THE Egyptian Hall was originally known as Bullocks Museum, and housed a collection of curiosities which were disposed of in 1819. The building was then rearranged in three or four distinct halls, and all kinds of shows were accommodated there, including lecturers, humorists, and preachers. After Stodare's season it became associated with conjuring performances and became the veritable headquarters of the conjurer's art, due principally to John Nevil Maskelyne.

The Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly

The remarkable Davenport brothers were the two sons of a police official at Buffalo, and were selling papers in the streets in 1848, when the so-called spiritualistic manifestations of the Fox family began to be talked about, and gave the boys a desire to share the profits which the Fox sisters were reputed to be making from a credulous public.

Very soon those interested in spiritualism began to hear rumours of strange happenings in the Davenport ménage: dancing furniture and ghosts and floatings in the air. Soon the Davenports began to give séances, and local people crowded to them and showered gold on the brothers. Their method was to produce spiritualistic manifestations while tied up in a helpless condition, the inference being they could not possibly produce the manifestations themselves. They, however, knew the trick of releasing themselves, a trick performed by Pinetti seventy years before.

From 1855 to 1864 the Davenports toured the States and Canada, until the Civil War stopped their activities. Then they made a journey to Britain with a Dr. J. B. Ferguson, who was a Presbyterian preacher and a believer in spiritualism. He used to act in place of their father as compere, or lecturer. They also had with them William Marion Fay as understudy to the younger Davenport.

They gave their first séance in London on September 28th, 1864, at the house of Dion Boucicault. Here is a description of their performance from the Morning Post:

