other rule may be expelled. 'incapable speaking private ') members give their word not to wilfully disclose magic secrets other than to bona fide students of magic.

The motto of the society is the Latin indocilis privata loqui, roughly translated as 'not apt to disclose secrets' (lit. There are around eighty female members of The Magic Circle, including Paul Daniels' wife, Debbie McGee.

The club was male-only until 1991, when more than 75% of members voted to admit women. The Magic Circular claims to be the longest running regular magic magazine in conjuring history. ĭevant became the first president of The Magic Circle, and in 1906, Maskelyne edited the first issue of The Magic Circular magazine, a regular feature for members ever since. The first official meeting was at the Green Man public house in Soho, but meetings were later in a room at St George's Hall in Langham Place, where David Devant and John Nevil Maskelyne were regularly seen performing. However, it was then agreed that the name 'Magic Circle' would be more appropriate and that this name shared the same initials as those of Martin Chapender. At this founders meeting, chaired by Servais Le Roy, those present decided upon the name of the Society - it was initially felt that the name of the Society should be the Martin Chapender Club, in memory of the noted performer, and founding member, who had recently died at the age of twenty-five.

THE MAGIC CIRCLE MUSEUM LONDON PROFESSIONAL

Christopher Wood, Victorian Painting, London 1999, pp.236-242.ĭoes this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.The Magic Circle was founded in 1905 after a meeting of 23 amateur and professional magicians at London's Pinoli's Restaurant.

Waterhouse, Oxford 1989, pp.37-8, reproduced p.36. When the picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1886 the critic for the Magazine of Art wrote 'Mr Waterhouse, in The Magic Circle, is still at his best - original in conception and pictorial in his results' (quoted in Hobson, p.37).įurther reading: Anthony Hobson, J.W. The meaning of the picture is unclear, but its mystery and exoticism struck a chord with contemporary observers. But within its confines are flowers and the woman herself, objects of beauty. Outside the circle the landscape is bare and barren a group of rooks or ravens and a frog - all symbols of evil and associated with witchcraft - are excluded. With the wand in her right hand she draws a protective magic circle round her. In her left hand she holds a crescent-shaped sickle, linking her with the moon and Hecate. Her dress and general appearance is highly eclectic, and is derived from several sources – her hairstyle is like that of an early Anglo-Saxon and her dress is decorated with Persian or Greek warriors. The woman in this picture appears to be a witch or priestess, endowed with magic powers, possibly the power of prophecy. This is one of Waterhouse's earlier works, and reflects his fascination with the exotic. His oeuvre also includes a number of middle-eastern subjects, in which he drew on the work of contemporary artists such as J.F Lewis (1805-76) and Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), rather than on actual experience. More specifically, the notion of woman as enchantress is one that recurs in images such as Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysees (1891, Oldham Art Gallery) and Hylas and the Nymphs (1896, Manchester City Art Gallery). Miracles, magic and the power of prophecy are common themes in Waterhouse's art.

The magic circle museum london