Michael Joseph (1941-) - Magician with spectators
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Selected by Kai Brückner
Over 35 years' experience; former gallery owner and Museum Folkwang curator.
Estimate € 400 - € 500
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Description from the seller
Michael Joseph (b. 1941)
“Magician Magic” – London, 1970s
Original Vintage Darkroom Print
Silver gelatin print
Title and “London 1970s” hand-written by the photographer
Signed by Michael Joseph to the mount
Mount dimensions: 50cm high by 40cm wide
Condition: Very good vintage condition; minor natural ageing consistent with period
Carefully packed and dispatched flat, fully protected
A tour de force of theatrical photography — exuberant, mischievous and masterfully choreographed.
In “Magician Magic”, Michael Joseph captures a full stage illusion mid-performance: a top-hatted magician triumphantly presenting a white rabbit aloft, assistants poised, audience transfixed. The composition is pure theatre — curtains framing the scene, faces caught in varying states of awe, scepticism and delight. Every gesture is amplified; every glance contributes to the narrative tension.
Notably, the curly-haired child in the foreground — wide-eyed and mid-gesture — is the photographer’s daughter, ie me, Justine! - included in the cast to help realise the ambitious staging within a tight production budget. Her spontaneous energy anchors the scene with authenticity, adding a subtle personal dimension to what is otherwise a meticulously controlled theatrical construction.
This is Joseph at his most expansive. Known for his grand banquet scenes and meticulously staged advertising tableaux, he brought the same precision and dramatic instinct to narrative compositions such as this. What appears spontaneous is in fact the result of careful casting, blocking, lighting design and timing. In the pre-digital era, nothing could be adjusted later — exposure, expression, movement and atmosphere all had to converge in a single decisive moment.
The lighting is particularly striking: sculptural highlights on the magician’s face and raised arm draw the eye upward to the rabbit, while the audience recedes into rich tonal shadow. The effect is cinematic, almost film-noir in its depth, yet playful in spirit.
Joseph’s ability to orchestrate complex group scenes earned him enormous respect within the industry; ambitious staged works of this scale were simply referred to as “a Michael Joseph.” This photograph exemplifies that reputation — controlled chaos rendered elegant and compelling.
Hand-printed by the artist in the darkroom, the silver gelatin process gives the image a velvety tonal range and tactile presence impossible to replicate in later reproductions. The handwritten title and signature further confirm its authenticity as a period print.
A superb and highly collectable example of 1970s British staged photography — theatrical, witty and technically assured.
As always, this one-off historical piece will be packed with the utmost care and personal attention.
#MagicianMagic
#1970sLondon
#PhotoTakenInThe1970s
#StageIllusion
#TheatricalPhotography
#SilverGelatinPrint
#VintageDarkroom
#BritishStagedPhotography
#RabbitFromHat
#BehindTheCurtain
#FilmNoirLighting
#AudienceAwe
#TopHatMagic
#MichaelJoseph
#OneOffHistoricalPiece
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was a London-based advertising photographer from the mid-1960s to the early 1990s. Over those decades, he produced an extraordinary body of work—his most widely recognised image being the iconic Beggars Banquet gatefold for the Rolling Stones.
My ongoing mission is to share and celebrate what we call “the other photos”: the lesser-known but no less compelling images from his archive. These are the works that lived beyond the headlines—test prints, alternative frames from major shoots, and quieter, more personal photographs, all made with his characteristic intensity, discipline, and devotion to craft.
Much of their atmosphere comes from the darkroom itself. These are photographs shaped by light, timing, and handwork: intricate group compositions, sculptural still lifes, and moments that invite the viewer to linger and look again. Variety is central to the archive, and I frequently offer unique, one-off pieces that exist nowhere else.
I hope you enjoy discovering my father’s work as much as I enjoy sharing it, and that you find here not just an image, but a genuine piece of photographic history.
All works are dispatched carefully protected, and packed with devotion and care, appropriate to a one-off historical photographic print.
US purchasers please note: Customs and excise charges are paid at source and included in the postage fee. No further charges should be due on delivery, unless regulations change.
