Who was Fred Kaps?

Fred Kaps (born Abraham Pieter Adrianus Bongers, 1926–1980) was a Dutch magician from Rotterdam. He won the Grand Prix at the FISM world championships three times, in 1950, 1955 and 1961, performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, and is remembered for close-up classics like the Homing Card.

Who was Fred Kaps?

Fred Kaps was the stage name of Abraham Pieter Adrianus Bongers, known as Bram. Wikipedia and Lybrary both give his birth date as 8 June 1926 and his birthplace as Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. A recent biography by Michel van Zeist has a chapter on Rotterdam, “the city where Bram Bongers was born.”

How did Bram Bongers become Fred Kaps?

He did not start out as Fred Kaps. Wikipedia and Lybrary both say he performed as Mystica, and that in December 1950 he changed his stage name to Fred Kaps.

What did Fred Kaps win?

FISM, the international federation of magic societies, holds a world championship of magic, and its top award is the Grand Prix. Kaps won it three times:

• 1950, Barcelona, while he was still performing as Mystica.
• 1955, Amsterdam.
• 1961, Liège, in Belgium.

Wikipedia’s FISM article lists the three years as 1950, 1955 and 1961, Lybrary gives the same years, and the contents of van Zeist’s biography list his world championship acts in Barcelona (1950), Amsterdam (1955) and Liège (1961).

Later honours included a Masters Fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood in 1980 and a place in the Society of American Magicians Hall of Fame, both recorded by Wikipedia and Lybrary.

What was Fred Kaps known for?

Kaps worked across stage and close-up magic. Two routines appear in more than one source:

• The Homing Card. Wikipedia describes it as part of his television work, and van Zeist’s biography gives it a chapter, “The Homing Card – Four red cards and one black.”
• The salt trick. Wikipedia describes his salt pour routine, and the biography lists “The Salt Trick” among his signature pieces.

He also performed on American television. Wikipedia describes his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and the biography has a chapter titled “Television – From The Ed Sullivan Show to Opus 13.”

His name also lives on in props and techniques. Card-to-wallet wallets of the “Balducci/Kaps” style are still made today, and coin teachers such as David Roth include a move called the Kaps Subtlety in their lessons.

How did Fred Kaps die?

Wikipedia and Lybrary both say Kaps died of cancer in July 1980, aged 54. They disagree on the exact day: Wikipedia gives 23 July and Lybrary gives 22 July. The chapter list of van Zeist’s biography also gives July 23, 1980. Wikipedia names Utrecht as the place of death, and Utrecht also appears in the biography’s chapter list.

Where can you read more about Fred Kaps?

The fullest account is Fred Kaps: Master Magician by Michel van Zeist, a hardcover biography with many photographs. Pegani says it was made to mark the 40th anniversary of his death. Lybrary also lists several of his own publications and videos, including Kaps on Coins and Kaps on Kards.

For more profiles of close-up legends from the same era, read Who was Tony Slydini?, Who was Cardini? and Who was Channing Pollock?

What helps you take it further?

• Card in Wallet (Balducci/Kaps) by Vernet. A leather card-to-wallet: a chosen and signed card travels to a zippered compartment of your wallet, and the spectator takes it out. It needs no preparation and can be repeated at once.
• The Elephant by Patrick Redford. A redesign of a little-known Fred Kaps concept that lets you make a small object appear, vanish or transform.

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