David Devant

Devant was a very popular magician with the wealthy set and royalty in Britain during the late 1800s. He was also a total jokester who incorporated humor into his acts to further the audience’s ultimate magical experience. He was truly the first of his craft to engage his onlookers with magic plus the original personal touch of laughter to boot. According to the majority of historians, Devant is regarded as England’s greatest magician of the 20th Century.

David Devant was a representative of the world-renowned Maskelyne and Cooke Magic Company. His performances and reputation as a lover of his audience led him to become a major participant in British Royal Command Performances. The scientific, often structured methods of visual magic transformed with his mastery of humor and the ultimate engagement of the audience he was serving. Legend has it that Queen Alexandra cracked up, out loud while a spectator to Devant’s “A Boy, Girl, and Eggs” skit at his first Royal Command performance. Her laughter ensued over Devant’s assistant losing track of a never-ending number of eggs being pulled from the magician’s hat. His most famous routines included the “Magic Kettle” and “Mascot Moth” which concluded with the disappearance of his wing-clad female assistant. Milbourne Christopher, a famed magic historian, called Devant “the Master performer of his time.”

Born: February 22, 1868
Died: October 13, 1941

Nationality: England