The Greatest Magician You've Never Heard Of...

Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser (June 19, 1806 – March 11, 1875) was an employee at the financial department of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy, and was in no way a doctor of physics. He used the title of “Dr. Hofzinser” as a stage name after retiring from his employment in 1865. As a magician he was best known for his clever conjuring inventions and refined sleight of hand skills. Hofzinser is called the ‘Father of Card Magic’ by the most prominent representatives of modern card artistry; magician Dai Vernon often mentioned Hofzinser in his books.

In his day, Hofzinser’s talents were famous throughout Europe. From 1857 on, under the name of his wife Wilhemine, Hofzinser presented illusions in their apartment for an elite audience of invited guests three or four times a week. They called these gatherings Eine Stunde der Täuschung, or “An Hour of Deception” and charged a relatively high price for admission. In 1865 he went on tour with his show and performed in Berlin, Munich, and most of the bigger cities in the Austrian Monarchy.

Hofzinser is famous for his minimalistic approach to his magic; rather than presenting large-scale illusions to impress his audience, he focused on a simple setting using small props to entertain his audiences. Playing cards were one of Hofzinser’s specialties, and he was one of the earliest performers to demonstrate card tricks. He invented many card manipulations and effect plots, some of which continue to be used by magicians today.