Biographies & History in Magic & Conjuring

This is basically Wolfgang's life story, a great motivational blueprint to achieve your dreams.

How to gain the competitive edge in your life and business. Become aware of everything around you. Clarify and achieve all your goals. Learn to adapt to change. Create a positive image with every one around you. Wolfgang has inspired and motivated more than a million people around the world. This is a comprehensive study on how to gain mastery over your own life, whether in the corporate, or personal field. Every aspect is clearly presented, without losing the true sense or heart of the matter....

A 'magical' autobiography and an inspirational book.

• 1+ million people have seen him live in 165+ countries
• 15+ million views on YouTube with over 1000+ videos
• 180+ TV shows and multiple prime time TV series
• thousands of global online students
• 40+ Books and best-selling author
• TedX Speaker
• Known as the German with a South African accent

Can you believe it! A non-US, UK, or Europe magician that achieved fame and fortune, traveled the world, became a TV star in his own country, and achieved all his dreams! A magical inspirational real-life story like never before. Magician, Professional...

A wonderfully interesting confession of a con man who was a contemporary of Erdnase, and just like him operated for a time while traveling with small circuses in Illinois and surrounding states. Of particular interest is a full dialog of how an unsuspecting person on the train was lured into gambling 3 card monte. The dialog demonstrates how skillfully these operatives were and how well they understood human nature. Other cons are also described in detail.

Excerpt from the preface:

Stories and anecdotes of the Who's Who of magic in the early 20th century. Several are about Houdini.

• An Introduction
• Foreword
• The Truth About The Zancigs
• The Tragedy Of Hanco
• When G. W. Hunter Dried Up
• How Denny And Will Goldston Escaped Gaol
• The Truth Of Horace Goldin's Arrest
• The Cornells And Their Ghastly Publicity Stunt
• The Strangeness Of Lafayette
• Dante Perplexed
• Dante's Experience In Russia
• Muller The Mystic
• Was Chung Ling Soo Murdered?
• A Handcuff Escape That Went Wrong
• Ceeley And The Naked Lady
• Frank Van Hoven's Tragic Failure
• Frank Van Hoven And A Fellow Artist's Wife
• Wishart And The...

There are not many short biography compilations in magic and this one by Goldston is still one that is being consulted frequently. The most extensive one is by Bart Whaley (Who's Who in Magic) but while Whaley covers many more magicians he does not include portraits. Goldston includes many portraits of magicians and his biographical sketches can sometimes be much more extensive than in other such compilations. Goldston groups magicians as professionals, semi-professionals, and amateurs. He covers 90 professional magicians, 50 semi-professional magicians, and 69 amateurs.

1st edition 1934, 114 pages; PDF...

This work is sort of a condensed history of magic. The story of some notable tricks. For example, what was the oldest conjuring trick in the world? What was the newest? Were the Piddingtons really telepathic? How does a magician saw a girl in half? Do conjurers use marked cards? How do they do the Indian Rope Trick?

• A Word From The Publishers
• Chapter One: The Secret From The Tomb
• Chapter Two: The Cups And Balls
• Chapter Three: Oracles And Robots
• Chapter Four: It's All Done With Mirrors!
• Chapter Five: The Lady Vanishes
• Chapter Six: The Trick That Never Was
• Chapter Seven: Up In The Middle...

Way back in 2005, I began broadcasting a world-first: an hour dedicated to magic, live from London. At the time, I was presenting my breakfast show on commercial radio. Every Monday evening at 7pm GMT, the airwaves went live with Radio Magic. Each episode featured a ten-minute interview with a famous star of magic (see The Magic Interview Series ebook). As a spin-off from that year-long project, I recorded a few long-form interviews with magicians and these recordings became available as CDs: thus, the Magic Interview Series was born. Looking back, I was podcasting before podcasts! Now, for the first time ever, these...

Wayne Dobson has had a life full of incredible highs and hard-to-bear lows, and in this candidly written ebook, he lays it all before you. The full story is here charting his meteoric rise to international fame and TV stardom in which, when he was at the height of his powers, he became a household name in the UK and was seen as a genuine alternative to Paul Daniels as a mainstream TV magician, right through to his valiant and uncomplaining struggle with MS. It's a tale of courage, is often very funny, and it is always fascinating.

As well as Wayne's life story this excellent ebook provides...

