Welcome to the Take Two Collection.
This collection houses seventy-two articles, written by Jamy Ian Swiss from 2016 to 2020. The articles examine the specific forms, or individual styles of magic and magicians, using two or more curatorial choices of magic videos to illustrate.
There is no right or wrong way to approach the articles. Here, you can visit the collection in reverse chronology starting with the oldest post first. Alternatively, you may find our Numeric Index, which lists each Take Two in its original order, of interest. If you prefer, you can visit the Alphabetical Index to find posts by subject.
"Nelson was an old-school gentleman with a voice as soft as his sleight-of-hand technique, noted among magicians not only for the gentle, unadorned manner of his performance, but also for the deliberate and distinctively unhurried pace of his work."
"To me, Presto was a real magician—maybe the first real magician I ever knew up close. Someone who did magic at the very highest level, who was a full-time working pro, and who talked to me, kindly and generously, and shared secrets with me. I was in awe of him..."
"...a superb actor, and his approach made the magic feel real, and his relationship to it feel genuine." Another look at the magic of three-time FISM Grand Prix winner Fred Kaps.
"Imam was not afraid of magic. Instead, he made his audiences feel that fear."
"I adored watching Slydini perform; I never tired of the experience in the slightest. I knew his repertoire inside and out, yet I could often be fooled in the moment by his superb technique, his stellar command, his charismatic persona, and perhaps above all, his absolute mastery of the art and craft of misdirection."
A magician "with arms the size of your head sporting Navy tattoos. But at the end of those arms were hands that were as skilled as any in the history of sleight-of-hand magic."
In 1978 Jamy Ian Swiss thought "I may not know who this guy is, but I know I just saw one of the world’s greatest magicians."
The Canadian cardician who became known as “The Charming Cheat.” This week’s Take Two looks at the masterful sleight-of-hand of the late Martin Nash.
Joseph Dunninger said, “If there’s a better all round magician I have yet to discover him!” Find out who he was talking about in this week’s instalment of Take Two.
