"Les magiciens," from A Travers l'Afrique by Verney Lovett Cameron, 1878.

"Melt the magic halls away," from The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, 1870.

"The Dark-Circle": an illustration from an 1875 issue of Wide World magazine.

The Cuddapah Brahmin, named Sheshal, levitates in The Saturday Magazine (1832).

"Again he raised the relic to his lips; the crew of the vessel crumbled into skeletons."  From The Phantom Ship by Frederick Marryat and illustrated by H. R. Millar, 1896.

"Chinese conjuring extraordinary," from The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, Concerning the Kingdoms and Marvels of the East, translated by Henry Yule, 1875.

"The Chief Magician": an illustration from The King of Schnorrers by Israel Zangwill (1894).

An illustration from Past, Present and Future by James E. White (1909).

An illustration from Past, Present and Future by James E. White (1909).  The caption reads: "Table lifted from the floor without hands."

An illustration from a 1900 issue of The Lady's Realm magazine.  The caption reads: "This magician carried them at will from world to world."

An illustration from In the Sweet and Dry by Christopher Morley and Bart Haley (1919), illustrated by Gluyas Williams.  The caption reads: "The Six Quimbletons or The Decanterbury Pilgrims In Their Artistic Revival Of Old and Entertaining Customs, Tableaux Vivants, Vanished Arts, Folklore Games and Conjuring Tricks Such as The Drinking of Healths, Toasts, Nosepainting, The Lifted Elbow, Let's Match For It, Say When, Light or Dark? and this One's On Me. Communion With Departed Spirits. Please Do Not Leave Before the Hat Goes Round."

Here's a sword suspension from 1848, about a year before Robert-Houdin debuted his famous broomstick illusion.  From Punch.

"The Grand Transformation!"  An illustration from an 1889 issue of Punch magazine.

There has always been a fine line between stage magic and occultism.  Here's a poorly-rehearsed stage magician who mangles his magic words and conjures up a demon, from Punch, 1908.  The caption reads, "An unrehearsed effect."