Abstract
This essay looks at the influence of nineteenth-century magic arts on early film-makers, looking particularly at Georges Méliès and the Lumière Brothers. I hope to show that the origins of cinematic illusion lie in an earlier art form which fused science and showmanship. The historical links between magic and cinema can help us to understand early film's ambiguous relations to both art and technology. Since magic theatre was designed to remove any fearful elements from the stagecraft, the illusions took on an anti-realistic quality which would enable spectators to appreciate the artistry and the science behind a trick without ever being completely deceived. Some of the earliest film-makers engaged with both the scientific and artistic capabilities of the new medium in order to meet the expectations of such technically-literate audiences.
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