Jerry Andrus

Jerry Andrus (January 28, 1918 – August 26, 2007) was an American magician and writer known internationally for his original close-up, sleight of hand tricks, such as the famous "Linking Pins", and optical illusions.

Early life Andrus was born January 28, 1918, in Sheridan, Wyoming. At the age of 10, he moved to Albany, Oregon, where he lived until his death in 2007. At 12, Andrus became interested in the art of illusion when he saw a performance of a reformed "spiritual medium". He joined the International Society of Junior Magicians when he was 16 and soon became known as a "magician’s magician". He was known to many accomplished contemporary magicians, such as Lance Burton, Doug Henning, and Penn & Teller, for this unique brand of close-up, sleight-of-hand magic.

An early member of The Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, Andrus performed there semi-annually until shortly before his death.

In 1954, Andrus created the famous "Linking Pins", a close-up illusion in which closed safety pins are rapidly linked together in twos, threes and chains.

Skepticism Andrus was committed to the promotion of science and warned of the dangers of pseudoscience, psychics, cons, and other deceptions. An avowed scientific skeptic and agnostic, Andrus often lectured at scientific and skeptic conferences, using his optical illusions and magic tricks to demonstrate the ease with which the mind can be fooled by the eye. He discussed a form of cognitive science that attempted to explain that because the mind is working on an unconscious level, it can be fooled into misperceiving apparently normal sensory experiences. Jerry Andrus: A Lifetime of Magic – Volume 2 (2001) Andrus: The Man, The Mind and the Magic (2008)