201:, a Belgian who was previously one of Goldin's rivals. Promotional stunts employed for the shows included ambulances outside the theatres and performers dressed as medics to give the impression there was a real risk of serious injury. Goldin was involved in many lawsuits during this phase of his career. There are suggestions that many of these cases were motivated by publicity as well as any genuine grounds for action. However he successfully used the courts to prevent competition from other magicians. In one case he managed to obtain an injunction against Selbit over the sawing illusion despite the fact that each man had a fundamentally different version of the trick and Selbit performed his first. In other cases Goldin took on the makers of films that exposed methods behind illusions. In
190:
be traced back to ancient Egypt. However, there is a lack of solid and available evidence for these claims. There seems to be broad agreement that Selbit was the first to present the illusion on stage and that Goldin achieved a place in history through subsequent technical development and promotion. Goldin's initial version was claimed as an improvement over Selbit's because the assistant's head, hands and feet remained visible during the sawing whereas Selbit's assistant was totally obscured from view inside a box. Goldin later devised a version that dispensed with a box entirely and used a large buzzsaw.
178:
213:. He applied for a patent in September 1921 and was awarded U.S. patent number 1,458,575 on 12 June 1923. This gave him legal right to an exclusive monopoly on his invention for 17 years and thus made it easier for him to prevent other magicians from using his methods. However patents require inventors to reveal the workings of their inventions, which meant Goldin could no longer keep his methods completely secret. In the 1930s this brought Goldin into confrontation with the
30:
123:. Sources differ as to his date of birth, some give it as 17 December 1873 and some as an unspecified date in 1874. An accident when he was young left him with a speech impediment. It has been said he showed a talent for magic tricks when he was young after he began learning from a gypsy performer. When he was 16 his family emigrated to the United States and settled in
221:, which was running an advertising campaign aimed at debunking the publicity for a competing brand. Reynolds used the slogan "It's fun to be fooled...It's more fun to know" and ran adverts showing the secrets behind famous mysteries. In 1933 they produced one with a picture showing the workings of a version of
205:
in New York in 1922 he initially lost because the judge said he had not proved he was the original inventor of the sawing illusion and the trick possibly dated back to ancient Egypt. However Goldin appealed and won with a ruling that stated he had "satisfactorily established that he is the originator
189:
in 1921. Goldin presented his own version of the trick a matter of months later. There remains a debate about the origin of the idea, with some sources saying a magician named
Torrini may have performed the first version in front of Pope Pius VII in 1809. It has also been suggested that the trick can
237:
Goldin claimed the cost of his lawsuits ate up any proceeds he made from his inventions in spite of seeming financially successful. It was said he made a million dollars for the Keith theatre group and that he sometimes earned as much as US$ 2,000 a week. He toured internationally with his sawing
130:
His introduction to a performing career came when he was apprenticed to touring showman Adolph Veidt, who influenced him to take the stage name Horace Goldin. Goldin began performing magic on a part-time basis around 1894, combining tricks and jokes and billing himself as "The
Humorous Conjurer".
163:. Worse still, Goldin distrusted banks and carried his money with him (reputedly in gold) and that went to the bottom along with his props. He was forced into bankruptcy on returning home. However he was about to enter the most successful phase of his career with his development of the illusion
206:
of the illusion in question, which has achieved a great success under the title devised by him of Sawing a Woman in Half...and that his creation of the illusion has been so universally recognized that the title thereof is in the public mind associated with his own name"
617:
225:. Goldin sued but the case was eventually dismissed by a federal court in 1938. After that Goldin gave up on litigation over the sawing illusion and focused instead on secrecy. For example, he never patented his later sawing illusion in which a giant
335:"Horace Goldin, 65, Stage Illusionist; Inventor of Trick of Sawing Woman in Half Dies After Performance in London. Head of Magicians' Club. One of Highest Paid Artists on British Vaudeville Stage. Helped Charities".
131:
After he received poor reviews from newspapers he tried again with a new act, for which he hired assistants and adopted a rapid presentation style said to have been inspired by seeing German-born magician
762:
197:
theatre firm hired Goldin and took on six additional sets of performers to take versions of his show on tour around the United States. Among those performers was
127:, Tennessee, where they ran a store. Despite the combination of a strong accent and a speech impediment, young Goldstein managed to make a living as a salesman.
