Nevil Maskelyne (magician)

Nevil Maskelyne (1863–1924) was a British magician and inventor.

Maskelyne was born in 1863 to stage magician John Nevil Maskelyne. Following his father's death he assumed control of Maskelyne's Ltd.

In wireless telegraphy he was the manager of Anglo-American Telegraph Company which controlled the Valdemar Poulsen patents.

He was a public detractor of Guglielmo Marconi in the early days of radio (wireless). In 1903 he hacked into Marconi's demonstration of wireless telegraphy, and broadcast his own message, hoping to make Marconi's claims of "secure and private communication" appear foolish.

He married Ada Mary Ardley (1863-1901) about 1890 in England, United Kingdom. Maskelyne was the father of Jasper Maskelyne, who continued the family tradition of professional magic.

He died in 1924.

Maskelyne wrote several books on magic, including Our Magic: The Art in Magic, the Theory of Magic, the Practice of Magic (with David Devant) and On the Performance of Magic.

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