Tuesday 17 June 2014

Toby The Learned Pig

Just a quick titbit for those with an interest in the history of magic. Anyone who had read The Great Illusionists by Edwin Dawes or Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women by Ricky Jay will already know about Toby. 

Here are the bibliographic details for this reference:

The Comic Latin Grammar, A New and Facetious Introduction to the Latin Tongue, with numerous illustrations, second edition, by Percival Leigh, 1840, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, London.

On page 17:



And as a footnote on coincidence does this character, who appears on the frontispiece of Leigh's book, look familiar? He reminds me of a character created by magician Norman Hunter.