238:
illusions. He performed for King Edward VII of
Britain on four occasions, earning the billing "Royal Illusionist", and also appeared before American presidents
135:(1862–1910). Goldin did tricks quickly one after another without speaking and became known as "The Whirlwind Illusionist". With this act he found success in
394:
193:
Goldin's success owed a great deal to presentation and promotion skills and a certain amount to his persistence in suing other magicians. The
767:
185:
Goldin is often credited with inventing the sawing a woman in half illusion, however it was first popularised by
British magician
155:. In 1915 he set out on a long tour of the Far East but this ended in disaster in 1918 when a boat carrying his equipment sank at
209:
Some of Goldin's legal tactics resulted in problems even though they were technically successful. One such was his patenting of
757:
479:
526:
463:
352:
579:
398:
214:
99:
who was noted for his rapid presentation style and who achieved international fame with his versions of the
752:
301:
258:
In his later years, Goldin became a
British citizen. He died on August 21, 1939 following a show at the
747:
74:
194:
669:
165:
140:
100:
737:
742:
124:
143:. His British shows made sufficient impact for him to be invited to do a private show for
8:
151:
in
November 1902. In 1905 he appeared in a short comedy film made in the UK and titled
722:
532:
522:
459:
239:
218:
148:
262:
Empire
Theatre in London. Twenty-one years earlier at that venue, a magician named
96:
84:
483:
144:
139:
and began touring the United States. In 1901 he went to London to perform at the
177:
337:
279:
263:
243:
198:
592:
731:
536:
270:. Goldin performed the same trick successfully but died in his sleep later.
425:
267:
186:
516:
512:
29:
718:
643:
550:
259:
136:
120:
132:
226:
156:
116:
47:
160:
62:
246:. In 1936 he appeared in a movie revue made in the UK titled
95:(December 17, 1873 – August 21, 1939) was a
119:, which was then part of Russia but is now the capital of
763:
Emigrants from the
Russian Empire to the United States
453:
111:Goldin was of Polish Jewish descent and was born
729:
426:"Brief Biographies of Magic Inventors: Page F-G"
232:
624:. United States Patent and Trademark Office
420:
418:
416:
355:Meet the New Generation of Jewish Magicians
229:blade appears to cut through an assistant.
480:"Fox, Imro - Magicians' Biographies E-F-G"
472:
456:Illusions: Secrets from the world of magic
28:
413:
181:Goldin's sawing a woman in half illusion
176:
507:
505:
503:
501:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
294:
730:
397:. AmericanHeritage.com. Archived from
330:
328:
172:
511:
449:
447:
445:
443:
266:had been killed while performing the
768:Burials at Willesden Jewish Cemetery
498:
371:
325:
13:
691:
440:
14:
779:
712:
482:. MagicTricks.com. Archived from
392:
521:. New York: St. Martin's Press.
662:
636:
610:
585:
569:
273:
543:
345:
316:
1:
309:
233:Success and end of his career
215:R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
106:
758:Jews from the Russian Empire
576:Goldin v. Clarion Photoplays
203:Goldin v. Clarion Photoplays
7:
359:. The Forward. 10 July 2013
10:
784:
454:Roy & Andrews (1985).
674:www.magicandmagicians.com
650:. Internet Movie Database
557:. Internet Movie Database
80:
75:Willesden Jewish Cemetery
70:
59:August 21, 1939 (aged 65)
55:
36:
27:
20:
670:"Magician Horace Goldin"
395:"Sawing a Woman in Half"
253:
582:, Vol. 32, No. 2, p.201
701:(autobiography) (1937)
578:, New York (Dec 1922)
322:Some sources use 1874.
223:sawing a woman in half
211:Sawing a woman in half
182:
166:sawing a woman in half
101:sawing a woman in half
699:It's Fun To Be Fooled
288:It's Fun To Be Fooled
268:bullet catch illusion
180:
113:Hyman Elias Goldstein
41:Hyman Elias Goldstein
580:The Yale Law Journal
295:Selected filmography
147:and royal guests at
753:People from Vilnius
706:Life, Dull It Ain't
620:US Patent 1,458,575
173:The sawing illusion
401:on 8 February 2007
183:
748:British magicians
281:Mysterious Tricks
90:
89:
44:December 17, 1873
775:
685:
684:
682:
680:
666:
660:
659:
657:
655:
640:
634:
633:
631:
629:
614:
608:
607:
605:
603:
589:
583:
573:
567:
566:
564:
562:
547:
541:
540:
509:
496:
495:
493:
491:
486:on 19 March 2007
476:
470:
469:
451:
438:
437:
435:
433:
422:
411:
410:
408:
406:
390:
369:
368:
366:
364:
349:
343:
342:
341:. 23 April 1939.
