P.T. Selbit

P.T. Selbit was a highly influential British magician and inventor in the early 20th century. He is most famous for taking magic out of the realm of small parlor tricks and turning it into grand, theatrical stage illusions.

He is universally credited with inventing the classic stage illusion of "sawing a woman in half." He famously staged the first public performance of this terrifying trick at the Finsbury Park Empire theatre in London in 1921.

Prior to Selbit's trick, magic was mostly viewed as harmless entertainment, but his illusion introduced a shocking element of apparent danger and morbidity. The realism of the potential violence sparked massive public debate and outrage, which brilliantly drove up ticket sales.

By proving how profitable shocking illusions could be, Selbit sparked a fierce rivalry among magicians who rushed to create their own variations of dividing human bodies. He effectively laid the groundwork for the dramatic, high-stakes stage illusions that defined 20th-century magic.