Michael Joseph (b. 1941)
“Magician Magic” – London, 1970s
Original Vintage Darkroom Print
Silver gelatin print
Title and “London 1970s” hand-written by the photographer
Signed by Michael Joseph to the mount
Mount dimensions: 50cm high by 40cm wide
Condition: Very good vintage condition; minor natural ageing consistent with period
Carefully packed and dispatched flat, fully protected
A tour de force of theatrical photography — exuberant, mischievous and masterfully choreographed.
In “Magician Magic”, Michael Joseph captures a full stage illusion mid-performance: a top-hatted magician triumphantly presenting a white rabbit aloft, assistants poised, audience transfixed. The composition is pure theatre — curtains framing the scene, faces caught in varying states of awe, scepticism and delight. Every gesture is amplified; every glance contributes to the narrative tension.
Notably, the curly-haired child in the foreground — wide-eyed and mid-gesture — is the photographer’s daughter, ie me, Justine! - included in the cast to help realise the ambitious staging within a tight production budget. Her spontaneous energy anchors the scene with authenticity, adding a subtle personal dimension to what is otherwise a meticulously controlled theatrical construction.
This is Joseph at his most expansive. Known for his grand banquet scenes and meticulously staged advertising tableaux, he brought the same precision and dramatic instinct to narrative compositions such as this. What appears spontaneous is in fact the result of careful casting, blocking, lighting design and timing. In the pre-digital era, nothing could be adjusted later — exposure, expression, movement and atmosphere all had to converge in a single decisive moment.
The lighting is particularly striking: sculptural highlights on the magician’s face and raised arm draw the eye upward to the rabbit, while the audience recedes into rich tonal shadow. The effect is cinematic, almost film-noir in its depth, yet playful in spirit.
Joseph’s ability to orchestrate complex group scenes earned him enormous respect within the industry; ambitious staged works of this scale were simply referred to as “a Michael Joseph.” This photograph exemplifies that reputation — controlled chaos rendered elegant and compelling.
Hand-printed by the artist in the darkroom, the silver gelatin process gives the image a velvety tonal range and tactile presence impossible to replicate in later reproductions. The handwritten title and signature further confirm its authenticity as a period print.
A superb and highly collectable example of 1970s British staged photography — theatrical, witty and technically assured.
As always, this one-off historical piece will be packed with the utmost care and personal attention.
#MagicianMagic
#1970sLondon
#PhotoTakenInThe1970s
#StageIllusion
#TheatricalPhotography
#SilverGelatinPrint
#VintageDarkroom
#BritishStagedPhotography
#RabbitFromHat
#BehindTheCurtain
#FilmNoirLighting
#AudienceAwe
#TopHatMagic
#MichaelJoseph
#OneOffHistoricalPiece
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was a London-based advertising photographer from the mid-1960s to the early 1990s. Over those decades, he produced an extraordinary body of work—his most widely recognised image being the iconic Beggars Banquet gatefold for the Rolling Stones.
My ongoing mission is to share and celebrate what we call “the other photos”: the lesser-known but no less compelling images from his archive. These are the works that lived beyond the headlines—test prints, alternative frames from major shoots, and quieter, more personal photographs, all made with his characteristic intensity, discipline, and devotion to craft.
Much of their atmosphere comes from the darkroom itself. These are photographs shaped by light, timing, and handwork: intricate group compositions, sculptural still lifes, and moments that invite the viewer to linger and look again. Variety is central to the archive, and I frequently offer unique, one-off pieces that exist nowhere else.
I hope you enjoy discovering my father’s work as much as I enjoy sharing it, and that you find here not just an image, but a genuine piece of photographic history.
All works are dispatched carefully protected, and packed with devotion and care, appropriate to a one-off historical photographic print.
US purchasers please note: Customs and excise charges are paid at source and included in the postage fee. No further charges should be due on delivery, unless regulations change.
Details
Date of print
1987
Artist
Michael Joseph (1941-)
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Title of artwork
Magician with spectators
Condition
Original State
Technique
Other
Height
37 cm
Edition
Unique vintage darkroom print by the photographer
Width
29.5 cm
Signature
Hand signed
Genre
Fine art photography
Sold by
