The precise origins of card magic are subject to debate though it's generally believed that card tricks were first developed by gamblers who wanted to improve their chances of winning when playing card games.
Playing cards themselves originated in the Orient with China and India amongst the main contenders for the claim of country of origin and it's thought that cards may have been introduced to Europe in the 14th century by Arabs who had travelled from the Orient.
Italy, Spain and France feature in the first literary mentions of playing cards and card magic. One of the earliest, general references to card tricks is an article from 1408 which tells of a card cheat in Paris who sought to gain advantage by manipulating the cards he was playing. The first, written mentions of actual performers of card tricks are: a) a 15th century piece of writing (apparently unpublished and co-authored by no less than Leonardo da Vinci) which describes a card trick performed by Giovanni de Jasone de Ferara; b) a 16th century piece by Cardanus describing a performance by a Spanish magician by the name of Dalmau who performed for Emperor Charles V in Milan.
Card Trick History from C16 Onwards
From the 16th century onwards, numerous written references and explanations relating to card tricks began to appear but it was in the 18th century that card magic was brought into the larger arena of the theatre by a dynamic and colourful Italian magician called Giovanni Guiseppe Pinetti. Previously, card magic had been performed only in the streets or smaller settings such as private rooms but Pinetti transformed its appeal by using wonderful theatrical settings for his card magic. He travelled and entertained extensively including countries such as Portugal, Germany, Russia and England where he even performed at Windsor Castle for King George III.
The 19th century saw the emergence of two of the greatest contributors to card magic that have ever lived - the Frenchman Robert-Houdin (1805-1871) and the Austrian Hofzinser (1806-1875).
