orig. Jean-Eugène Robert
born Dec. 6, 1805, Blois, France
died June 13, 1871, St. Gervais, near Blois
French magician, considered the father of modern conjuring .
Trained as a watchmaker, he became a magician at the Palais-Royal (1845–55), performing on a bare stage in evening dress rather than the usual wizardlike costume. He used familiar objects to create his illusions, then gave a plausible explanation of the technical procedures involved. Robert-Houdin was the first magician to use electricity, and he exposed magicians who relied on supernatural explanations for their feats. In 1856 he was sent to Algeria by the French government to counter the influence of the dervishes, who were encouraging rebellion against French forces, by duplicating their feats.