Derek Lever

The trilogy contains all of Jack Hughes creations, a staggering amount of illusions, apparatus and props. Each illusion comes with drawings that depict its construction and its main dimensions. While the drawings and sketches do show all the pertinent details, these are not blueprints that have every little dimension spelled out. Nevertheless, anybody who has built a box before will have no problem in building any of these apparatus. It is a tremendous source book for ideas for any prop builder and illusion builder.

The following illusions and apparatus are described in this volume:

• The Chinese Rising Cards
• The Wrist Spiker Illusion
• Needle Thru' Body
• Doves To Poodle
• The Sword Maiden Illusion
• Visibly Sawing Thru' A Person
• The Girl Through Glass Illusion
• The Buzz Saw Illusion
• The Card Target
• Edwin's Sponge Ball Routine 'Roger The, Lodger'
• Beado
• Knife Thru' Girl Illusion
• The Middle For Diddle Illusion
• The Modern Cabinet Illusion
• The Vanishing Cage And Girl Illusion
• Slicing A Slave Illusion
• Cabaret Girl Vanish
• The Striptease Illusion
• The Girl's Gone Illusion
• The Revolving Broomstick Suspension ...

The following illusions and apparatus are described in this volume:

• Auto-Rise
• Break-A Way Box
• Buttons
• Sydney Sterk's Patter Routine For Buttons
• Camera Dove
• Can Can Polka
• The Cardometer
• Card - Ring
• Card Rising Box
• Change-Over Ring
• Jack Hughes Clatter Box
• The Comedy Clock
• The Crown Jewel
• Jack Hughes' Crystal Screen
• More Crystal Screen Suggestions
• Dolls House Illusion
• Dovenus
• Doves To Dog
• Doves: Training and Breeding
• Drooping Daisy
• Evacuee Doll
• Fantastic Figures Of Foo
• Four Wrongs - Make A Right
• Ghost Glass
• Giant Dwarf
• Gloves To Dove
• Hats Off! The King!
• Improved Tele-Flash ...

Jack Hughes was a master builder and craftsman who created and built props for some of the biggest names in magic for decades. Most of the items he built were his own inventions. The few that were not he most often improved significantly.

Every item is carefully described in terms of its effect, apparatus and performance. Nevertheless, the emphasis is on the prop with detailed drawings and dimensions to allow anybody handy to replicate these wonderful magic tricks. (The drawings are not blue-print type construction drawings, but rather sketches and illustrations with the main dimensions and...

This ebook is filled with classic routines and effects performed by Ken Brooke.

From the introduction:

He was a rare magician, born with a wonderful sense of humour, good looking, with the 'gift of the gab' tinged with a Yorkshire accent that was his trademark. A quick mind, which could retain much information and a sharp and ready wit enabled him to climb up the magical ladder in leaps and bounds.

Of course many would say that Ken was blunt to the point of rudeness, pig-headed, short-tempered and a very difficult man to get on with.

They would be right! He almost certainly did have...

Derek Lever's Magic Mag, Volume 4
Published by Derek Lever, Peter C. Woolley & Taurus Magic, Manchester & Bury, Lancaster, England
Volume 4 consists of 6 issues, 266 pages total

Volume 4, Number 1, October/November 1982, 40 numbered pages plus 4 unnumbered cover pages
1. Candid Comments by The Editor - Derek Lever
   • Praise from Abra
   • Magic Mag Magician of the Year
2. Comedy Corner - jokes, comedy routines, etc. - Derek Lever
3. Free Trick, complete with the Apparatus, from Magic Mag
   • A Different Card Trick - Maurice Deighton
4. cartoon
5. Free Advertising Section
6. Happiness...

Derek Lever's Magic Mag, Volume 3
Published by Derek Lever, Peter C. Woolley & Taurus Magic, Manchester & Bury, Lancaster, England
Volume 3 consists of 6 issues, 264 pages total

Volume 3, Number 1, October/November 1981, 40 numbered pages plus 4 unnumbered cover pages
1. Candid Comments by The Editor - Derek Lever
2. Magical Inventor of the Year Competition
   • The Impromptu Chop Cup - Eoin Taylor
   • Phenominal Coincidence - E. W. Thomas
   • Routine for the Cups and Balls Plus Chop Cup Set - Paul Anthony
5. another (better) photo of Edwin Hooper
5. List of readers who passed the examination...

Derek Lever's Magic Mag, Volume 2
Published by Derek Lever, Peter C. Woolley & Taurus Magic, Manchester & Bury, Lancaster, England
Volume 2 consists of 6 issues, 264 pages total

Volume 2, Number 1, October/November 1980, 40 numbered pages plus 4 unnumbered cover pages
1. Candid Comments by The Editor - Derek Lever
   • Lever Agrees with Edwin ???????
2. Stage Magic - illusion plans
   • The Boy to Rabbit Illusion
7. Entertaining the Under Fives - Myster Yaffe
   • Part Three - Your Material and You
   • It Need Not be Magi
   • Ya Gotta Have Love
   • Dealer's Items
12. List of readers...

Derek Lever's Magic Mag, Volume 1
Published by Derek Lever, Peter C. Woolley & Taurus Magic, Manchester & Bury, Lancaster, England
Volume 1 consists of 6 issues, 260 pages total

Volume 1, Number 1, October/November 1979, 36 numbered pages plus 4 unnumbered cover pages
1. Candid Comments by The Editor - Derek Lever
   • Are Magic Societies Out of Date?
2. drawing collage of Chung Ling Soo
3. Blast from the Past - Chung Ling Soo - personality
4. Kid's Entertainers Only - news and advice
5. On the Road with Michael Allport - series
   • Zurich, Switzerland
6. Well I'll Be Hanged - a new...

The magazine started in October 1979 and the final issue was published in August 1983. When Derek Lever launched Magic Mag he felt that the entire magic scene had become stagnant and uninteresting and once the magazine was launched he was not afraid of having a dig at anyone and everyone. It was an outspoken magazine with some top professional contributors such as: Simon Lovell, Trevor Lewis, David Howarth, Tommy Copper, Terry Seabrooke and Billy McComb. It contains hundreds of professional effects and routines, articles, hints and tips for everyone with an interest in becoming a working professional.

Included is an index (not hyperlinked...