This is a very good book on Cagliostro, because Trowbridge does not simply parrot the opinion of other authors who wrote about Cagliostro, but he did his own research and came to his own conclusions. One can certainly argue about some of Trowbridge's conclusions, but overall this is a very thorough and detailed description and analysis of Cagliostro's life.

• Preface
• Bibliography
• Part I
  • Chapter I: The Power Of Prejudice
  • Chapter II: Giuseppe Balsamo
• Part II
  • Chapter I: Cagliostro In London
  • Chapter II: Eighteenth Century Occultism
  • Chapter III: Masked And Unmasked
  • Chapter IV: The...

Val Andrews recreates the master in Tell Them You Saw Dante and takes you back to the days of Sim Sala Bim. Val Andrews impersonates Dante. A remarkable insight into Dante the man and the performer. Val takes us behind the scenes with this great performer and the whole recording is rather in the style of a radio broadcast featuring extracts from Dante.

This recording was originally created and released by Val Andrews. In 1977 it was purchased by Martin Breese and is now owned and copyrighted by Lybrary.com.

runtime 45min

This is Val's own life story. Val is one of magic's most prolific writers and he draws from his vast magical experience as he recounts the story he knows best - his own. To people who know magic and the Show-Biz scene this is a marvelous recording to listen to.

This is a licensed reproduction of the famous Magicassette series created by Martin Breese - now owned by Lybrary.com.

runtime 1 hour

• A Typical Culpitt Performance
• The Vanishing Stick (Or "Culpitt's Cork")
• The Abanazer Fan Vanish
• Torn And Restored Newspaper
• The Bathing Costume Trick
• A Rabbit From A Hat
• Culpitt's Clock
• Cards Ala Culpitt
• Egg-Bag Ruses
• Production Of Eggs From A Net-Fronted Bag
• The Doll's House Illusion
• Culpitt's Silk Loader
• Culpitt Card Box
• Reward Poster
• "On Toast"
• Rabbit To Silks
• A Culpitt Card Sleight
• Thumb-Nail Sketch

1st edition 2001; 1st digital edition 2016, 43 pages.

The Colossus of Mystery.

• The Author's Acknowledgements
• Finding A Gravestone
• CHAPTER ONE: I Discover "The Great Carmo"
• CHAPTER TWO: From Cameron To Carmo
• CHAPTER THREE: Learning The Ropes, The Hard Way
• CHAPTER FOUR: Servais Le Roy
• CHAPTER FIVE: "Alma"
• CHAPTER SIX: Rita
• CHAPTER SEVEN: The Big Circus
• CHAPTER EIGHT: The Canvas Inferno
• CHAPTER NINE: The Last Ditch Fight
• CHAPTER TEN: Every Night, Something Awesome
• LA PETITE CARMO
• ADDENDUM

1st edition 2001, 80 pages; 1st digital edition 2019, 53 pages.

This is a fun and informative article by an anonymous amateur magician detailing various mishaps of magic performances. Along the way we learn the modus operandi of all kinds of illusions, from Buatier de Kolta's vanishing cage all the way to the bullet catch.

This article was originally published in Chamber's Journal of December 16th, 1882.

1st edition 1882, 5 pages; digital edition 8 pages.

The Delphos Kleeblatt, a German newspaper, was established by Carl Jettinger in December 1889 on a suggestion by Edward Gallaway. It ran until 1905. Gallaway approached Jettinger with the idea, having just returned to Delphos from a stint as a typesetter at a German newspaper in Indiana, and convinced him to partner with him in this newspaper startup. However, before the newspaper was launched Gallaway changed his mind, left Delphos, moved to Ft. Payne in Alabama and started there the Payne Weekly People. Carl Jettinger, a bit miffed by first being convinced of the great idea, and then Edward bailing out...

This is the article that ran in The Sun on November 1st, 1926 after Harry Houdini's untimely passing.

• Friend of Ingersoll
• Body Coming Here
• Born in Wisconsin
• Tricks of Every Kind
• Mediums Interest Him
• Investigated 'Margery'
• Deny Injury in Montreal

1st edition November 1st, 1926, PDF 5 pages.

Martin Breese recorded this interview on September 16th 1977, but never released it. He passed on the reels to me with the instruction to release them whenever I wish. Topper Martyn was an extraordinary showman, magician, juggler and musician. Learn about his life and the lessons he learned.

This is not your typical magic video. While Tony Shiels demonstrates a few bizarre magic effects, it is for the most part a human interest piece. Tony invites us into his home as well as into the woods where we see him talking, walking, pointing at leaves and stones, giving performance advice and pondering the past - all done in his weird and unique way.

