Cardopolis

Random Thoughts of a Magical Nature. Notes, Trivia and other Fragments

Welcome to Cardopolis

I began the Cardopolis blog in 2002 as a repository for ideas I was thinking about: card magic, mentalism, history. All a bit random and schedule was erratic.

Some years ago I began writing a column for Genii magazine under the Cardopolis banner. That was to a better schedule. The column appears every two months and from time to time there is an overlap with the articles that appear on the blog.

This Cardopolis Newsletter features videos to better describe a few sleights and ideas. It’s a subscription newsletter in a minor effort to avoid being a totally public forum but if you are at all interested in magic, then you are most welcome here.

Invisible Men

The first article under this new publishing regime is called Invisible Men. It is teased on CardopolisMagic Instagram account and published on the Cardopolis blog.

The methods for creating the effect of invisibility are fascinating. So too are the people who have tried to sell illusions of invisibility as science. You’ll read about a range of roguish characters including Herbert Winck, Stefan Pribil, Dunninger, Horace Goldin, Harry Price and Sandy MacPherson. Richard Wiseman will then bring some real science to the proceedings, courtesy of Robert Harbin. .

A special thanks goes out to Vanessa Viana at Studio33 in Ansiao, Portugal. It was some years ago when I asked her if it was possible to edit some photos together to give the impression they were a movie clip. She looked at me as if that was the dumbest question in the world. She’s a smart designer and I had my movie in a matter of seconds. I asked if she could add a ‘whooshing’ sound as the man in the space suit became invisible. She gave me that look again. That was in 2017. Apologies to Vanessa for the holding on to this video for so long.

CardopolisMagic on Instagram

Instagram allows me to post some videos of card magic and sleights. Instagram will show you the effect and the method will be explained in the Cardopolis Newsletter.

In the first instance, these are bare bones effects and descriptions. If you are an experienced card handler, you’ll understand what’s being shown very quickly. But feel free to ask questions or share your own thoughts or videos.

Here’s an example. This video will soon appear on CardopolisMagic Instagram account. And the Cardopolis Newsletter that accompanies it will contain an explanation.

I’m glad this introduction is over. I’m betting you are too. But I can say that there’s some interesting material on the way particularly from my friends in magic. Topics include card magic and card cheating, psychics and charlatans, and the occasional oddity that defies categorisation. We thank you for subscribing.

David Britland