Powers & Powers Magician Levitation Performance 1911 Real Photo Postcard
The "Great Levitation Act" represented a cornerstone of popular stage magic during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Illusionists like John Nevil Maskelyne and Harry Kellar pioneered and popularized various forms of levitation, captivating audiences with the apparent defiance of gravity. The inscription "featured by Powers & Powers" suggests a performing duo or a lead magician with an assistant, a common structure for touring magic acts of the era.
This type of grand illusion contributed to the "Golden Age of Magic," a period marked by elaborate stage shows and the rise of celebrity illusionists. The sepia tone and formal attire evident in the photograph place this performance likely between the 1890s and 1920s, a time when audiences were enthralled by seemingly supernatural feats presented through advanced mechanical and optical trickery. Such captivating displays were fundamental to the drawing power of magicians in vaudeville and theatrical circuits.
This type of grand illusion contributed to the "Golden Age of Magic," a period marked by elaborate stage shows and the rise of celebrity illusionists. The sepia tone and formal attire evident in the photograph place this performance likely between the 1890s and 1920s, a time when audiences were enthralled by seemingly supernatural feats presented through advanced mechanical and optical trickery. Such captivating displays were fundamental to the drawing power of magicians in vaudeville and theatrical circuits.
