Magic & Conjuring: page 414

Racherbaumer, a man of words - sometimes strong words, sometimes exotic words, sometimes provocative words, sometimes strange words - but always thoughtful and worth reading, wrote a two year column in The Greater Son of the Bat Jr. journal (S.O.B.jr.). All 24 installments of this column are collected here. You will find a lot of Marlo-vian talk, good tricks and interesting articles. I was not a magician in the late 70s, so I cannot say how it was back then in the 'good old times', but reading Sticks and Stones allowed me to imagine how - I am sure - it must have been.

• EFFECTS ALPHABETICALLY ...

The most famous invention of Nikola is his card system, which is described in The Nikola Card System and in an abbreviated version in Encyclopedia of Card Tricks. Cards are not the only area Nikola excelled in.

From the inside cover: Magical Masterpieces is no mere fanciful title. It is an apt description of a selection from the accumulated repertoire of a practical magician whose outstanding characteristic is the painstaking perfection and stamp of individuality of all his productions. It is safe to say that if a new book of magic provides only one workable and suitable addition to the reader's store it is a sound investment. The magician...

I have studied personally for almost two years with Shigeo Futagawa in Yokohama, Japan. He is without a doubt one of the top coin workers living today. A humble man who would have all the right in the world to be not quite so humble. Introduction to Coin Magic is a wonderful book. It is not just for the beginning coin student but for anybody who would like to brush up on some basic moves and learn several new outstanding routines.

Another interesting feature of this book is the several short bios of famous magicians inserted throughout the book. You will find people like Slydini, Han Ping Chien,...

Andrew Perry, or Drew as his friends call him, started out with cards and they are still his favourite genre. Therefore you will find mainly card tricks and sundry sleights in his new ebook. But there is also something with matchboxes and several interesting ideas and techniques. His one handed double lift is quite a treat.

1st edition, 2002.

1. Introduction
1. Foreword by Peter Duffie
2. Impromptu Rising Card
3. Ungimmicked Rising Matchbox
4. Matchbox Madness
5. The Better Bet Count
6. Coin Monte Surprise
7. Clip 'n' Swap
8. Water Monte
9. A Perfect Gambling Demonstration
10. The Telephone Number Trick
11. Impromptu Counting...

Steve Mayhew has come up, with what must be the most clever application of the Gilbreath principle, or strictly speaking a principle closely related to Gilbreath's. He achieves with this idea extremely strong poker deal effects. If you are only remotely interested in poker deals, mathematical principles, or in particular the Gilbreath principle, you must read this ebook. This ebook is a reprint of his notes with the same title plus the effect "Freedom" from his lecture notes.

1st edition, 1999, Me and the Other Guy Productions.

1. Acknowledgments
2. Introduction
1. The Principle
1. Getting Ready ...

This is a wonderful and extremely rare book. If you could find this book at all somewhere to purchase, you would need to put down around $5000. But it is not just its rarity which is so fascinating, it is its contents. This is a great magic book. Many outstanding tricks are taught. I found new routines and new principles I haven't seen and read anywhere else - and I consider myself as fairly well read in magic. I love this book. It is highly recommended.

It describes how to change the color of a rose. How to shoot a bird and bring it back to life. How to drown a fly for 24 hours and bring...

George McBride is one of Britain's foremost card experts and a highly respected creator of fine magic (see his chapter in Five Times Five, Kaufman). In the mid 1990's George released two manuscripts Osmosis and Osmosis 2. These were on a limited release and there will be many who have not seen these superb books.

For this e-version, George has selected his best routines from the above mentioned books. Over 30 photographs have been added for your further enjoyment.

1st edition, 1995.

Triola: Three cards are selected and lost into the deck. The two Jokers instantly catch one of the selections....

This booklet was inserted in volume 44 number 8 of The Sphinx. It was published as a gift to the loyal subscribers. Illustrations were done by Francis Martineau.

1st edition, 1944, Sphinx Publishing Corporation, USA; 11 pages.

