Making an object disappear and reappear before your eyes is one of the cornerstones of magic, whether through sleight of hand or optical illusion. If you find yourself with nothing to do today, spend an hour and watch this documentary from the BBC’s History of Magic series. It opens with the history of Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, explores the origins of famous illusions like Pepper’s Ghost, and closes with an exploration of some of the biggest disappearing acts in television history.