author
Professor Hoffmann
1839–1919
A barrister by profession and magician by passion, this Victorian writer helped bring stage magic into print for everyday readers. His books on conjuring, games, and puzzles became classics and shaped how magic was taught in English for generations.
3 Audiobooks
Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
by Professor Hoffmann
Hoyle's Games Modernized
by Professor Hoffmann, Edmond Hoyle
Latest Magic, Being original conjuring tricks
by Professor Hoffmann
About the author
Born Angelo John Lewis in London in 1839, he wrote under the pen name Professor Hoffmann and became one of the best-known magic writers of his era. Although trained as a barrister, he was deeply involved in conjuring and used his clear, practical style to explain tricks, sleight of hand, and stage performance to a wide audience.
He is especially remembered for Modern Magic and later books such as More Magic and Later Magic, works that helped standardize the teaching of magic in English. He also translated important writings on conjuring and wrote on games, amusements, and puzzles, showing the same gift for making specialized subjects approachable.
Professor Hoffmann died in 1919, but his influence lasted far beyond his lifetime. For many readers and performers, he was one of the key figures who turned magic from a scattered body of secrets into a readable, organized craft.