Jim Steinmeyer (born November 1, 1958) is an American author, inventor, and designer of magical illusions and theatrical special effects. He holds four US patents in the field of illusion apparatus, including a modern version of the Pepper's Ghost illusion. Steinmeyer has consulted for many famous magicians, including David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Siegfried and Roy, and Lance Burton. Steinmeyer is also known for his work on Broadway, and received two Drama Desk nominations for his effects in Merlin and Into the Woods. He has also designed illusions for Disney's stage productions of Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Mary Poppins. Steinmeyer has written multiple books on the history of magic, including the Los Angeles Times bestseller Hiding the Elephant. Early life Steinmeyer was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois and attended Loyola University Chicago. Magic career Illusion design For a number of years, Steinmeyer was the magic designer to Doug Henning, and invented illusions for Henning's television specials and two Broadway shows. He has served as a magic consultant to Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield and Lance Burton, as well as creating magic effects for Orson Welles, Harry Blackstone, The Pendragons, Simon Drake, Ricky Jay, Jason Bishop, and many others. For Copperfield, Steinmeyer created the illusion of the Vanishing Statue of Liberty, which was featured on a live television special in 1983. Musician Alice Cooper used a Steinmeyer-designed effect in his 2009 tour, where at one point he is confined inside a polished metal torture device, then impaled with a rack of sharp spikes. Other notable stage illusions designed by Steinmeyer include: Origami – an effect performed by both Henning and Copperfield and which has since been widely imitated. It was performed by an America's Got Talent contestant in 2010. An oriental-themed box is seen on a thin table, backed by a mirror. The magician's assistant steps into the box, which folds down into a small cube, 12 inches square. The cube is penetrated by three swords before being unfolded, allowing the assistant to emerge unharmed. Interlude – originally titled Permeability, this illusion was performed by The Pendragons for many years as Interlude and is now commonly known as such. The magician is held in a metal frame and the magician's assistant passes through from back to front, appearing to pass through the magician's torso. Modern Art – in which the magician's assistant enters a