Magic & Conjuring: page 415

Roterberg was a dealer, but he also wrote excellent magic books - four altogether. The Card Tricks and how to do them is an excerpt from New Era Card Tricks. So actually he wrote only three books. The Modern Wizard was his first one. It explains tricks with silks, eggs, glasses, billiard balls, coins, candles, pill boxes and more. Roterberg has a very efficient style of describing a trick. He supplies no patter or other fluff, but still manages to explain a trick thoroughly. He packs 68 tricks or methods into merely 120 pages. He closes his book with the chapter "The Art of Magic" where Roterberg gives a crash course in how to be a good magician....

This book is the continuation of The Modern Wizard; same format almost same number of pages and same style. For example the 'handkerchief productions' are continued with methods twelve, thirteen fourteen, fifteen and sixteen. You will find many interesting plots with eggs, glasses, coins, silks, tubes, plates, flowers, nest of boxes, ...

1st edition, 1896; 112 pages.

5. Robinson's Flying Handkerchiefs
9. The Improved Soup Plate and Handkerchief Trick
10. First Method
10. Second Method
11. Third Method
12. Fourth Method
13. The Four Soup Plates and Handkerchiefs
15. The Handkerchief Coloring Trick
16. Handkerchief Productions,...

August Roterberg was a very successfull magic dealer working from Chicago in the 19th century. His catalogs and books are collector items. One of his catalogs, number 15, is reproduced in this ebook. Catalogs help collectors identify and date pieces in their collection. Reading through catalogs is for me an exercise in creativity. When I read an effect description I try to think of a method to achieve it, not knowing the secret behind the trick sold. I am sure you will enjoy browsing through this beautiful catalog with lots of illustrations.

1st edition 1913, 216 pages.

New Era Card Tricks is the masterpiece of Roterberg's publishing efforts. Scholars are pretty sure that the elusive Erdnase must have known and read this book. It is still today an extremely good and important work on cards. It is a book any serious card man should read. This is to a large part the foundation on which a lot of the later card work has been built. A good part of this book is essentially a translation of the German work Der Moderne Kartenkünstler by Friedrich W. Conradi. Richard Hatch wrote a wonderful introduction that by itself is worth reading. He starts:

This is a great book written by one of the greatest magicians of all time, Robert-Houdin. He describes in his own words his development from a little boy to a star performer. How he started as a watchmaker, performed in the St. James Theater, and ended up helping France with a conflict with the Marabouts. Read it. Highly recommended.

Paul Fleming wrote:

To tell you the truth, I do not know much about the author, G. C. Hines. But this shouldn't distract us from the contents of this neat little booklet. He describes how you can dye your own handkerchiefs. You will find some routines with handkerchiefs and two methods for the rising card - one for a stage and one for a parlor setting; two floating ball routines and a flag vase routine.

1st edition, 1915, Modern Mysteries Co.; 12 pages

3. A Word by the Author
5. Table Levitation
5. Dyeing Handkerchiefs
6. Handkerchief Wand
7. Flag between Handkerchiefs
8. Rising Cards - Stage Method
9. Rising Cards - Parlor...

What an excellent book. The quality of the material is outstanding. What makes this book particularly rare is a chapter on juggling and how to fake great juggle skills. I have yet to see another book on magic with such an extensive chapter on juggling. You will also find the obligatory chapter on shadowgraphy, a good write up of black art, and large sections on cards, coins, and tricks with many other props. You will find billiard ball manipulation as well as stage tricks with large apparatus.

1st edition, 1902, Frederick J. Drake & Co, Chicago; 440 pages; PDF 325 pages.

• Introduction ...

Two vaudeville comedy magic acts are described in terms of props stage setting and patter.

1st edition, 1922?, Geo DeLawrence; 25 pages.

