39 Facts About Fred Kaps

Fred Kaps was a Dutch magician, famous for being the only magician to become FISM Grand Prix world champion three times.

Fred Kaps was the creator of numerous original effects including his version of the color-changing silks.

Part of the act has Kaps exhibiting facial expressions of great surprise and disbelief, as he tries unsuccessfully to desperately stop the flow.

Fred Kaps's father wanted him to enroll into a drawing academy in Amsterdam so he could work as an artist in advertising.

Fred Kaps was put into the "cabaret group" and performed magic.

Fred Kaps went to Indonesia where he retained his passion for magic by performing.

Fred Kaps proved that mime and acting are of great value.

Fred Kaps performed it at the Dutch national convention in Arnhem, and was a big hit.

Fred Kaps meant to defend his title but was developing a new act.

Fred Kaps did attend the following convention in Amsterdam in 1955.

Fred Kaps did some unique one handed color changes, followed by the canary in microphone.

Fred Kaps seemed to take great joy as the cards flowed through.

Fred Kaps looks at his watch while the music acts like it's stuck as it plays one note waiting and waiting for the salt to finish.

Fred Kaps is silent throughout the trick using music in the background.

Fred Kaps takes out the salt cellar and tries to shake the salt into his closed fist.

The music starts to end and Fred Kaps poses as he hopes the salt will end with it.

Fred Kaps looks over to the bandleader to play something.

Frantically, Fred Kaps puts some of the salt into his pants pocket to get rid of it.

Fred Kaps takes a bow to the thunderous roars of applause.

Once again Fred Kaps waited six years before he defended his title.

Fred Kaps improved the salt pour trick and added other items to his act.

Fred Kaps started off with his usual opening of vanishing a cane in a newspaper.

Fred Kaps did a double take when he realized the impossibility of what he just did.

Fred Kaps had preset a champagne bottle in a bucket next to him.

Fred Kaps took these bills and boomeranged them into his top hat.

Fred Kaps became the first person to win three consecutive world championships.

Fred Kaps used those wins to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States on 9 February 1964.

Unfortunately for Fred Kaps, his act directly followed the highly anticipated American debut of British Rock and Roll sensation The Beatles.

Fred Kaps performed both stage illusions and close-up magic using a variety of props like playing cards, candles, coins, balls, dice and silks.

Fred Kaps enjoyed companionship and would talk all hours about his favorite subject, magic.

Fred Kaps thought that reaching the top of magic did not depend on luck or chance.

Fred Kaps felt that magic was an art that should be studied.

Fred Kaps was interested in any amateur whose goal was originality.

Fred Kaps consoled his ailing friend by telling him how much he and his wife Corrie cared for him.

Fred Kaps ended by saying that he learned a lot from working with him.

Fred Kaps was doing much better and planned on working again.

In March 1980, Fred Kaps was honored with a Master Fellowship of the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood.

Fred Kaps was survived by his wife, mother and two daughters.

Fred Kaps was called "World's Greatest Magician" in 1972 by George Anderson.