Brief History of Magic
"Magic has been explored and experimented with for centuries. An Egyptian papyrus dated around 2500 BCE portrays a magician named Dedi performing an animal decapitation trick for the pharaoh.
According to the story, Dedi magically replaces the severed heads and then makes a number of prophecies to the king.
Some experts believe that the tale is purely fictional, while others point out that there are a number of Egyptian stories that describe magicians who also make prophecies.
As early as 50 CE there is documentation of magic as entertainment.
A group of magicians called the Acetabularii performed the Cup and Balls routine in ancient Rome for roughly 250 years.
Not much is not about the fate of Magic during the Dark Ages 476 AD to about 1000 AD.
It is believed that superstitions and fear of the supernatural might created a struggle for the art of magic during this time.
People feared the occult. In 1584 Reginald Scot published The Discovery of Witchcraft,
a book which would dissuade people from burning or hanging for simple magic tricks.
In 1603 the books were ordered to be burned by King James I.
During the 18th century Stage and Street Magic became a more prominent.
You could find magic being performed at fairs and magic parlors.
Being a Magic Performer became more respectable and slowly grew to what we know today.
The last couple hundred years have had many Magicians rise to household names.
Harry Houdini, a famous escape artist. David Copperfield is considered one of the most successful Illusionist of all time (when you look at his monetary success.
Pen and Teller have a famous Las Vegas show and a popular TV show. There are many more. It can be a very fun and rewarding hobby to have.