John Hamman facts for kids

Brother John Charles Hamman (born September 3, 1927 – died December 5, 2000) was a famous close-up magician. He was also a Marianist Brother. He invented many magic tricks. These tricks are still used by magicians today. Brother Hamman was known all over the world in the magic community.

He became interested in magic as a child. He had polio and was recovering. During this time, he spent many hours learning and inventing card tricks. He also created other magic tricks using sleight-of-hand. Sometimes, he would "reinvent" old tricks. He was a member of several magic groups. These included the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

A Magical Career

Brother Hamman created over 100 card magic tricks. One of his most famous tricks is the Hamman Count. This is a sleight-of-hand move. It makes it seem like a magician has more or fewer cards than they actually do.

He wrote many books and made videos about magic. He was invited to many magic gatherings. These events were local, national, and even international. He showed off his amazing card skills at these events.

In 1995, Brother Hamman received a special honor. He was the first living magician to be honored at the St. Louis Magical Heritage Awards. This award is like a "Hall of Fame" for local magicians. Other professional magicians called him the "Magical Marianist."

In his acceptance speech, he shared a secret about magic. He said:

The object of magic is misdirection. Audiences are more apt to believe what they hear than what they see, and intelligent people are the easiest to fool because they don't expect me to use some childish gimmick to deceive them. On the other hand, children are hard to fool, because they watch closely and don't listen.

His first big book was "The Card Magic of Bro. John Hamman, S.M." It was published in 1958. A famous magician named Paul LePaul wrote the introduction. He wrote:

Brother John Hamman leads you down the garden path to the exact spot where he wants you and then, he turns on the sprinkler.

Among magicians, Brother Hamman is still called a Magician's Magician. This is a very high honor. It means he could even amaze other magicians. But his favorite thing was doing magic for his students.

Brother Hamman also used his magic to teach. He was a skilled Gospel Magician. He often used his tricks to teach important lessons about Catholic catechism to his students.

His Life Story

Brother Hamman was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His parents were Godfrey and Olivia Hamman. He had one brother and one sister. He went to St. Luke and St. Rose grade schools. The Loretto Sisters and Sisters of Saint Joseph taught him there.

In 1941, he started McBride High School. He was inspired by a priest named Fr. John G. Leies. His older brother Donald was also becoming a Marianist. So, John decided to become a postulant in 1942. He made his first vows as a Marianist in 1945. He made his final vows in 1951. In 1995, he celebrated 50 years as a Marianist.

Brother Hamman earned a bachelor's degree in education. He got it from the University of Dayton in 1948. He also earned a master's degree in English in 1963. He began teaching English in 1948. He taught at Central Catholic Marianist High School in San Antonio.

He taught at several other schools too. In 1952, he was diagnosed with a severe case of polio. He spent two years recovering from his illness.

Because of his polio, Brother Hamman could only teach part-time. He taught at St. Mary's High School starting in 1954. He later taught at St. John Vianney High School. He retired from teaching in 1986. Due to his health, he moved to a Marianist home in San Antonio in 1995.

His Passing

Brother John Hamman passed away on December 5, 2000. He was 73 years old. He died in San Antonio, Texas. He is buried in the Marianist Cemetery. This cemetery is on the campus of St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

Videos of His Magic

• The Lost Works of Bro. John Hamman: This is a set of six DVDs. They show 97 of Brother Hamman's magic tricks. These videos were made as a kind of notebook for another magician. Many of the tricks on the DVDs are also in a book called "The Secrets of Brother John Hamman." You can still buy these DVDs today.

Famous Words

• "Magic happens not in the hands of the performer, but in the minds of the spectators." – From the Introduction, The Secrets of Brother John Hamman

Original Magic Tricks