At the upper end of the apartment was placed what might be called a skeleton wardrobe. The portion in which the drawers of a similar piece of furniture are usually to be found was empty. A seat or bench, perforated here and there with holes, was fitted to the back and ends. The doors consisted of three panels, which shut inside with a brass bolt; thus when the middle door is open any person could put his hand in and bolt the side doors; the bolt of the middle door was shut by some invisible agency from the inside. The brothers Davenport, having seated themselves vis-à-vis on the end bench, their hands and feet were securely tied by those present so as to prevent the possibility of them using those members. A guitar, a tambourine, a violin and bow, a brass horn, and a couple of bells were placed on the seat inside, and the doors were shut. At the top of the panel of the centre door is a diamond-shape opening about a foot square, with a curtain secured on the inside. Instantly on the centre door being dosed, the bolt was secured inside and "hands" were clearly observed through the opening. A gentleman present was invited to pass his hand through the opening, and it was touched by the "hands" several times. Musical instruments and the bells commenced making all sorts of noises and knockings, snatches of airs were distinctly heard, when suddenly the centre door was burst open, the trumpet was thrown out into the room and fell heavily upon the carpet. The doors were subsequently closed by persons who, when doing so, were touched by invisible hands, and a noise of undoing the cords was distinctly heard. A moment or two afterwards the brothers were found sitting unbound with the ropes at their feet. The next illustration was more curious still, for after an interval of perhaps two minutes the brothers were found to be securely bound with the same cords, the ends of the ropes being some distance from their hands. One of the company present was then invited to take a seat in the cabinet so as to assure himself that whatever might be done it could not be accomplished by the brothers. A gentleman having volunteered to be imprisoned in such mysterious company, his hands were securely tied to the knees of the Davenports, whose hands were fastened behind their backs by cords passed through holes in the bench. Their feet were also tied together with a sailor's knot. A tambourine was then laid on the gentleman's lap, on which a guitar and violin were placed, as also the trumpet and a couple of hand bells. Any interference with these articles by the gentleman on whose lap they were deposited was rendered impossible by reason of his hands being tied. He states the instant the door was closed hands were passed over his face, his hair was gently pulled, and the whole of the musical instruments were played upon. The bells were also violently rung close to his face, and the tambourine beat time on his head. Eventually the musical instruments were flung behind him and rested between his shoulders and the back of the cabinet. During these manifestations one of the gas burners of the chandelier was lighted and two wax candles were burning in different parts of the room, several other manifestations having taken place in connection with the cabinet. Dr. Ferguson explained that it would be desirable that the company should clasp hands and the lights should be altogether extinguished. A small writing-table had been previously placed in the centre of the room, with a chair at either side. The musical instruments, bells, etc., were placed on the table. The brothers Davenport were manacled by the hands and feet and securely bound to the chairs by ropes. A chain of communication (though not a circular one) was formed, and the instant the lights were extinguished the musical instruments appeared to be carried about the room. The current of air which they occasioned in their rapid transit was felt upon the faces of all present. The bells were loudly rung, the trumpet made knocks on the floor, and the tambourine appeared running round the room jingling with all its might. At the same time, tiny sparks were observed as if passing from south to west. Several persons exclaimed that they were touched by the instruments, which on one occasion became so demonstrative that one gentleman received a knock on the nasal organ which broke the skin and caused a few drops of blood to flow. The manifestations having been repeated two or three times with nearly similar results, the Davenport brothers joined the chain of communication, and Mr. Fay was bound to the chair. His hands were tied tightly behind his back and his feet were firmly secured, as in the cabinet. A gentleman present was then asked to desire him to take off his coat the instant the light was extinguished. This was done. A whizzing noise was heard. "It's off!" exclaimed Mr. Fay. The candle was lighted, and the coat was found lying in the middle of the room. Astonishing though this appeared to be, what followed was more extraordinary still. Dr. Ferguson requested a gentleman present to take off his coat and place it on the table. This was done. The light was extinguished, a repetition of the whizzing noise was heard, and the strange coat was found on Mr. Fay, whose hands and feet were still securely bound, and his body tied almost immovable. A gentleman present then enquired whether, if he were to place two finger rings on the table, they could be transferred to the hand of Mr. Fay. Dr. Ferguson said that he could not undertake that this feat would be accomplished, but that an essay would be made. The rings were deposited on the table, the candle extinguished, and Mr. Fay immediately exclaimed, "They are on my fingers!" and surely enough they were. The owner of the rings then expressed a wish that they might be restored to his fingers. As soon as the room was darkened the musical instruments commenced their mysterious concert, and after an interval of about thirty seconds a gentleman (not the owner) exclaimed the rings had been placed on his fingers. This was found to be the case. A lady next expressed a desire that a gold watch which she held in her hand might be conveyed to some distant portion of the room. Immediately afterwards the concert was resumed, the bells, tambourine, and horn became excited, and the lady exclaimed that the watch had gone. On the candle being lighted it was found at the feet of Dr. Ferguson. One of the bells was also found in the lap of a gentleman sitting near him. Some doubt having been expressed as to whether it was possible for the brothers Davenport to have moved chair and all in the darkness, so as to elevate the musical instruments in the air and make them play, another illustration was volunteered by Dr. Ferguson. Mr. Fay took his place among the visitors, holding a hand of each, as before. A gentleman present then sat between the Messrs. Davenport and placed his hand upon the head of each, while he rested either foot on the feet of the Davenports, which were placed close together in a parallel direction to each other. The Davenports then clasped the arms of the gentleman, and in this position it would have been absolutely impossible for one of the group to have moved without disturbing the others. This pose having been arranged to the satisfaction of all present, the light was extinguished, and the guitar was again heard as if moving in the air close to the faces of all present. Mr. Fay, as before stated, was seated in a row, clasping hands with the persons right and left of him, while Dr. Ferguson was similarly placed in another portion of the room. With the last-named illustration the séance terminated. It had lasted rather more than two hours, during which time the cabinet was minutely inspected, the coats examined to ascertain whether they were fashioned so as to favour a trick, and every possible precaution taken to bind the hands and feet of the persons whose presence appeared to be essential to the development of the manifestations.

The Davenports and Fay were exposed and imitated many times over by Anderson, Redmond, Dexter, and the Brothers Nemo; and by Mr. Maskelyne in this country, and by Tolmaque Robin and the Brothers Stacey in France.

Their exposure by Maskelyne was the direct cause of Maskelyne entering the profession of which he was to be the leading light for fifty years.

Mr. Maskelyne was born in Cheltenham in 1839. As a boy, he showed a taste for mechanics. His ambition was fired by being taken to the Exhibition of 1851, where he saw Droze's wonderful "Piping Bullfinch". Later on he was apprenticed to a working watchmaker in Cheltenham.

