Joseph Pinetti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Pinetti
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| Occupation | Magician |
Joseph Pinetti (born around 1750 in Orbetello, Italy, died around 1803 in Russia) was a very famous magician in the late 1700s. In France, people knew him as Chevalier Joseph Pinetti. He was called "The Professor of Natural Magic." Pinetti was a grand showman who loved to stand out. He was also one of the first magicians to use advertising for his shows!
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The Amazing Magician Joseph Pinetti
Joseph Pinetti was a special magician for King Louis XVI in France. He also performed during later French governments. Pinetti wrote a book called Physical Amusements in 1784. He helped make magic more popular and even invented new tricks.
Back then, many magicians performed on the streets. They carried their tools in bags and their tables under their arms. But Pinetti was different. He brought his "experiments," as he called them, into grand theaters. Other magicians used simple brass and tin tools. Pinetti's props were made of shiny gold and silver!
He had a special collection of items, like a "cabinet of curiosities." Pinetti said his tricks were based on science. He presented them as real scientific experiments. He was a short man, a bit chubby, but he acted like a king. During his shows, he would change his fancy, gold-embroidered clothes many times.
From Professor to Performer
Before becoming a professional magician, Pinetti was a professor in Rome. He would do tricks for his students. He showed them as if they were physics demonstrations. His students loved them so much! Soon, he started showing these tricks to his friends. They told him he should perform for the public.
By 1780, Pinetti was performing in Germany. He called himself "Joseph Pinetti, Roman Professor of Mathematics." This made his shows sound very important.
Pinetti's Incredible Tricks
Pinetti performed amazing tricks with grand names. One famous trick was called "Theophrastus Paracelsus." In this trick, Pinetti would hang a pigeon by a ribbon around its neck. A shadow of the bird would appear on the wall. He would then take a knife and "cut" the shadow's neck. Seconds later, the real pigeon would appear beheaded!
Professor Pinetti often performed at his theater in Paris. His stage looked glorious but was also simple. He had silk curtains around the stage. His tables were painted gold. Two sparkling crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling.
In France, critics said Pinetti's opening night was packed. They talked about the 23 amazing experiments he showed. Even though he knew only a few French words, he charmed everyone. Soon, all of Paris was talking about him. The King himself even asked for a private show!
Fame and Challenges
During his time in Paris, tickets to Pinetti's shows were hard to get. They were booked weeks ahead! Professor Pinetti was very famous. But then, in March 1784, a book came out. It revealed all his "experiments" as just tricks.
The book was called La Magic Blanche Dévoilée (Natural Magic Disclosed). It was written by Henri Decremps, a lawyer and physics student. Pinetti's name wasn't in the book, but everyone knew it was about his methods. The book quickly became a bestseller.
Even though not all the tricks were explained correctly, the damage was done. Fewer people came to Pinetti's shows. The book ruined the mystery of his experiments. In June, Pinetti published his own book, Amusements Physiques (Physical Amusements). This wasn't a book revealing secrets. Instead, it was a guide on how to "amuse a company" with simple tricks.
Pinetti then went to other parts of France and practiced new shows. From there, he traveled to England. He performed his experiments at London's New Theatre. Later, he even performed for King George III and the royal family! While in London, he had a big rivalry with another well-known magician, Philip Breslaw.
He returned to Paris, but his tour was cut short. Decremps published another book, showing Pinetti's new tricks. Decremps tried to perform magic himself, but he wasn't as good on stage as he was at writing books.
Later Life and Legacy
Professor Pinetti was mentioned in the memories of another famous magician, Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. Robert-Houdin told a wild story about his teacher, Torrini. He said Torrini (also known as Count Edmond de Grisy) had a fight with Pinetti. Robert-Houdin claimed Pinetti was jealous of de Grisy. He supposedly tried to sabotage de Grisy's show. After this, de Grisy became so good at magic that he was better than Pinetti. The story says Pinetti was forced to leave France because of this. However, it's not clear if Count Edmond de Grisy was a real person or if this rivalry actually happened.
Professor Pinetti was known for making a lot of money. He loved to show off his wealth everywhere he went. He continued his tours in Portugal and across Europe. But in Berlin, showing off caused him trouble.
He arrived in Berlin, Prussia, in a fancy coach pulled by four white horses. He was dressed like a very important nobleman. His chest was covered with shiny medals. With all this showing off, everyone in town talked about him.
The King of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great, rode by in a much simpler coach with only two horses. He saw his guards saluting a man he didn't know. After asking, he found out it was Professor Pinetti, the magician. Frederick the Great was very angry. He ordered Pinetti to leave Berlin within 24 hours! The King said Berlin wasn't big enough for two rulers: the King of Prussia and the King of Conjurers!
Pinetti went to Russia after that. The ruler there treated him much better. The Czar was so impressed by Pinetti's experiments that he gave the Professor a large ring and a medallion covered in diamonds. While in Russia, Pinetti made a huge fortune. But he lost most of it in a bad investment. He put his money into a partnership for hot air balloon rides.
Robert-Houdin wrote that Pinetti suffered from a long and difficult illness. Even with all his past wealth, he became very poor. A kind nobleman from Berdichev in Ukraine took him in. The nobleman gave him a place to stay out of kindness for the dying man. Pinetti soon died from his illness.
See also
- La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin
- Nicolas-Philippe Ledru
- Henri Descremps
