The Story of Mayette

Article by Sébastien Thill

Just as Marcel Proust had his "madeleine," what magician hasn't known the Mayette Magie Moderne store? Personally, it's a piece of my personal Neverland that emerges every time I walk through its doors.

More than a shop, it was a ritual for the suburban child I was.

First, I'd leaf through the green-covered catalog again and again, read and re-read the effects, dream of those coveted treasures with such evocative names (20th Century Scarves, Excelsior Balls), look at the illustrations over and over, select tricks according to my budget from pocket money, Christmas, or a birthday, even saving some for next time.

Getting off the RER at Saint Michel, walking up the boulevard of the same name, turning left onto Boulevard Saint Germain until Rue des Carmes, seeing the red facade of the store framing the display windows where stage equipment was exhibited.

Each time, I had the impression of entering a world completely outside of reality and everyday life.

Walking through the glass doors and discovering the tricks displayed in the window, just to the right of the pranks and jokes, behind and under the counter, dreaming in front of the wooden drawers that held so many wonders.

Waiting my turn by sitting on one of the giant wooden dice, observing the owl, the store's mascot, perched above the counter, and finally getting a demonstration of one of the new items, which would modify the carefully prepared list! Unforgettable moments!

They say Mayette is the "oldest magic shop in the world." Nevertheless, the store's history dates back more than two centuries.

It was in 1808 that a certain Charles Aubert founded a song publishing house.

After 22 years in business, he moved the shop and introduced new items: prank accessories as well as some conjuring and amusing physics devices.

At the end of the century, one of his employees, Léon Baudot, took over the shop with his wife, and developed the number of "for laughs and to make people laugh" items: pranks and jokes, party accessories, and continued to sell conjuring items.

Their combined intelligence and ideas brought new dynamism to the shop, expanding the range of "for laughs and to make people laugh" items and contributing to the rise of magic accessories.

It's worth remembering that at the time, access to the "secrets" of magicians was much more difficult, with no real shop dedicated to this art, and even less so the internet or YouTube!

Ultimately, pranks and jokes were often a first step to learning one's first magic tricks.

In 1913, and for 20 years, the store became, under the direction of Henri Billy, "Maison BILLY," selling illusionism equipment and expanding its catalog in this category.

In 1922, the shop moved to 8, Rue des Carmes, the address it still occupies today. This new location, in the heart of Paris, symbolizes the expansion and growing recognition of Mayette Magie in the world of illusion. It was during this period that the shop established itself as a true center of expertise, attracting amateur and professional magicians in search of unique items and expert advice.

In 1933, the shop took the name of André Mayette, who took over the store with his wife. Both maintained the pranks and songs business but relegated them to the background: the shop became known for manufacturing conjuring devices and its activity as a publisher of books on illusionism.

André Mayette

The quality and ingenuity of the products offered attracted renowned amateur and professional magicians who quickly contributed to the growing reputation of "Mayette Magie Moderne."

The publication of books on illusionism, such as "La Prestidigitation sans Bagages" by Doctor Dhôtel and "Cours Magica" by Robert Veno, reinforced the shop's position as a source of expertise and know-how in the field. Its various works are still available today on the shop's website in PDF format.

In 1958, a child passionate about magic, ever since seeing the film "M the Murderer" and eager to know more, entered the shop for the first time.

The magic worked: the display cases, the giant dice, the demonstrations at the counter, the multitude of wooden drawers brimming with mysteries. He spent all his pocket money there, with the impression each time that he still had a whole stock of wonders to discover! What he didn't know yet, however, was that 33 years later, he would buy the shop, along with all its stock!

This incredible and true story, which reads like a fairy tale, can be found in the book "Duvivier," published by Marchand de Trucs.

From 1965 to 1991, under the name "Magie Moderne Hatte Mayette," Michel Hatte bought the store and the publishing house, turning it into an essential place for the magic community.

He published the magazine Mad Magic, conceived by James Hodges and edited by Jean Merlin.

As early as 1965, the shop was rebuilt and modernized, reflecting the success and ambition of Mayette Magie. A new layout allowed for a greater number of customers and offered a better shopping experience.

The publication of the mythical magazine Le Magicien became a link between the magicians of the capital.

During an auction at Drouot, it was considered by the newspaper Libération as "the leading manufacturer and dealer of equipment for illusionists and magicians in France, from 1965 to 1991."

It was in the late 1980s that I first knew the shop.

You certainly know the rest of the story: in 1991, Dominique Duvivier bought the store with his daughter Alexandra, and decided to revive the magazine Le Magicien in 1992, becoming its editor-in-chief.

It so happens that in 1995, I became a student, just a stone's throw from the shop (it was hard to resist regular visits).

Discussing for hours at the counter, at the risk of missing classes, buying the quarterly issue of Le Magicien, then devouring it in the nearby Jardin du Luxembourg.

It was at this time that I first met Dominique Duvivier, who demonstrated the Nudist Deck to me (with a blue Bicycle deck, I remember it as if it were yesterday!).

It was there that I discovered a new line of products, new concepts, the "small packet" tricks: The Printing Press, The Parchments, The Jokers, Aladdin, and so many others. I devoured every volume of the "Yellow Series," which in my opinion remains the best collection I have ever seen in magic, due to the quality of the tricks shown and explained, but especially the communicative passion that shone through the screen, with such prestigious guests as Dominique Duvivier, Jean-Jacques Sanvert, Gaëtan Bloom, Derek Dingle, and Larry Jennings.

Since then, countless reports have been dedicated to it on TV, radio, in the press, and in guides.

Nor can we count the creations published by the shop: video cassettes, DVDs, tricks, exclusives.

Even this year, in 2025, the Mayette shop underwent transformation work, showing its desire to continue its history, to continue to evolve, adapting, with the concern to combine tradition and modernity.

In summary, founded in 1808, Mayette Magie has become an unmissable place in the world of magic. The shop has managed to span eras and adapt to public tastes, maintaining its passion for the art of illusion, becoming more than a reference for professional and amateur magicians: a Proustian Madeleine!