Circus, prestidigitation and necromancy in Costa Rica (1915-1940)

Abstract

This article studies the presence of circuses and variety companies that presented conjuring and necromancy shows, which arrived in Costa Rica between 1915 and 1940, coming from the United States, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia and Panama. For this, an analysis of journalistic sources of the time was carried out. With this study it was possible to determine that in the circus companies artists and animals that performed striking and risky acts stood out. However, few circus and variety companies arrived in the country due to the worldwide economic impacts of the two world wars and the Great Depression of 1929. Sleight of hand acts were presented alongside illusionism, magic, and the occult. The censorship and social control of the Catholic Church and the State towards the sociability of the popular sectors —mainly capitalists— was evidenced in the prohibition of the practice and expectation of necromancy and spiritualism. This made Costa Rica unattractive to present exhibitions of these shows.