John Nevil Maskelyne | |
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| Born | 22 December 1839 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 18 May 1917 (aged 77) Marylebone, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Magician, escapologist, inventor, and paranormal investigator |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Taylor (1840–1911) |
| Children | Nevil Maskelyne |
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John Nevil Maskelyne (22 December 1839 – 18 May 1917) was an English stage magician and inventor of the pay toilet, along with other Victorian-era devices. He worked with magicians George Alfred Cooke and David Devant, and many of his illusions are still performed today. His book Sharps and Flats: A Complete Revelation of the Secrets of Cheating at Games of Chance and Skill is considered a classic overview of card sharp practices. In 1914 he founded the Occult Committee, a group to "investigate claims to supernatural power and to expose fraud".