Joseffy

Josef P. Freud (also known as Joseffy) (3 March 1873 – 26 May 1946) was a Viennese magician.[1]

For other people named Joseffy, see Joseffy (disambiguation).

Joseffy
Frontispiece, "The Marvelous Creations of Joseffy" (1908)
Born
Josef P. Freud

3 March 1873
Vienna, Austria
Died26 May 1946(1946-05-26) (aged 73)
San Antonio, Texas
Occupationmagician
Known formagic

Life

Joseffy came to the United States of America at the age of 19 where he worked at a Chicago Magic Store, building props and illusions. He invented a self-contained, no-thread version of The Rising Cards that astounded magicians of his day.[2] One of his mechanical creations was "Balsamo, the Living Skull".[3]

Joseffy was a performer at Coney Island as the Chautauqua & Lyceum headliner, and also played violin.[4]

The American poet Carl Sandburg wrote a promotional booklet entitled simply Joseffy (1910).[2]

Joseffy eventually stopped performing and became an electrical engineer.[5]

Literature

Being very secretive about his inventions, it's been stated that in his book, The Marvelous Creations of Joseffy by David P. Abbott (1908), he either faked the photographs or showed apparatus that he did not actually use in the tricks to mislead the readers to the genuine secrets.

See also

References
  1. "Jim Steinmeyer newsletter Fall 2003".
  2. "Biographies Page H–I–J".
  3. David Phelps Abbott (1908). The Marvelous Creations of Joseffy. Open Court Publishing Company. p. 7.; Peabody, J. L. 'Spirit Pictures and a Speaking Skull.' Popular Mechanics Magazine.39:6 pp. 817-820.
  4. "Chautauqua & Lyceum Magicians".
  5. "Joseffy MagicPedia entry".


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