3. Preface
3. Eyes Colour Blind
3. Verrall's Visible Four Aces
4. From Deception to Doll's House
4. Verrall's Chameleon Carnations
7. Verrall's "Bango!"
7. Grandfather's Nightcap
8. Verrall's Vanishing Vase
8. It Hasn't Been Done Before!
8. Decanting a Rainbow
10. Francis Martineau
11. Verrall Wass

This is a wonderful course for a two person act based on a verbal code. It has many exercises and examples and covers a lot of other important points beside the code, such as opening and closing speech.

1st edition, 1884, Lee and Shepard, Boston; 129 pages.

At some time or other most of us have amused ourselves by casting shadows on the wall with our hands. Hand shadows are an ever-popular diversion, especially with the young. The number and variety of objects that it is possible for you to form, simply by moving your hands and fingers around in different positions, is practically limitless, subject only to your patience and ingenuity.

But figuring out the exact finger positioning is not a simple matter; some shapes are quite difficult to obtain. The author of this delightful picture book of hand shadows spent long hours working out the figures...

Have you ever tried to adjust your hands and fingers for a portrait of Shakespeare, a sheep, or a wild Indian? The author of this delightful book of hand shadows spent long hours working out the figures in this book. By following his clear visual instructions (each of the 16 figures in this book is explained by a full-page illustration that shows you the precise positioning for fingers and hands) you can create Shakespeare, a sheep, Wellington, a hare, Mike, Mike's pig, a cockatoo, a bull's head, a squirrel, Mrs. Gamp, Mr. Punch, and other people and animals. After you have mastered these, you...

Aldo Colombini has selected eighteen wonderful card effects for his first ebook. Most of these are completely new and have never been published before. Some have seen print in largely unknown periodicals. Aldo is a master in creating strong effects with little finger flinging. We also included some interesting snap shots from Aldo's magic life.

1st edition, 2002, Lybrary.com.

1. 4' Wave
2. Carousel
3. Confusing Sevens
4. Cut It Out
5. Don't Joke Around
6. Fire Down Below
7. Inside Moves
8. Investigations
9. Narrow Margin
10. Nowhere
11. The Comancheros
12. The Great Escape
13. The Kings And I
14. Triumphant Triumph
15. Ultra...

U. F. Grant presents several clever ideas on billet reading or how to use a svengali deck for mentalism. He also has a completely different version of "Grey Elephants in Denmark".

• Bill Reading
• Name Duplication
• Impromptu Test
• Best Digit Test
• Cards Impossible
• In Their Pocket
• Up & Down Test
• Thot of Person
• Card Projection
• Lites Out
• Dunninger Type Act
• Another Dunninger
• Weekly Prediction
• Committee Test
• Thought Projector
• Private Lives
• Lobby Tip-Off
• Directory Test
• Houdini Bill Reading
• Glass Clipboard
• Mental Table
• Flaming Answer
• Fake Questions
• Flower-Color-Animal
• Mass Mind Reading

10...

This is a gutsy and exceptionally strong effect. Look out for this guy. He will be releasing more of his strong ideas.

1st edition, 2002.

The original edition of this book was selected among the best books of 1935 by John Mulholland, editor of The Sphinx. Contact mind reading or 'muscle reading' is probably the next best thing to genuine mind reading. It doesn't require any gimmicks, codes or confederates. It is based on involuntary subtle clues spectators give. This is one of the best texts ever written on this subject.

Paul Fleming wrote:

Hideo Kato was for many years a part of the brain trust of Tenyo, thinking up new and clever effects for its line of magic products. He is the creator of such well known effects like "The Wandering Hole" or "Mirror-Mate", thirteen unique inventions altogether. Kato has a particular love for the pasteboards and over the years he has developed hundreds of miracles with them. In this ebook he is sharing 13 effects with us, eleven are based on the method of estimation and two bonus tricks. Beside a little biographical sketch about Hideo Kato you will also find a short history of estimation. He also...

An exciting, humorous routine, which combines subtle mentalism with magic! From the fertile mind of Ralf Wichmann-Braco - the German wizard who brought the world of magic some of the most pivotal work on the use of thread, this routine combines the elements of prediction, animation and great humor to stun the audience into believing that a felt tip marker has come to life inside a wooden box.

The magician brings out a wooden box, about the size of a small cigar humidor. He borrows an object from a spectator. The object is placed inside a small cardboard box. Then this box and a felt tip marker...

