School of Magic: The Grifter Panel

Thu, Dec 7 2017
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Central Library, Dweck Center

BPL Presents School of Magic: The Grifter Panel School of Magic: The Grifter Panel School of Magic: The Grifter Panel School of Magic: The Grifter Panel School of Magic: The Grifter Panel


The concept of a ‘confidence trick/con man’ can be traced back to 19th-century literature in the works of Nikolai Gogol (“Dead Souls”), Herman Melville (“The Confidence Man”) and Mark Twain (“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”), to name just a few. In 1923, Edward Henry Smith published “Confessions of a Confidence Man: a Handbook for Suckers” which outlined the various stages of the con. Later on it came to be associated with sideshows and circuses. Join magicians Kent Axell and Eric Walton, and the pre-eminent sideshow entertainer Todd Robbins as they discuss the methodology behind some of the world’s most notorious scams and cons. They’ll even provide a how-to guide to some of the world’s best bar bets - You’ll never pay for drinks again!

10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238 Get Directions
Add to My Calendar 12/07/2017 02:30 pm 12/07/2017 04:00 pm America/New_York School of Magic: The Grifter Panel <p>The concept of a ‘confidence trick/con man’ can be traced back to 19th-century literature in the works of Nikolai Gogol (“Dead Souls”), Herman Melville (“The Confidence Man”) and Mark Twain (“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”), to name just a few. In 1923, Edward Henry Smith published “Confessions of a Confidence Man: a Handbook for Suckers” which outlined the various stages of the con. Later on it came to be associated with sideshows and circuses. Join magicians Kent Axell and Eric Walton, and the pre-eminent sideshow entertainer Todd Robbins as they discuss the methodology behind some of the world’s most notorious scams and cons. They’ll even provide a how-to guide to some of the world’s best bar bets - You’ll never pay for drinks again!</p> Brooklyn Public Library - Central Library, Dweck Center MM/DD/YYYY 60