Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin

He performed his famous "Soirées fantastiques" at his own magic theater in Paris during the 1840s. By performing in an elegant, formal evening dress setting rather than a rustic fairground, he transformed magic from a street trick into a respectable theatrical art form.

One of his most famous illusions was the "Light and Heavy Chest," which utilized a hidden early electromagnet to stick a wooden box to the floor. He famously used this trick during the French occupation of Algeria to convince local leaders of his supernatural strength.

The Orange Tree was an intricate mechanical automaton where a metal blossom appeared to sprout from an empty pot, bloom, and produce real oranges. This famous illusion was later heavily featured in the 2006 film "The Illusionist" starring Edward Norton.

The American escape artist Harry Houdini chose his stage name specifically to honor Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who was considered the father of modern magic. Ironically, Houdini later wrote a book called "The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin" in 1908 to criticize some of the Frenchman's methods.