> ART & ENTERTAINMENT MAGIC & ILLUSION «HIGHEST DAVID COPPERFIELD POPULATION MOST > OF MAGICIANS « David Copperfield (USA) has What is your favorite magic Can you see yourself PER CAPITA VALUABLE 12 Guinness World Records – illusion of all-time? ever retiring or Las Vegas, more than any other magician. Of the things that I’ve invented slowing down? Nevada, USA, has MAGIC POSTER He talks to us about his I’m very proud of Flying, Why? My work is my more resident Houdini’s English Water Torture achievements. especially flying into the plexi- play. I get to enjoy one of magicians than Cell (pictured), a lithograph made glass box. I also like the Death my passions every time I any other, with by Dangerfield Printing (UK), was Who inspired you to become Saw and the Lottery piece with do a show. Why would I 351 – equivalent auctioned on 25 May 2000 at a magician? the car that appears surrounded want to give that up? to one in every Christies, London, UK, and Magic was something that I by the audience. 1,862 people. purchased by Norm Nielsen always had a feeling for, I just What’s it like to be (USA) for £30,000 ($44,669). seemed to be good at it. I loved Of your career so far, what are a Guinness World «MOST PROLIFIC A Houdini Water Torture Cell movies and all the fantasy and you most proud of? Record holder? QUICK-CHANGE lithograph by Strobridge was wonder that they create, but magic What I’m proudest of is Project It’s a great honour to be in ILLUSION ARTIST sold by CRG Auctions in Las is what I did well. I tried to Magic. It’s a program that I the same company as the Arturo Brachetti (Italy) Vegas, USA, on 30 October combine the two. So the answer created that uses magic as a fastest baked bean eater! changed costume 2004 for $55,000 (£29,930) to would be lot of people who were form of therapy for people with I remember reading the > 22,500 times during David Copperfield (USA). working in film, including Walt disabilities. It is being used in Guinness World Records as FIRST 250 performances of Disney, Orson Welles, Frank 1,000 hospitals in 30 countries a kid. To be recognized by « the show L’Homme Aux Mille Capra and Victor Fleming. around the world. it is amazing. MAGIC Visages, Paris, France, in suspended by a rope hanging and four bystanders) have been 2001–02. His quickest costume below the basket of a hot air killed during the bullet catching SOCIETY TO change, including shoes, is 2 balloon traveling at a height trick, where at least one gun MOST CONSECUTIVE MOST GENERATIONS HIGHEST SELLING « « « David Copperfield’s BE FEATURED seconds, from black tail suit to of 2,194.5 m (7,200 ft) over loaded with a marked bullet is MULTI-COIN ROLLS OF MAGICIANS MAGIC MAGAZINE Guinnesss World Records white in full view of the audience. Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, on fired at a magician, who appears Jeff McBride (USA) simultaneously The Bamberg family comprised MAGIC: The Magazine for 1 «Most tickets sold ON A 13 August 2003. The rope from to catch the bullet in his teeth. moved eight silver dollars around of six generations who excelled Magicians is published monthly worldwide by a solo entertainer NATIONAL «MOST STRAIT JACKET which he was tied to hung Even though the feat involves the fingers of both his hands in the art of magic for over 200 by Stagewrite Publishing, Inc, ESCAPES IN 8 HOURS 15.24 m (50 ft) from the basket. illusionary elements, it is (four per hand) using the classic years. The first was Eliaser Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, and 2 «Highest career earnings as a magician STAMP James Peters (UK) escaped from fraught with danger. The most coin roll technique, each Bamberg (Netherlands, has an international circulation The UK’s Royal Mail issued a strait jacket a total of 193 times LARGEST DISPLAYED famous death has been Chung completing 18 consecutive coin 1760–1833), who was a sleight- of 9,049. The magazine was 3 «Highest Broadway gross « in a week a series of five interactive in eight hours in Chelmsford, MAGIC POSTER COLLECTION Ling Soo (USA, b. William rolls in a time of 5 min 43 sec at of-hand expert with a secret first published in 4 «Largest Broadway stamps on 15 March 2005, Essex, UK, on 27 September There are 587 magic posters Elsworth Robinson, 1869-1918), the Magical Arts Center, Las compartment in his wooden leg September 1991. attendance in a week marking the centenary of 2003. His fastest escape was on display within the collection who was shot on stage at the Vegas, USA on 17 July 2004. and called himself ‘The Crippled 5 «Largest international the Magic Circle (UK), one achieved in 56 seconds. belonging to Norm and Lupa Wood Green Empire, London, Devil’, and the last of the dynasty television audience for a of the oldest society of Nielsen (both USA). The UK, on 23 March 1918. «FASTEST ESCAPE was David (UK, 1904–74), magician magicians in the world. HIGHEST SUSPENSION collection, which was started FROM A PAIR OF performing as Fu Manchu. 