Professor Hoffmann

Writing under the pen name Professor Hoffmann, Angelo John Lewis was an English barrister, magician, and hugely influential author on sleight of hand and conjuring. He became one of the best-known popularizers of magic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, writing clear, practical books that introduced generations of readers to card tricks, stage illusions, and amateur performance.

His best-known work, Modern Magic, helped set the standard for instructional magic writing, and he went on to publish many more books on conjuring and related entertainments. That mix of legal training, sharp observation, and love of performance gave his writing a precise, approachable style that made difficult techniques feel learnable.

Even today, he is remembered less as a mysterious stage performer than as a gifted teacher on the page. For many historians of magic, Professor Hoffmann remains one of the key figures who shaped how modern magic was written about, shared, and preserved.