3. Introductory
4. Props and Stage Setting (First Act)
5. Props and Stage Setting (Second Act)
7. Comedy Act: No. 1
17. Patter for Act No. 2

This is another of DeLawrence's humorous patter booklets. Among others you will find patter for 'rising cards', 'spirit slates', 'multiplying billiard balls' and 'card in egg'. The humor is almost 100 years old but still makes one laugh or smile and could therefore be a good source of inspiration for a new and modern presentation. Don't dismiss the old stuff just because it is old.

1st edition, 1920, Heaney Magic Co., Wisconsin; 31 pages.

5. Introductory
7. Opening Patter
7. Opening Patter for a Stage
8. Another Variety of Opening Patter
9. Rising Cards
11. Here, There, or Where?
13. The Card in the Egg ...

It is supposedly the first book devoted to a single sleight - beautifully layed out with photos as well as drawings off all stages of the invisible pass. A detailed and thorough explanation of this form of the pass. The pass is a difficult move. Many books barely scratch the surface when they try to teach a shift or pass. This book is entirely devoted to a single move and leaves no open questions.

In a letter to Paul Fleming Nov 5th 1944 Fred Braue talks about his "invisible pass" for the first time: "...I mentioned earlier a special interest in the "pass". Jean and I are doing another little...

The Stripper Deck has nothing to do with a girl shedding off her clothes, but rather is a specially gaffed deck. However, the gaff or preparation is not noticeable with the naked eye. It can even be handed out to spectators for shuffling and cutting. This manuscript outlines various moves as well as tricks with the Stripper Deck. Practically all effects can be achieved with pure sleight of hand using an unprepared deck. But the Stripper Deck simplifies the handling and makes miracles possible without difficult moves, leaving you time to focus on the presentation.

Paul Fleming wrote:

A treatise on the science and art of the stock, cull, odd-number, and cull-stock shuffles. Presenting the Braue system, bringing these useful stratagems within the reach of every performer, together with a full description of a number of brilliant card feats made possible by this amazingly simple system.

Paul Fleming wrote:

A collection of feats of conjuring with cards, employing artificed cards and simple accessories. Embracing over 30 brilliant feats of card conjuring made possible by the use of prepared cards and simple accessories together with a complete exposition of Jean Hugard's superbly routined presentation of the famed card classic, The Aerial Cards.

Paul Fleming wrote:

Twenty-one original and impressive card effects plus eleven new, practical, useful, simple sleights by these two masters of the art of card magic.

Paul Fleming wrote:

Peter Duffie is an extremely clever and skilled card man from the UK, a scotsman to be precise. In this ebook he will teach you 13 easy to do card effects with a normal deck of cards. Enjoy!

1st edition, 2000.

ACECRAFT: Two selections - four Aces - and an unexpected outcome. All in a day's work.

SUDDEN IMPACT: The audience believe you are going to cut to the Aces - they get a bigger surprise when you don't!

POPULACE: This very easy way of doing Roy Walton's Collectors has been my working repertoire for a while.

IMPOSSIBLE OPENER: Two spectators select cards in the fairest of manners. Your back...

Peter Duffie is a master in taking a published effect, refining it, combining it with new and other old ideas and/or reducing its necessary technical difficulty. Several of the 12 effects in this ebook are improved variations on existing themes. This also shows that Peter knows the literature of card magic well and consistently credits what has come befor him.

1st edition, 1992.

THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS: A different approach to the Vernon Triumph effect which originally appeared in Stars of Magic.

CARTER'S FOOLER: This is included as a tribute to Arthur Carter who died recently. The...

This is the latest release from the prolific Peter Duffie. Card magic that is easy to do and very effective.

1st edition, 2005

CRYSTAL CLEAR TRANSPO: The classic transposition between two cards placed on the top and bottom of a glass. No duplicate cards are used.

A ROYAL ENIGMA: Based on "The Vernon Card Puzzle" in Early Vernon (1962). It was inspired by Peter Kane's "Royal Families" in A Further Card Session (1975) and by Roy Walton's "Split Up" in The Complete Walton Vol. 2 (1986).

