Creative Arts Book of the Week 08/04/14

You can’t miss this huge book on the library display – Magic: 1400 – 1950.  Not only is it huge, its gorgeous – celebrating more than 500 years of visual culture relating to the world’s greatest magicians.  It draws on vintage posters, photographs, handbills and engravings to trace the history of magic as a performing art.

When it eventually finds its way back to its proper home in the library it will be with all of the other large books – those with a  shelfmark starting with L, at the end of the numbered sequence on the second floor.  If you like this book, you must have a look at the Victorian Popular Culture database.  It has sections relating to Spiritualism, sensation and magic, Circuses, sideshows and freaks, Music hall, theatre and popular entertainment and Moving pictures, optical entertainments and the advent of cinema. Enjoy!