History of magic and illusion brought to life at museum

MAGIC and illusion is the theme of a new family-friendly exhibition which opens at Sheffield’s Weston Park Museum this week.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Apr 2012, 07:00 BST

Magic Worlds explores the fantastical realms of witches, wizards and fairies and celebrates the feats of stage magicians.

Created by the V&A Museum of Childhood, Magic Worlds brings together more than 200 objects to explore the origins of magic.

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Artefacts on show will include film replicas of Harry Potter’s broomstick and the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings, as well as vintage Cinderella and Prince Charming mechanical dancing dolls and puppets of characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream dating from the 1940s.

Teresa Whittaker, senior exhibition curator at Museums Sheffield, said: “Even in the 21st century we continue to be amazed by the seemingly impossible feats of conjurors and illusionists, while the success of Harry Potter shows that magic remains at the heart of many of our favourite stories.

“Magic Worlds is a real celebration of our fascination with all things magical.”

The exhibitions opens with a “grand launch” day at Weston Park this Saturday.

There will be live comedy and magic from a magician, as well as appearances from characters including Harry Potter.

Related topics:HistorySheffieldHarry Potter