El Rei de la Màgia, Barcelona

El Rei de la Màgia is a magic shop on Carrer de la Princesa, operating there since the late nineteenth century. Its painted wooden frontage frames the entrance, with display windows and lettering across the lintel. The shop was founded in 1895 by Joaquim Partagàs, a conjuror who had already performed in Barcelona in 1878.

The date painted on the sign is 1881: a later owner, Carles Bucheli, selected it for publicity partly because it reads identically backwards. Partagàs also maintained a performance room from 1894 to 1900 and wrote a handbook for people learning conjuring. Inside, original display furniture survives, including glass-topped counters, cabinets and a mezzanine. The shop’s theatrical tradition continues after a customer chooses a trick: its secret is disclosed privately behind a curtain.