Magie en wetenschap in de spektakelcultuur van de negentiende eeuw

Abstract

Magic and Science in the Nineteenth-century Culture of Spectacle: Henri Robin in the Low Countries. The theatre of modernity served to illuminate scientific insight and discovery in a spectacular way. Astronomy, physics, and experiments with electricity were at the heart of a popular genre that became known as ‘physiques amusantes’ (amusing physics). These shows occupied a middle ground between entertainment and science, between showing and doing. They were often staged by magicians, who presented themselves as ‘professors’ and awed audiences at local fairgrounds, world’s fairs, and popular theatres. One such figure was Henri Robin (1811–1974). Reviews and images dating from Robin’s time in Belgium and the Netherlands and his own memoirs of his time in Paris reveal that he found himself at the crossroads of a number of key developments. In particular, Robin’s theatre practices shed light on the changing nature of spectacle in the latter half of the nineteenth century. His shows succeeded in maintaining a precarious balance between spectacle-driven entertainment and scientific learning, between visually-oriented fairground amusement for the masses and educational fare for the new bourgeoisie. This article will discuss the complex relationship between aesthetic and didactic concerns in Henri Robin’s theatre shows, their remarkable blend of science and magic, and their effect on audiences. At the same time, we will demonstrate that the spectacle of modernity in the Low Countries resulted in part from the international mobility of showmen such as Robin.

Science between the fairground and the academy: The case of Dutch science popularizer L. K. Maju (1823–1886)

“…In the nineteenth century, conjurers were considered science popularizers, albeit of an unusual kind ( Lachapelle, 2015 : 35). And recent studies have investigated the connection of science with stage magic in the nineteenth century culture of visual spectacle ( Vanhoutte and Wynants, 2017 ). But an interesting caveat of Maju’s case is the fact that his performances attracted the interest of both laymen and experts, or, to use Ludwik Fleck’s terminology, 9 he seemed to have navigated easily between esoteric and exoteric circles: examples are the transformation of the salmon slide set from his collaboration with Artis into a section of his popular lectures, the transfer of his phonograph lecture from the Odéon to the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, and later throughout the country, and the interest of Teylers Museum in acquiring his lecturing equipment after his death.…”

Pleasant and Instructive Evenings

“…304 And recent studies have investigated the association of science with stage magic in the nineteenth-century culture of visual spectacle. 305 French showman Henri Robin was certainly also inspired by the Polytechnic for the opening of his théâtre scientifique and the staging of his scientific and magical performances. 306 But Maju's ability to reach across audiences, institutional settings, and discourses makes him a particularly distinctive case.…”