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Exclusive Magical Secrets

by Will Goldston
$20

(1 review, 2 customer ratings) ★★★★★

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Exclusive Magical Secrets by Will Goldston

This is the first volume in the famous series of locked books by Will Goldston. He writes in his introduction about his motivation to publish this book: "My aim from the beginning has been to gather together from all sources everything new and big in magic that has not been fully explained before." And indeed we have contributions from the finest magicians living at that time: Chung Ling Soo, Harry Houdini, Servais Le Roy, Conradi, Chefalo, Oswald Williams and Chris Van Bern and others. And don't forget that Goldston himself was a prolific inventor of illusions, many of which are included in this work.

The contents spans the whole gamut of magic from pocket tricks, mentalism, and comedy to large stage illusions. One of the crowning revelations in this volume is Buatier de Kolta's Expanding Cube Illusion which is the basis for the famous Origami illusion.

1st edition 1912; original 506 pages; PDF 300 pages.

  1. Contents
  2. Introduction to "Exclusive Magical Secrets"
  3. Additional Notes

    Part I. Pocket Tricks

  4. The Chefalo Disappearing Knots
  5. A Loop of String and a Finger
  6. Caught with a Loop
  7. From Hat to Hat
  8. The Handkerchief and the Wand
  9. The Mesmerised Match Box
  10. The Mystic Matches
  11. A New Match Trick
  12. The Animated Cigar
  13. The Coin and the Glasses
  14. The Missing Sixpence

    Part II. Drawing-Room Tricks

  15. Three Card Tricks Including Two Novel Ways of Finding Chosen Cards
  16. The Mysterious Couple
  17. A New and Original Thought-Reading Trick with Cards
  18. An Entirely New Method for Discovering a Chosen Card
  19. The Spelling Spirit
  20. The Changing Envelope
  21. Automatic Chessmen

    Part III. Stage Tricks

  22. The "W.G." Glass Casket
  23. The Travelling Die
  24. Silent Thought Transmission
  25. The Plume and the Tube
  26. A Bird Cage Illusion
  27. The Animated Sketch
  28. Two New Clock Tricks
  29. The Flying Lamp
  30. Bertram's Walnut Trick
  31. The Lemon and Bank Notes
  32. The Dissolving Ball
  33. Chefalo's Candle and Handkerchief Trick
  34. The Accommodating Bottle
  35. Loading the Big Drum
  36. The Travelling Eggs
  37. The "New" Dove Bottle
  38. The Latest Thought-Reading Trick
  39. Two Mysterious Cigars
  40. The Magical Production of an Umbrella and an Umbrella Stand
  41. The Crystal Cylinders
  42. The Best of all Handkerchief Swords
  43. The Glass of Water and the Hat
  44. A Palm from a Walking Stick
  45. A New Restored Card Trick
  46. The Cards through the Hat
  47. The Rising Cards with the Swinging Houlette
  48. The Best Rising Card Trick
  49. The Rising Card Box
  50. Cards Rising from a Closed Box
  51. A Complete Watch Act
  52. The Stool and the Prophet
  53. The New Die and Hat Trick
  54. The Changing Rabbit
  55. The Magical Production of a Large Aviary
  56. The New Fish Bowl Trick
  57. The Chefalo Duck Tub
  58. The New Spirit Pictures
  59. From Decanter to Wine Glasses

    Part IV. Chinese Magic

  60. The New Rice Bowls
  61. The Sugar Stick Trick
  62. Chefalo's Chinese Duck Production Act
  63. The Production of a Barrel of Water
  64. The Chinese Pagoda
  65. The Tea Chest Mystery
  66. The Magic Cauldron
  67. The Buddha Mystery
  68. The Umbrella and the Handkerchiefs
  69. A Bowl of Water and Some Confetti

    Part V. Magical Tips

  70. An Electric Coin Ejector
  71. The Best of all Pulls
  72. The Best Throw-out
  73. The "Shutter" Trap
  74. A Double Trap
  75. The Elevator Trap
  76. The "W.G." Step-Ladder for Trap
  77. How to Protect One's Secrets during a Performance
  78. Martin Chapender's Diminishing Cards
  79. The "M.A." Automatic Servante
  80. Methods for enabling a Performer to change Places with his Assistant

    Part VI. Harry Houdini's Tricks

  81. Houdini's Rope Tie
  82. Houdini's Escape from Two Boxes
  83. Houdini's Ice Pick Release
  84. The Houdini Pillory Illusion
  85. The Houdini Challenge Handcuff

    Part VII. Buatier de Kolta

  86. Buatier de Kolta's Expanding Cube Illusion

    Part VIII. Comedy Tricks

  87. A Novel Hat and Rabbit Trick
  88. Furnishing a Flat
  89. The Mysterious Production of a Coil of Rope
  90. A Weird Dinner Table
  91. The Production of a Girl on a Chair
  92. A Novel Cigar Lighter
  93. The Lazy Smoker
  94. A Mysterious Bouquet
  95. A Curious Dream
  96. The Acrobatic Dog
  97. The Winking Cat
  98. A Beard in a Second

    Part IX. Quick Changes

  99. Some Quick Changes
  100. Quick Change Effect

    Part X. Automata

  101. The Whist-Playing Automaton

    Part XI. Juggling

  102. The Self-Lighting Candle
  103. A Juggling Feat with an Envelope, a Pair of Scissors, and a Pen
  104. Balancing a Feather
  105. "The" Billiard Ball Balance
  106. A Billiard Ball Balance
  107. A Fine Balancing Feat with Billiard Balls
  108. The Billiard Ball and the Fan

    Part XII. Stage Illusions

  109. The Disappearing Piano
  110. The Lady and the Lion
  111. The Revolving Piano
  112. Denton's Cabinet Trick
  113. The Electrocution Chair
  114. Kellar's Floating Lady
  115. The Tea Chest and Tea Boxes
  116. The Mirror Illusion
  117. The Cannon and Crystal Box
  118. The Three Graces
  119. Will Goldston's Glass Box Illusion
  120. The Swing Illusion
  121. The Target Illusion
  122. Vendetta
  123. The Mysterious Iron Cage
  124. The Growing Box
  125. Canned Goods
  126. The Pretty Bird
  127. The Girl and Handkerchief Illusion
  128. Watch Her Go!
  129. Gee Whiz!
  130. The Lady who Revolves in Mid-Air
  131. Chefalo's Cage Cabinet
  132. The Merry Widow Illusion
  133. The Servais Le Roy Illusion 296

  134. Final Notes

word count: 72016 which is equivalent to 288 standard pages of text
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Reviewed by Don Jarrard (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★   Date Added: Friday 19 August, 2022

As an amateur close-up magician, I just seriously got more into illusions. Most books before 1970 had a lot of build-it-yourself tricks. Illusions were expensive and complicated. There are a few using fake legs or some simple sneaky moves. You might find more close-up tricks useful. Maybe 2 illusions at the most. They are no worse than the Osborne illusions or Rand Woodbury books. A lot cheaper really. The history here is the best lesson.
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