"Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring" by Professor Hoffmann is a treatise first published in 1876. This groundbreaking work reveals the apparatus, methods, and tricks used by conjurors of the Victorian era, covering everything from card manipulation to grand stage illusions. The first English-language book to truly explain magical performance, it sparked controversy among magicians while influencing legends like Houdini and Thurston. Its publication may have catalyzed magic's entire golden age. (This is an automatically generated summary.)