MORE ROYAL ENIGMATICS: Can be used as a Follow-up routine to the previous effect, or a stand-alone trick....

This is the latest in a long line of excellent ebooks of Peter Duffie. It features many photos for a much clearer description of the sixteen routines. Beside his excellent ideas I just love his play with words in his trick titles. For example "Cannibalector" or "Witch Way?"

1st edition, 2001.

BLACK SHEEP: Two spectators each select cards from a packet, then you select one, but you leave your selection face up as proof of your actions. You spread the packet and remove your card along with the two cards on ether side. These prove to be the other two selections. As an afterthought, you point...

This book has nothing to do with the "21 Card Trick". However it features twenty-one of the best card tricks Peter Duffie has to offer. Three other individuals significantly contributed to this book. They are Roy Walton, Gene Maze and Marty Kane. It can get hardly any better when it comes to cards.

1st edition, 2000

BETWEEN THE ACES: Very slowly you deal cards onto the table and a spectator stops you anywhere. He notes the card stopped at - it is placed on top of the deck and the dealt cards dropped on top with absolutely no moves. Despite the fairness of the procedure, the selected card is now...

Fourteen wonderful card routines by one of Scottland's card experts, Peter Duffie. One routine, 'Blendid', particularly caught my eye. The effect is as follows. You give two spectators each a packet of four cards and you have a similar packet. Each packet contains two black cards and two red cards. The idea is simple - you place one card face down on the table, and both spectators place one of their cards on top. The idea is get three cards all of the same color. The only problem is that neither of you are allowed to look at the faces of your cards. However, a 100-percent color match is guaranteed....

Twentyone fantastic tricks with cards. Comes with several photos for a better and clearer description. If I had to get one book by Peter Duffie, this would be it.

1st edition, 2000.

KICK-START ACES: A spectator locates the four Aces in your deck (without looking!).

SWEET SIXTEEN: You show the four Fours which you point out total 16. You turn one face up. The face up four splits into two Twos. This leaves two face down cards. Question: "If the cards total 16, what should the remaining two face down cards total?" The audience reply, "Twelve?" "That's right," you say. "Well, actually it's...

Seventeen excellent card routines from an innovative card man.

1st edition, 2000.

FREE AS A BIRD: This effect is a two card discovery that I find quite effective. It uses the Hamilton/Finnell Free Cut Principle - a visual deception of the highest order.

WEDLUCK: The trick that follows is a simple, yet effective, royal marriages effect using the Rusduck Stay Stack principle. A Stay Stack is a mirror stack that retains its properties after certain shuffling.

THE PARANORMAN: A chosen card is found using three unknown numbers. This uses the Norman Gilbreath Principle. Before commencing set...

Peter Duffie selected self-working as well as skill-required card tricks with a mix of interesting effects.

1st edition, 1993

DEEP THOUGHTS: The following effect uses the Ed Balducci Cut Deeper Force and adds some logic to the procedure by making each stage of the cutting process important.

DOUBLE DECKER: The following trick Is a direct variation of an intriguing sandwich effect entitled 'Predict Wich', published by Jerry Sadowitz in the July 1992 issue of Magic.

MAGICIAN: Among the many brilliant concepts in 'The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley' is an item called, 'Australian Self-Help'. What follows...

Twenty-one card tricks by one of the most creative card man alive.

1st edition, 1994.

AUTO - SPLIT: A mysterious double card revelation, where a spectator manages to separate the colours of the cards with the exception of two selections. Interestingly, you never touch the cards!

THE SUABIAN TWIST: There have been several combinations of Dai Vernon's 'Twisting the Aces' and 'The Hofzinser Ace Problem' over the years. If the following version has any merit, it is the simple means by which the one at a time reversal is accomplished.

AURA BEST: This is a fairly puzzling routine based on...