332:
323:
320:
219:Camel cigarettes
32:
18:
17:
783:
782:
778:
777:
776:
774:
773:
772:
728:
727:
715:
697:Horace Goldin,
694:
692:Further reading
689:
688:
678:
676:
668:
667:
663:
653:
651:
646:Stars on Parade
642:
641:
637:
627:
625:
616:
615:
611:
601:
599:
595:Illusion Device
591:
590:
586:
574:
570:
560:
558:
553:Comic Conjuring
549:
548:
544:
529:
510:
499:
489:
487:
478:
477:
473:
466:
452:
441:
431:
429:
428:. Magicnook.com
424:
423:
414:
404:
402:
393:Brown, Gary R.
391:
372:
362:
360:
351:
350:
346:
334:
333:
326:
321:
317:
312:
302:Stars on Parade
297:
276:
256:
248:Stars on Parade
235:
217:, the maker of
175:
153:Comic Conjuring
145:King Edward VII
109:
66:
60:
51:
45:
43:
42:
23:
12:
11:
5:
781:
771:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
726:
725:
714:
713:External links
711:
710:
709:
702:
693:
690:
687:
686:
661:
635:
609:
584:
568:
542:
527:
497:
471:
464:
439:
412:
370:
344:
338:New York Times
324:
314:
313:
311:
308:
307:
306:
296:
293:
292:
291:
285:
275:
272:
264:Chung Ling Soo
255:
252:
234:
231:
199:Servais Le Roy
174:
171:
141:Palace Theatre
108:
105:
97:stage magician
88:
87:
82:
78:
77:
72:
68:
67:
61:
57:
53:
52:
46:
40:
38:
34:
33:
25:
24:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
780:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
735:
733:
724:
720:
719:Horace Goldin
717:
716:
707:
704:Val Andrews,
703:
700:
696:
695:
675:
671:
665:
649:
647:
639:
623:
621:
613:
598:
596:
588:
581:
577:
572:
556:
554:
546:
538:
534:
530:
528:0-312-08634-2
524:
520:
519:
514:
508:
506:
504:
502:
485:
481:
475:
467:
465:0-423-01300-9
461:
457:
450:
448:
446:
444:
427:
421:
419:
417:
400:
396:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
375:
358:
356:
348:
340:
339:
331:
329:
319:
315:
304:
303:
299:
298:
289:
286:
283:
282:
278:
277:
271:
269:
265:
261:
251:
249:
245:
241:
230:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
207:
204:
200:
196:
191:
188:
179:
170:
168:
167:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
128:
126:
122:
118:
114:
104:
102:
98:
94:
93:Horace Goldin
86:
83:
79:
76:
73:
71:Resting place
69:
64:
58:
54:
49:
39:
35:
31:
26:
22:Horace Goldin
19:
16:
738:1870s births
705:
698:
677:. Retrieved
673:
664:
652:. Retrieved
645:
638:
626:. Retrieved
619:
612:
600:. Retrieved
594:
587:
575:
571:
559:. Retrieved
552:
545:
517:
513:Randi, James
488:. Retrieved
484:the original
474:
455:
430:. Retrieved
403:. Retrieved
399:the original
361:. Retrieved
354:
347:
336:
318:
300:
287:
280:
274:Publications
257:
247:
236:
222:
210:
208:
202:
192:
187:P. T. Selbit
184:
164:
152:
129:
112:
110:
92:
91:
15:
743:1939 deaths
458:. Methuen.
149:Sandringham
50:, Lithuania
732:Categories
310:References
260:Wood Green
137:vaudeville
107:Early life
103:illusion.
81:Occupation
518:Conjuring
125:Nashville
121:Lithuania
65:, England
654:29 March
561:29 March
537:26162991
515:(1992).
490:29 March
432:29 March
405:29 March
363:16 April
133:Imro Fox
85:Magician
708:(1983).
679:13 June
628:3 April
602:3 April
240:Harding
227:buzzsaw
157:Lahaina
117:Vilnius
48:Vilnius
535:
525:
462:
305:(1936)
290:(1937)
284:(1930)
244:Wilson
161:Hawaii
63:London
254:Death
195:Keith
723:IMDb
681:2019
656:2007
630:2007
604:2007
563:2007
533:OCLC
523:ISBN
492:2007
460:ISBN
434:2007
407:2007
365:2017
242:and
56:Died
37:Born
721:at
115:in
734::
672:.
531:.
500:^
442:^
415:^
373:^
327:^
250:.
169:.
159:,
683:.
658:.
648:"
644:"
632:.
622:"
618:"
606:.
597:"
593:"
565:.
555:"
551:"
539:.
494:.
468:.
436:.
409:.
367:.
357:"
353:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
