Horace Goldin
The "Royal Illusionist" — inventor of the buzz-saw illusion, magician to kings, and Hollis Terrace land investor
Horace Goldin was one of the most famous magicians in the world during the golden age of vaudeville and variety entertainment — known as "The Royal Illusionist" after performing for King Edward VII of England. He is credited with inventing or popularizing one of the most famous illusions in magic history: sawing a woman in half with a buzz saw. Around 1906, he was among the theatrical figures who purchased land in the newly developed Hollis Terrace, placing him within the early suburban development of Hollis, Queens.
The Royal Illusionist
Born Hyman Elias Goldstein on December 17, 1873, in Kielce, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire), Goldin emigrated to the United States as a young man. His early career included work as a clown and as an assistant to other magicians before he developed his own act. He built a career on the American vaudeville circuit that eventually took him to the stages of Europe and the courts of royalty.
His command performance before King Edward VII of England earned him the title by which he was known for the rest of his career: "The Royal Illusionist." He also performed for King George V, Queen Mary, and other European royalty, cementing his reputation as the premier magician of his era.
The Master of Rapid-Fire Magic
Goldin was a showman of extraordinary energy and innovation. He pioneered a style of rapid-fire illusion performance — presenting a new trick every few seconds rather than drawing out a single effect — that transformed audience expectations and influenced generations of magicians who followed him.
His tempo, his stagecraft, and his instinct for spectacle made his shows unlike anything audiences had seen before. He was known for performing a "whirlwind" of illusions in a single act, keeping audiences breathless and amazed.
The Buzz-Saw Illusion
Goldin is widely credited with inventing or substantially developing the buzz-saw illusion — in which a performer appears to be sawed in half by a spinning saw blade. The illusion became one of the most recognizable and frequently imitated in the history of stage magic and is still performed by magicians today. He first performed the trick in 1921 at the London Hippodrome, where it created a sensation.
Goldin patented the method in 1923 (U.S. Patent No. 1,456,965) and vigorously defended his claim to it. He famously performed the illusion thousands of times over nearly two decades, often with his wife as the assistant. The trick's notoriety was such that it inspired countless imitations and variations, and it remains a staple of magic shows worldwide. That the man who gave the world one of magic's most enduring images invested in Hollis Terrace is one more thread in the neighborhood's remarkable tapestry.
A Hollis Terrace Land Investment
Around 1906, as Queens was being transformed from farmland into a suburban residential landscape, Horace Goldin was among the theatrical figures who purchased lots in the newly developed Hollis Terrace — a development of the New York and Pittsburgh Real Estate Company. This investment placed him alongside other well-known entertainers of the era who saw the promise of Hollis at the very moment it was being mapped out on deeds and street grids.
Whether Goldin ever lived on the property or held it as an investment, his name appears in the historical record as one of the early believers in Hollis's future — a magician to royalty who saw something special in this Queens neighborhood.
Magic Legacy Ledger
Horace Goldin's career and his Hollis land investment:
Horace Goldin's Hollis connection belongs to the neighborhood's entertainment legacy and early development. That the inventor of one of the most famous illusions in magic history — the buzz-saw sawing of a woman in half — invested in Hollis Terrace is a testament to the remarkable appeal of this community. His name joins a small colony of theatrical figures who saw promise in Hollis at the turn of the twentieth century, placing him at the beginning of a long tradition of performers who have called this neighborhood home.
At a Glance
- Full name
- Hyman Elias Goldstein (stage name: Horace Goldin)
- Born
- December 17, 1873, Kielce, Poland
- Died
- August 22, 1939, London, England
- Title
- "The Royal Illusionist" — after performing for King Edward VII of England
- Innovation
- Invented or substantially developed the buzz-saw illusion (Sawing a Woman in Half); patented in 1923
- Performance style
- Pioneered rapid-fire illusion performance — multiple tricks in quick succession
- Notable performances
- Command performances before King Edward VII, King George V, and Queen Mary
- Legacy
- One of the most influential magicians of the vaudeville era; his buzz-saw illusion remains a staple of magic shows worldwide
- Hollis connection
- Invested in Hollis Terrace lots, Hollis, Queens (c. 1906)
Credits & Archival Acknowledgments
Wikipedia — Horace Goldin ♦ Wikipédia (French) — Horace Goldin ♦ The Magic Century — Horace Goldin profile ♦ IMDb — Horace Goldin ♦ U.S. Patent No. 1,456,965 — Method and Apparatus for Performing a Sawing Illusion (1923) ♦ HPA research notes — Goldin as Hollis Terrace land investor (c. 1906) ♦ HPA Notable Residents draft for Horace Goldin ♦ HPA neighborhood framing — Notable Residents of Hollis series
This Legacy Is in Peril
The Royal Illusionist — who performed for kings and invented the buzz-saw illusion — was among the theatrical figures who invested in Hollis Terrace. The neighborhood that attracted such imagination, innovation, and showmanship deserves to be remembered. Horace Goldin's connection to Hollis is a reminder that this community has been home to not only artists and athletes, but also to the creative geniuses who shaped popular entertainment around the world.
Protecting Hollis means preserving the streets and land where such extraordinary figures saw promise — where a magician to royalty once invested in the same suburban vision that HPA is fighting to defend today.