6 Most magic shows « « The issue features another STRAITJACKET in 1991, includes 34 Houdini «MOST CHINESE LINKING HANDCUFFS UNDERWATER performed in a year first – a “scratch and ESCAPE posters – 14 of which are RINGS LINKED Matthew ‘Matt the Knife’ «FASTEST ESCAPE FROM 7 «Largest private reveal” 1st Class stamp. Scott Hammell coloured lithographs (four SIMULTANEOUSLY Cassiere (USA) escaped while PRISONER TRANSPORT collection of magic artifacts Rubbing it with a coin it (Canada) escaped are 3-sheets and two are Organized by magician Monty fully submerged in a lake in a IRONS 8 «Most valuable magic poster could reveal either from a regulation 8-sheets) and 64 Witt (USA), the longest linking time of 11.12 seconds at Mike Sanford (USA) a ‘heads’ or ‘tails’ image. straitjacket while Chung Ling ring chain totalled 534 rings and Johnston War Memorial Park, escaped from a pair 9 «Most arena magic shows in a year Soo lithographs. was performed by 129 magicians Rhode Island, New England, of regulation 10 «Largest work at the Magic Convention for the USA, on 30 October 2004. The prisoner transport archive «DEADLIEST International Brotherhood of handcuffs belonged to Sgt irons in 1 min 54.34 sec at 11 «Highest MAGIC TRICK Magicians held in Daniel Parrillo (USA) of Johnston Sammamish, Washington, annual earnings At least 12 people Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Police Department. USA, on 31 October 2004. by a magician (eight magicians on 3 July 2004. 12 Largest illusion ever staged MOST LIVING LOWEST DEATH > CREATURES DIVE ESCAPE PRODUCED DURING A Robert Gallup (Australia) was leg-manacled, handcuffed, chained, put into a secured mail bag and locked in an 0.74-m2 (8-ft2) cage before MAGIC PERFORMANCE being thrown out of a plane at 5,485 m (18,000 ft) above the Mojave > Penn & Teller (USA) produced more than 80,000 bees Desert, California, USA. A minute before impact and travelling at 240 km/h during their television special, Don’t Try This At Home, (150 mph), he escaped to reach his parachute secured on the outside filmed in 1990. of the cage and deployed it with enough altitude to land safely. 170 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2006 « NEW RECORD « UPDATED RECORD WWW.GUINNESSWORLDRECORDS.COM 171 LARGEST… books and other historical hand to clear a set distance of ENTERTAINER poster was achieved by Houdini’s ephemera related to conjuring. 3.6 m (12 ft) within 60 seconds at From the period 1984–2004, the c.1912 English Water Torture Cell, The collection, housed at a 2,601 the Magical Arts Center, Las magician David Copperfield (USA) a lithograph made by Dangerfield m2 (28,000 ft2) building in Vegas, Nevada, USA on 17 July has sold 39,690,000 tickets to his Printing (UK). The poster, which «DISPLAYED MAGIC Nevada, USA, has 90,000 items 2004. shows. measures 2.22 x 1 m (7 ft 3.5 in x 3 POSTER COLLECTION on display. ft 3.48 in) was auctioned on 25 May There are 587 magic posters on COPIED STAGE ILLUSION HIGHEST BROADWAY GROSS 2000 at Christies, London, UK, and display within the collection Invented by Robert Harbin (South IN A WEEK was purchased by Norm Nielsen belonging to Norm and Lupa MOST… Africa) in 1965, the Zig Zag girl is David Copperfield’s five-week run (USA) for £30,000 ($44,669) Nielsen (both USA). The the most popularly performed of his show [ital]Dreams and (excluding buyers premium of collection, which today consists «MOST GENERATIONS stage illusion in the world. A girl, Nightmares[ital] at the Martin 17.5%). of approximately 2,000 OF MAGICIANS standing in an upright cabinet, is Beck Theatre, New York City, USA, An Houdini Water Torture Cell contemporary and vintage The Bamberg family comprised apparantly cut into three pieces saw it gross $4,180,000 (£XXXXX) lithograph by Strobridge, once posters began in 1991, with two of six generations who excelled and has the middle of her body during the week of 15 to 21 belonging to the Sidney H Radner Fu Manch posters that were in in the art of magic for over 200 pulled to one side. It was copied December 1996. Tickets were Collection, was sold by CRG pieces, out of which was made years. The first to enter the so quickly that Harbin published priced at $67.50, $55 and $20.