His suspicion was aroused in regard to spiritualism, or rather bogus manifestations thereof, having had a piece of apparatus brought to him to repair. This was a little machine for making raps on a table. Thereafter he became a sceptic and a detective watching for tricks at the different séances he attended.

He found his knowledge of conjuring a great help to him during his enquiries.

Another hobby of his was music; he belonged to the church choir, and played the cornet in the band of the local volunteers.

In his spare time he invented and made new tricks. He had no idea then of becoming a professional conjurer, and did not in fact make his first public appearance as an amateur until February 9th 1865.

When the Davenports visited Cheltenham in the spring of that year Maskelyne was one of the audience, and, having acquired a reputation as a conjurer amongst his fellow townsmen, was selected as one of the committee to watch for tricking during the Davenports' séance. It must be remembered that the Davenports always claimed that they had nothing to do with the performance, they being rendered helpless by their bonds. They always posed as mediums through which the spirits were able to manifest.

This happened at one afternoon's performance at the Town Hall, Cheltenham. The windows were covered with dark cloth to keep the light out. Maskelyne, relating what happened, says:

I was seated on one side of the stage with a row of darkened windows at my back. While the centre was opening and the instruments flying out of the cabinet, a small piece of drapery fell from one of the windows behind me. A ray of sunshine shot into the cabinet, lighting up Ira Davenport, whose actions thereby became visible to me. There sat Ira with one hand behind him and the other in the act of throwing instruments out. In a trice both hands were behind him. He gave a smart wriggle of his shoulders, and lo! when his bonds were examined, he was found to be thoroughly secured, so firmly bound, in fact, that the ropes were cutting into the flesh of his wrists. But I had discovered the secret. Ira Davenport's movement had taught me the trick, and I knew that with a little practice I could do it. The spokesman, the Rev. Dr. Ferguson, tried to get me away, but with no success. "Ladies and gentleman," I said, addressing the audience, "by a slight accident I have been able to discover this trick." (This statement was challenged by the gentleman who engaged the performers.) I at once replied that it was a feat of dexterity and could not, therefore, be performed without practice, adding that to prove my statements I would there and then make a promise to put the trick into practice, and at the earliest possible moment I would undertake to present a replica of the entire performance at the same hall.

This came about two months later. Maskelyne, having obtained the assistance of his friend, George A. Cooke, who was a member of the same volunteer band, was able to redeem his promise. This exposition attracted so much attention, and they received so many applications to repeat the performance, that the watchmaker's business was given up, and on Monday, June 19th, 1855, Maskelyne and Cooke made their first public appearance as professionals at Jessop's Aviary Gardens, Cheltenham. Bills announced them as:

Messrs. Maskelyne and Cooke, the only successful rivals of the Davenport Brothers, will give a grand exposition of the entire public séance in open daylight, showing the possibility of accomplishing, without the aid of spiritualism, not only all the Davenports' tricks, but many others, original and more astounding, including escaping from a box.

The Birmingham Gazette gave a full description of this, in which it will be seen how fully the brothers' tricks were duplicated, and even excelled. I quote a small portion of this, which describes Maskelyne's own addition of the box trick:

But the most astonishing part of the programme had yet to be accomplished. Mr. Maskelyne announced that he would be locked in a box, three feet long, by two feet wide, and eighteen inches in depth--the box should be corded according to the fancy of anyone present--and that he would escape. An ordinary-looking deal box of the dimensions stated, with a few holes drilled in it at either end, was placed in the cabinet, and in this Mr. Maskelyne voluntarily immured himself. The box was locked and the key given to a gentleman called from the audience, who corded up the box--an operation which occupied fully six minutes. This having been done to his satisfaction, bells were placed upon the box, and the doors of the cabinet were closed. The click of the bolt had scarcely died away ere the bells began to be tremulous and gradually increased to a clatter, till at length they were pitched through the aperture on to the platform, and in less than ten minutes from the closing of the doors they were again thrown open and Mr. Maskelyne was coolly seated in the box, and smilingly bowing his acknowledgments of the applause with which he was greeted. This is a trick which the Davenports never attempted, and (as Barnum somewhere has it) must be seen to be believed! Messrs. Maskelyne and Cooke were then bound by Mr. E. Lawrence and Mr. Dallon, the first-named being, we believe, one of the gentlemen whose knot-tying somewhat perplexed the Brothers Davenport during their visit here, an operation which occupied nearly twenty minutes, but the exhibitors managed to free themselves from their bonds in about fifteen minutes. Mr. Lawrence then explained to the audience that he had seen the Davenport Brothers tied, and had, indeed, assisted in that operation, but he could venture to assert that those worthies were not tied nearly so securely as their rivals had been. The performance throughout was loudly applauded, and gave the greatest satisfaction.

