The History of Magic
- Ching Ling Foo (1854-1922) -
Ching Ling Foo (1854 - 1922), born Chee Ling Qua, is credited with being the first modern Oriental magician to achieve world fame. His act was in some respects plundered by an American magician who went on to even greater fame - Chung Ling Soo.
Born in Beijing, Foo studied traditional Chinese magic and was a well-respected performer in his homeland.
During a typical performance, he stunned the audience by breathing smoke and fire or producing ribbons and a fifteen foot long pole from his mouth. One of his sensational tricks had Foo using a sword to cut the head of a serving boy off at the shoulders. Then, to the amazement of the audience, the “beheaded” boy turns and exits the stage.
Another trick involved producing a huge bowl, full to the brim with water, from out of an empty cloth. He would then pull a small child from the bowl. When he brought his show to the United States in 1898, he began offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who could reproduce his water trick. This was apparently done for publicity’s sake and there was never any real intention to give out the reward.
Brooklyn-born William Robinson, who worked occasionally as a magician, decided to try for the $1,000. |
Ching Ling Foo - Marvellous Chinese Conjurer |
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Foo rebuffed him. Unable to claim the $1,000, Robinson developed a Chinese-style show of his own and recreated himself as Chung Ling Soo. Robinson, in the guise of Soo, traveled to Europe and a deep rivalry was begun between the two men.
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