La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin (French for "The Robert-Houdin House of Magic") is a museum which faces the Royal Château de Blois. It is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of Blois.[1] As a museum of France and bearing the official label of "Musée de France", it is the only public museum in Europe which incorporates in one place collections of magic and a site for permanent performing arts.[2][3] The creation of such a site is directly linked to the personality of Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, a famous French illusionist born in Blois in 1805.[3][4]
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| Established | 1998-06-01 |
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| Location | 1 bis, place du Château, 41000 Blois, France |
| Website | Official website of the House of Magic |
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History
editInaugurated in 1998, the museum highlights the life and work of Robert-Houdin—multi-talented illusionist, prestidigitator, inventor, clockmaker and maker of automatons.[4]
In 1981, descendants of Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin left the building and all its contents to the town of Blois with a stipulation requiring they be open to the public.[1] A total of 170 objects that were made or collected by Robert-Houdin are in the museum.[3]
The museum hosts a number of events, some of which are recurring. The include: exhibition of portraits of the greatest magicians; magical encounters (on weekends in July and August); lectures on Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin; evening shows; proceedings of 'the Gala magic clubs of Blois'; and awards to the best magical practitioners.[1][2]
Guided tours are conducted by illusionists.[4]
Attractions
editHighlights include: a six-headed dragon automaton, which was constructed by artists Michel and Jean-Pierre Hartmann[1] and which operates every half-hour; the rotunda, which contains artefacts and displays about the history of magic, art and music;[1] the Greek temple honoring jugglers of the Middle Ages, the physicist Pinetti (eighteenth century magician Joseph Pinetti Willedall de Merci), and genius inventor Buatier De Kolta;[1] a life-sized kaleidoscope[4] and the 'chessboard of the optical illusions';[1][4][5] an exhibition of "The firm of Robert-Houdin fantastic" (Level 1), displaying his watchmaking workshop, scientific research (in optics and electricity) magical craft and 'the mysterious clock'.[1] On Level 3, the "hallucinoscope" ("brainchild" of Gerard Majax) immerses the participant into the world of Jules Verne and his 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.[1]
Another area is the "Georges Méliès space", which honours him as a magician and as the father of film special effects.[1]
Magic shows are conducted daily[1][4] and the building is open daily during the tourist season.[2][4]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "House of Magic -- Blois (French)". Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Blois, The House of Magic Celebrates Ten Years". June 11, 2008. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013.
- ^ a b c "House of Magic Robert-Houdin". Museums in Central Region. Association of Personal scientific museums in the central region (APSMRC). Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "House of Magic". Art Museums around the world. Saatchi Gallery. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ "Blois, Le Pays de Chambord, Maison de la Magie". Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
External links
edit- Blois, Le Pays de Chambord, Maison de la Magie.
- Gutenberg collection: links to archive images on the subject of magic including Robert-Houdin and Harry Houdini collections.
- Harry Houdini collection list with links including images relating to Robert-Houdin