This little booklet details the code the Zancigs used. Laura Fixen writes in the preface that she was a student with the Zancigs and was taught their code.

1st edition, 1912, Laura G. Fixen; 27 pages.

3. Preface
4. How the Zancig System Was Obtained
5. How The Carter-Price Act Was Secured
6. How to Apply the "Second Sight" System
7. To Tell Letters
8. The Zancigs' Code
9. To Tell Numbers
9. To Tell Dates
10. To Tell Money
11. To Tell Names
12. To Tell Articles
13. Articles by Series
20. Countries
21. Lodges and Orders
22. Colors
22. Silent Cues
23. The Fays' Great Act
25. Advertisement

Dorny was a much liked and regarded magician of his time. One of the highlights of this book is the "Who's Who and Why" section which will tell you a lot about the colleagues of Dorny. There is also a good patter section and a number of tricks ranging from cards, coins, mentalism, most of them contributed by other magicians like Hugard, Blackstone, Jordan, Brema, Hilliar, ...

1st edition, 1921, W. Dornfeld, published by Arthur P. Felsman; 286 pages.

13. Overture
19. Act One - "Chatter"
65. Intermission - "The Ne-Kro-Mancer Man"
73. Act Two - "Who's Who - and Why"
181. Intermission - "War Magic"
193. Act Three - "Trix"
272. Finale

The title "Secrets - Malini, Leipzig, Vernon, Jarrow, ..." suggests a lot, but these are merely the interpretations and versions of U. F. Grant to some of the classics of Malini, Leipzig, Vernon, Jarrow and others. Grant uses only one page to describe each effect and method. This book is therefore to some degree a disappointment. Nevertheless I think it is a cheap way to learn the plots and a method to several of the greatest tricks of all time. Just don't expect very detailed descriptions. Grant displays in this book an arrogant writing style with comments like 'This is good' or "The best method" or "Fools...

Moe Seidenstein was a legendary character who baffled the magic convention attendees in the 1930s with "Moe's Move a Card" and "Think a Card," stunning effects with no possible hint as to method. Then, Moe disappeared. Now you can learn 11 of Moe's tricks - well, actually 10 because for one no method is given. Moe relies heavily on estimation. A good primer for estimation is Kato on Estimation.

11 pages.

1. The 'Moe' Look At A Card Trick
2. Moe's Counting
3. Moe's Location While The Back Is Turned
4. Moe's Riffle Behind The Back Location
5. Another More Mental Force
6. Moe's Spread Trick
7. Moe's Card Riffle Over The...

This ebook gives a very nice glimpse into the past. It describes the routines and effects of the programmes of famous magicians. You will find descriptions of programmes by Dai Vernon, Al Baker, Annemann, Cardini, Blackstone, Dante, Davenport, Hugard, Keating, and many more. Check the table of contents link further down for the complete list.

1st edition, 1937, Max Holden, New York City; 49 pages.

2. Percy Abbott
2. AMAC
3. Annemann
4. Al Baker
4. Roy Benson
5. Walter Baker & Co
5. McDonald Birch & Co
5. John Blackledge
5. John Booth
6. Harry Blackstone
7. The Late Herbert Brooks
7. Milbourne Christopher
7. The Great Carmo
7. Keith Clark
8. Cardini
8. Cortini
9. Chris Charlton
10. Judson Cole
10. Henry Clive ...

This is a wonderful item in many respects. First, these three 78 rpm records and booklet, bound in a beautiful hard cover are quite rare. I have seen copies with missing instructions or broken records. Second, Zingone was a fast and smooth professional card manipulator. Being able to hear him speak and perform tricks accompanied by his voice is a treat. And third, the six tricks taught are excellent.

You will receive a PDF that includes the instructions, photos of the original box, and six audio clips embedded in the PDF, one for each trick. (You can also download the audio clips as stand...

This is a very clear description of how to build a Houdini-style Sub Trunk from readily available parts. Matt added several clear photos to illustrate various stages and subassemblies. If you have never built an illusion or if you don't know the secret of this classic trick, you will find this ebook very useful.

1st edition, 2004