If you want to learn more about the personality behind Tony Shiels you will love this video. If you are after the next best effect you will certainly be disappointed.

Includes a five minute intro with Martin Breese talking about his foray...

Introducing Harry Houdin—one of the most versatile performers you've never heard of. Born decades before the great Harry Houdini, he claimed to be the nephew of Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, the famous French conjurer of the 19th century.

Houdin, who billed himself as "The Great Polynational Mimic," toured Australia and New Zealand between 1860 and 1863 with a one-man act featuring drawing-room magic and international impersonations done to song and dance.

Harry Houdin: The Great Polynational Mimic is the first formal work of research written about this virtually unknown, albeit colorful, entertainer.

1st edition 2013, 27...

A history of the circus in Britain during the 19th century. One chapter deals with America, another with circus slang. Perhaps most interesting are the recollections of a gymnast and how he made it into the circus.

From the Preface:

A detailed chronology of places, dates and performers of fairs in and around London. We learn mostly of theatrical productions of various kinds including pantomime and dances, and menageries exhibiting exotic animals, and less so of tumbling and acrobats, juggling, balancing and the like. It includes some coverage of conjurers including Fawkes, Pinchbeck, Breslaw and others. There is some overlap of stories from Circus Life and Circus Celebrities because some performers and operators were active in both venues.

• PREFACE
• CHAPTER I: Origin of Fairs - Charter Fairs at Winchester and Chester - Croydon Fairs - Fairs in the Metropolis...

This is considered one of the best early histories of magic.

From the Preface:

This is Thomas Carlyle's long essay on Count Cagliostro, published in 1833 in Fraser's Magazine. He is examining the hero and his shadows - what was false about Cagliostro. Cagliostro was a Sicilian mountebank, whose lasting notoriety was a bit part in the Diamond Necklace Affair that rocked pre-Revolutionary France, and whose most enduring work was the confession extracted by the Roman Inquisition, a tome published in 1792, three years previous to Cagliostro's demise in an Inquisitional cell.

1st edition 1833, 61 pages; PDF 42 pages.

Known as The Tabman, Tabby Crabb moved through the innercircles of Close up and comedy magic for two decades both with his skill at crafting magic accessories like the famous Tabman Tables, Casino Chips, Knife through Arm, fine hardwood magicians' Wands and much, much more and appearing onstage and backstage with Amazing Johnathan and Kozak the Magician. Additionally Tabman spent five years as the hotel shows director for The International Brotherhoond of Magicians.

This ebook tells the truth about many relationships in the magic field. Relationships with customers like Max Maven, Harry Anderson...

Spirit materialization and fraudulent mediums.

A record of research and experiment in a much-talked-of realm of mystery, with a review and criticism of the so-called spiritualistic phenomena of spirit materialization and hints and illustration as to the possibility of artificially producing the same.

Excerpt from the author's preface:

This ebook presents an analytical review of works on card cheating that are written in English and published before 1900. Given this scope, The Reference Guide to Early Works on Card Cheating takes 151 publications, and documents the card cheating techniques that they describe. Only card techniques discussed in the context of cheating at card games are considered. The 146 defined techniques are used to evaluate the publications based on their breadth and their contribution to the literature. The breadth is indicated by the absolute number of techniques each work describes, and the contribution...

Cumberland was a muscle reader who did not claim to possess any psychic abilities. In this work he recounts many such 'thought-reading' encounters with notable people.

From the introduction:

A witty memoir-like debunking of all things paranormal.

Stuart Cumberland describes the fascination of European kings and queens with the occult. He gives a detailed analysis of how Rasputin participated in the fall of the Romanovs. He thoroughly skewers the German government of Wilhelm II. He describes the fake spirit photography, the false claims of clairvoyants, how folks fall for physical manifestations of the spirits such as table rappings. Overall a fun read and expose of human gullibility.

• Chapter I: By Way Of Introduction
• Chapter II: Monarchs And Mystics
• Chapter III: Concerning...

Charles Oswald Williams was a good friend of Professor Hoffmann, Chung Ling Soo and many other notable magicians. He was also a magic dealer and inventor, amongst his customers was a young Cardini. Williams also had the honour of being one of the first magicians to perform in The Magic Circle's inaugural show.

Charles Oswald Williams was at the inception of the Golden Age of Magic and his life story followed the development of Magic as we now know it. This ebook chronicles his life story in parallel to the rise of Magic. In addition, it contains a full account of The Magic Circle's first show in London in 1906, describing...

