Wittus Witt lives up to his work's title by hermeneutically surveying the cosmopolitan city from a broad perspective on the art of magic. The work examines, among other things, the five Munich magic societies, the magic shops and magic apparatus manufacturers, performing magicians, both historical and contemporary, the magic salons, stages and circuses, the cabaret and theater scene, street magic and magic exhibitions. The city's history and histories, such as the Manns' "Magic Garden," in which world literature such as "The Magic Mountain" and "Mario and the Magician" were created, are also included. Witt has found competent and internationally renowned authors for these chapters, which are sometimes entertaining and sometimes meticulously written about the subject. The illustrations thematically assigned to the articles are always a pleasure. Advertising posters, for example by Kalchner, Bellachini and Schenk, and paintings and photos by Robin, Kassner, Houdini and Fredo Marvelli, among many others, illustrate a historical section. The pleasure of printing captured on paper ranges from the historically relevant group photo of the World Congress in Munich in 1936 to current photos of magical luminaries with a close connection to the city, such as the FF or the world stars performing at the Munich Magic Weeks.
The editor also guides the reader through various emotional reading effects. Witt's unmasking of a mental magician with politically explosive power during the Cold War of the 1950s, to which Witt contributes an interview with "Blacky" Fuchsberger, then a Munich broadcaster, captivates readers with its revelation of the staged, hidden aspects. Malte Herwig's review of Kalanag's career beginnings exactly 100 years ago at Papa Benz's Schwabing Varieté conveys a mixture of shame, nostalgia, and astonishment. David Copperfield, who began his German tour here, writes a love letter to the magical city. The interviews and stories of professional magicians Chess Litten and "Fritzi" Roeder exude charm. The sequences from the Kristelli, where Alexander Krist is currently performing his imaginative and breathtaking show, arouse enthusiasm, as if they were witnessing them live.
The supplements will appeal to collectors. One is a facsimile print of a 26-page original Kalanag program booklet from the Deutsches Theater Munich from 1954. The other is a reprint of 100 cigarette cards from 1935, issued in the run-up to the World Congress in the city. The magic tricks, labeled as so-called magic jokes, from the Austria Werke in Munich capture the everyday manners of the time not only with their nostalgic drawings but also with their trick descriptions.
This magnificent volume is a unique, innovative and graphically beautiful homage to this magical city.
Hardcover, thread-stitched, headband, dust jacket, over 200 predominantly four-color illustrations, format 28 x 24 cm, 232 pages, Verlag Magische Welt, 2022, ISBN 978-3-947289-70-7, 49.50 euros with supplements
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