In an age when Penn & Teller or Criss Angel perform larger-than-life feats of deception that seem to defy reality — or, for that matter, since Santa Claus on Friday finished his annual twist of the space-time continuum — is it possible that a little old-fashioned magic can still delight and awe?

Well, how about this trick?     

For about a half-hour Saturday afternoon, a gentleman named Robert Olson spun about 50 folks gathered in the Greenmanville Chapel at Mystic Seaport backwards — all the way to 1873.

Maybe you had to be there to believe it, but Olson — a career magician whose forte is to replicate the tricks and sleight-of-hand of Victorian era illusionists — put on a display of ribbon, box, coin- and card tricks that delighted four generations of post-Christmas viewers on the grounds for the Seaport's multi-attractions "Holiday Magic" event.

Channeling the historical magician E.A. Davis, Olson not only dressed the part in a waistcoat, bow tie and vest, he replicated the vocabulary and conversational cadence of the 19th century and, in the course of his performance, imparted a bit of history.

"Davis actually appeared in Stonington and Mystic in 1873 in a show he called 'Sleight of Hand and Legerdemain,'" Olson explained shortly before he started his show.

Olson, who has a degree in electrical engineering, said he was drawn to magic as a child and mastered many of the tricks in the repertoire.

But it wasn't until he visited the Old Sturbridge Village living museum in Massachusetts, and chanced upon a book about 18th century magic, that an idea struck him.

"I got the village to loan me some books on magic, and I studied those for about a year," he said, adding that he has a fascination for history. "What I learned was that the old magic was still good. But what was also interesting was the context of the times. People today think, well, it was the Victorian era, they can't have had much fun. But, for example, Mystic is near an ocean and a river — and that means circuses and entertainers and actors and singers who traveled by ship and boat were frequent visitors."

Olson turned it all into an act and a career. "It's a crazy way to make a living," he laughed, "and modern audiences see the funny costume and the old-fashioned set and say, 'What's with that old guy?' But once they get beyond that, I've learned that it can still appeal to all levels."

Indeed, during his presentation at the Seaport, Olson got enthusiastic volunteers ranging from toddlers to grandparent-age.

"It was kinda crazy," said Richard Preston of Fishkill, N.Y,, who went onstage and took part in an extended card trick. "I mean, I expected to see magic — I hoped to see magic — and he definitely did not disappoint. I don't know how he did that."

Samantha Thury of Long Island was an early volunteer for a coin trick and her mom, Teresa, was later called up to finish the same stunt.

"I hoped it would be cool," Samantha said, "but he was really, really good."

"He was awesome," Mom echoed. "Once we saw he was part of (Holiday Magic), we went out of our way to see him. It was absolutely great."

If each portion of the show was greeted with wide grins and loud applause, there was also a discernible aura that suggested the crowd wasn't sure what to expect — a situation Olson said he encounters routinely and describes as a healthy sort of skepticism.

"I totally understand," Olson said. "Starting with Doug Henning or David Copperfield on television or at a casino, there was a resurgence in magic, and what these modern illusionists can do is unbelievable. I saw Ricky Jay in Los Angeles do nothing but card tricks for 90 minutes and it was like Itzhak Perlman working a Stradivarius. It blew my mind completely."

Olson smiled. "Here's the thing, though. There are no secrets left in magic. Books and how-to television shows explain it all. But, yet, people still see it and can't believe it. They couldn't believe it in 1873, and they can't believe it now. That's pretty magical."

r.koster@theday.com

Twitter: @RickKoster