The actual experiences of a visitor to the most famous gaming resort in the American metropolis.

Excerpt from the introduction:

This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the life and times of one of the UK's major performance artistes, whose illustrious career started in the 1960's and spanned over 40 years. Not only does this ebook provide a carefully researched and fascinating look at Johnny himself, it also shines a light on the general showbiz scene of the same period, as Johnny rubbed shoulders with many of the greats from the entertainment and TV world.

The ebook runs to over 200 pages and is profusely illustrated with playbills and photographs that really help to conjure up a clear vision of showbiz in...

A lucid commentary on the first printed English conjuring text; showing the development of magic tricks from 1584 up to the present day. Written by a magician for magic historians and magicians interested in the beginnings of their art. Including many unpublished references to Reginald Scot with quotations and illustrations from most of the early English books with conjuring from 1584 up to 1784.

The text will show Scot's influence on his contemporaries along with witchcraft beliefs before and after the Discovery of Witchcraft was published. With definitions of old English words in the text, a bibliography of...

Solyl Kundu invited the then IBM International President Phil Willmarth to visit Kolkata in 2007 for a magic Get-Together, and he encouraged local IBM members to join. It was a big success. For this occasion a souvenir booklet was published. This is a PDF version of this souvenir booklet. It includes:

• A Greeting from the President
• Phil Willmarth laudatio
• Chronicle of IBM Ring #83
• Cornered by Aldo Colombini
• Bang Gun - Balloon Antics by David J. O'Connor
• Anti-Gravity Bottle by Gora Dutta
• Centrifugal ESP by Max Maven
• Elementary, My Dear Watson by Peter Marucci
• Balls Across - Persistence of Vision by Paul Hyland ...

An account of the author's professional life; his wonderful tricks and feats; with laughable incidents, and adventures as a magician, necromancer, and ventriloquist.

Excerpt from the Preface:

This is the first real history of magic in the English language. It first appeared in serialized from in The Magic Wand.

Sidney W. Clarke tells the story of magic from its earliest traces in recorded history, all the way to the celebrated masters of Robert-Houdin, Maskelyne, and the ones who followed them.

[Note: This edition was newly formatted for convenient reading and searching on mobile devices.]

1st digital edition 2013, 288 pages.

Table of Contents

4. Introduction
9. Ancient Conjuring
15. The Mediaeval Jugglers
29. The Jugglers’ Tricks
43. Hocus Pocus
57. The English Showmen
88. Continental Conjurers In The XVIIIth Century
114. The Decline Of Conjuring
127. The Wizard Of The North And The Mechanical Conjurers
158. Robert-Houdin ...

This 60 minute recording includes the very best of the great Sid Lorraine. This is a happy mix of talk about magicians, how he got started in magic, heavily interspersed with magic you can do. There is a substitute for the pass, a gold fish bowl production (without the bowl), a card trick that baffled Blackstone.

Craige Snader in Magic Sounds said: "...it is great value as you get a magic lecture by one of the greats that you can listen to over and over. A great tape for study or just pleasant listening."

This is a digitally re-mastered (MP3) version of the original MagiCassette™ released...

An exploration of the origins and early development of the "perfect little pocket trick" known as "Chink-a-Chink", the non-coin prototype of the Matrix effect; with how-to and performance tips, and advice on custom-made sets and "impromptu" sets as well (with photographs).

Three types are covered:

1. mechanical chinck-a-chinks utilizing a shell
2. chink-a-chinks with only the hands utilizing a spare object
3. four objects and two covers

1st edition 2012, 38 pages.

This series of 14 articles was written by Edward Gallaway, aka S. W. Erdnase. It is a compact but thorough introduction to estimating for printers. For many years, Gallaway taught estimating to printers at the then largest privately held printing company, R. R. Donnelley. He was an instructor in their apprentice school and was at the same time the chief estimator of the company. He would later found his own School for Print Estimating in Chicago, the only such school solely dedicated to teaching this subject. He wrote the textbook for his school Estimating for Printers as well as other works...

The fascinating true story of the Lancashire mill girl, Mrs Edward Howarth who became a music hall artiste as Josephine Langley, an accomplished ventriloquist. She was particularly popular during the First World War with her patriotic 'Soldier Act'. The family emigrated to America but returned to England after many adventures during the Prohibition era.

1st edition 2008, 1st digital edition 2013, 34 pages.