This piece is one in a series of group posts collectively called Faces Behind Facades.
It connects my art works of Barcelona facades with the people and stories that sit behind them.

When it rains it Barcelona, it really does rain - rarely a drizzle, mostly a downpour. This morning was one of those mornings - the heavens had opened … and I was waiting for my haven to open at 10.30am but had arrived too early for my appointment with Rosa at the magic shop El Rei de la Mágia. I stayed put under a balcony opposite the shop until I heard the rattling of that ruby red rolling shutter as Rosa began to open for business.

From the street, the shop has lots of curbside appeal, especially if you're a lover of storyful things. A Burlesque style hanging lampshade sets the scene in one of its two tall, skinny windows that wrap themselves around the corners of its doorway. Magical memorabilia including wands, tricks and puzzles sit behind their glass, sparking the curiosities of passersby. Wooden showcases full of books about this mystical art hang on the street walls of Calle Princesa, bringing the magic even closer to the people.

If you peek through one of the open doors when it's open, your eyes are taken straight to an emerald green covered magic table where they say that small tricks are performed. (Sometimes, you'll even be whisked behind the black velvet curtain that hangs behind the table, to be secretly shown how a trick actually works).

Rosa Maria Llop and her husband Josep Martinez have been captivating their customers here with illusions and games for the past 34 years. El Rei de la Màgia is apparently the oldest magic shop in the world that has remained in its original location in Barcelona.

As I waited in this narrow street, the blowy rain along with roadworks had slowed the traffic right down, so there was a lot of noise outside. Inside though, the mood was very different. The lighting was quite muted and felt warm. Wooden cabinets and counters fill the shop and were themselves filled with all sorts of magical and entertainment related paraphernalia. The worn wooden floorboards and the ruby reds that peep out behind shelves and counter drawers all added to the atmosphere.

It's been inspiring magicians and imaginations since 1881 when it was founded by Joaquim Partagàs the original Rei de la Mágia himself. Partagàs, who was in fact born on this very same street, didn't always live in Barcelona. When he was 20 years old, he set sail for South America with his brother. There, he performed as an illusionist and acquired the nickname El Rei de la Màgia. When he came back to Barcelona in 1878, Partagàs decided to dedicate himself completely to magic and in 1881 opened this magic shop, immortalising his nickname over its entrance. In the late 1800's, a place like this, dedicated to the world of magic, was very avant-guarde - nothing else like this existed in Spain. On Las Ramblas, in the heart of Barcelona, Partagás would later also open what would be Spain's very first magic theatre. As well as magic tricks of course, the Salón Màgico as it was called, specialised in cinema projections (they were the first), Chinese shadow plays, hypnosis and the magic lantern.

Partagàs often travelled to Paris for inspiration - to see the performances of the illusionist Georges Méliès and to return with state of the art material and props. The Golden Age of magic had arrived in Catalonia.

When Partagás died in 1931, Carles Bucheli took over. Bucheli was also a magician. His stage name was Carlston, and he was a distinguished client and admirer of Partagàs. Bucheli updated the shop to what we see now and included that mystical portrait of himself on the facade. He spoke many languages which, along with his personality and position, helped him to cultivate important friendships in the world of magic. Famous magicians gave Bucheli permission to sell their tricks for example, helping the business to take off. Led by him, the shop continued to be an important reference for magicians, both amateur and professional, across Spain and beyond, until he died in 1981.

Rosa recounted that, before she took over the running of the shop with Josep, Bucheli's niece Joana Grau had taken it on, as the shop had been at risk of closing down permanently. Joana always knew though, that her uncle had wanted it to be left in good hands long term. Rosa's partner Josep had been visiting El Reí de la Màgia since he was 12 years old. A client of Bucheli's since that time, he learned and took inspiration from him. Josep went on to become a magician himself and in 1984, along with Rosa, he acquired the shop. After some restoration, it was re-opened for business. Like Josep, Rosa was a performer. They had been running their own theatre company called La Capsa Mágica (The Magic Box in English). Although this El Rei venture was what they really wanted, managing their new magic box was an adjustment for them both.

Bromas clásicas (classic jokes in English) such as magic ink, monster's teeth and google eyes to name a few, sit under the glass counter near the entrance - a playful schoolkids' paradise! I couldn't resist buying a couple of them for my child. We chatted about what he might like and Rosa's hand repeatedly disappeared under the counter, to reappear each time with a different joke. It was fun - slower, but more entertaining than an Amazon buying experience.

Their clients are wide ranging and include magicians and enthusiasts of illusions who come from all over the world to seek out El Rei. Opposite the jokes counter, there's a wall of fame where you can see historic posters of magic shows and framed photos of performers performing feats of magic.

Whilst I was talking with Rosa, a Norwegian couple who were visiting Barcelona came in. They remembered many years ago seeing magic tricks being performed here and had returned especially to see the shop again. When the couple mentioned wanting to buy a levitation poster, the conversation turned to the subject, and Rosa couldn't resist showing us all (on that wall of fame) a photo of Josep levitating her in one of their numerous live performances.

Performers who want to make orders for shows are also important clients, as are local children who frequently step over the threshold. A couple of my colleagues (Santi a photographer and Agustín, a printer) who grew up in Barcelona (one of them lived close to the shop) clearly remember buying magic tricks from under Rosa's glass counter when they were children and being shown how they worked on the wooden table. Seeing my stitched painting of the facade really took them back to that time in their youth.

It seems that Rosa and Josep have always experimented with ideas to keep magic alive and strong. Rosa believes that otherwise, you accept things as they are and nothing changes. In 1989 for instance, not long after they'd taken over the shop, they started running magic classes. Later on, a theatre and a museum of magic were also added to widen their repertoire. These all had their time and have since closed as Rosa and Josep have had to increasingly focus on other things.

Over in the left corner of the shop live all sorts of masks, figures and faces. Tintin and Snowy, green-fleshed witches and clowns. They're either famous, freeky or funny characters made of papier-mâché. The leader of the pack though is a gigante figure of Joaquim Partagàs himself. He stands at over two and a half metres under colour-changing lights. At Spanish festivals, you'll often stumble upon gigantes and cabezudos (giant hollow parading figures and big heads with people carrying them from underneath). When he's parading through the streets of Barcelona, Partagàs delights the public by making a white rabbit appear out of the top of his top hat with the help of a built in mechanism. In between jaunts though, he lives right here at El Rei.

During the next few years, Rosa and Josep will be looking for a new wizard to take over the shop (and all of its secrets). She's hoping to find someone who already has an idea of how to make money appear from behind someone's ear. Meeting Rosa and listening to her, I can see that having a passion for this enigmatic world is a vital ingredient for a thriving retail business in magic, especially one that you step into from the street and not just Google.

I was inspired. Before I left, I wanted Rosa to show me some children's tricks kits (for my son's next birthday). When she started pulling some out and showing me how the tricks worked, I escaped a little into that world of anticipation and curiosity that magic can rouse. After a few tricks, I stopped her and said that I would prefer to return with my child. The delight of touching and seeing the magic that shops like El Rei de la Màgia can offer children, is quite special and I don't want him to miss out on that experience.

Stitched Painting of El Rei de la Màgia

The Gigante Joaquin Partagàs

Rosa demonstrating one of her card tricks