If you don’t see them, you hear them. On any July Fourth or New Year’s Eve, it’s common to experience the loud pop of a firework or see it colorfully explode into the sky and hang there briefly.

In “Joseph Balsamo” (1846-48), Alexandre Dumas’s fantastical tale of alchemy and mesmerism, the nail-biting climactic scene isn’t a magic act, a murder or a séance. It’s a fireworks show hosted by ...

Pyrotechnic amusements from sparklers to Roman candles have long been a staple of celebrations in the U.S. and beyond, helping to mark national... If you don’t see them, you hear them. On any July ...