This report, incidentally, proves without doubt that Maskelyne's famous box trick was presented in public before Dr. Lynn or any other performer in any other country.

The performers now began to give entertainments all over the country. In 1867 they were at the Crystal Palace. Mr. Maskelyne made an improvement on Tobin's "Protean Cabinet", which had been exhibited by Pepper. The entertainment had been elaborated, and floating in mid-air was introduced, also plate-spinning and decapitation, as has been described elsewhere.

In 1873 a return visit was made to the Crystal Palace, and the same year the show was brought by William Morton to St. James's Great Hall in Piccadilly, where the season lasted for a month. Then, after visiting Croydon and Islington, on May 26th, 1873, Maskelyne took possession for three months' tenancy of the small hall of the Egyptian Hall, never thinking that he was to perform there for over thirty years.

Lynn, who was performing in another part of the hall, tried to stop the little sketches Maskelyne was doing round his illusions by putting in motion the law forbidding dramatic performances in buildings not specially licensed.

At this time there appeared a Lincolnshire farmer named John Algernon Clarke, who for some time had been working on an idea for a machine which would play cards and yet be quite isolated. After consultation with Mr. Maskelyne over the rough plans, and after nearly two years' work, the result was presented to the public in 1875, and was known as the "Psycho Automaton Whist Player".

In the same year Maskelyne and his company had the honour of performing at Sandringham before the Prince and Princess of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Slade, the medium, was causing a sensation in 1876, particularly with the writing feat, and Maskelyne gained much publicity by exposing his method in court.

In 1885 Charles Bertram joined forces with Maskelyne, and greatly strengthened the performance. He gave a great many private entertainments as well, and appeared twenty-two times before King Edward. It was greatly due to him that Society learned that conjuring could be a great success at private parties to grown-ups as well as children. Sidney Oldridge, Edward Longstaffe, Douglas Beaufort, Sydney Pridmore, James Stuart, Byrd Page, and many others took up this sort of work.

Joseph Bautier, or Bautier de Kolta, as he called himself in the later part of his life, was born at Lyons, France, about 1845, and became a performer about 1867, giving shows in Switzerland and Italy. In 1873 he introduced the famous "Flying Birdcage". In 1875 he appeared in London at the Egyptian Hall, but not with Maskelyne. In 1876 he was at the Opéra Comique. In 1886 he presented at the Eden Theatre, Paris, his famous "Vanishing Lady" illusion, already described. The same year he joined Maskelyne and Cooke. This great conjurer died in New Orleans on October 7th, 1903. His wife being an Englishwoman, his body was brought to this country and he was buried at Hendon Cemetery.

Verbeck, of whom I have already spoken, appeared upon the conjuring scene in 1884. He performed at the Prince's Hall in 1885, and moved to Piccadilly Hall in 1886. In 1889 Charles Morritt, the Yorkshire conjurer, joined Maskelyne and Cooke's and was with them for about three years. Morritt, with his sister Lilian, made his first appearance at the Prince's Hall in 1886, and for many years they performed at various places in London and the provinces. In 1912 they came under Maskelyne and Devant's management again at St. George's Hall, and were also members of the provincial company. In the autumn of 1915 Morritt joined forces with Carl Hertz, and they gave a joint performance for a short season at the Polytechnic in Regent Street. This was not a success, and had a very brief life.

Douglas Beaufort was chosen by the Foreign Office to visit the Sultan of Morocco and impress him with his tricks, demonstrating that he could outdo the marabouts. He made the incidents of this visit into a magical sketch and appeared at the Egyptian Hall with it in 1892. In March 1893 Maskelyne introduced to the public Alban and Stella, clever French performers. In the same year James Stuart made a short appearance. It was in 1893 that I myself joined Maskelyne.