(Torquay, England: 17th July 1887 - 11th February 1978)
Debut at age 13 in 1900. Founding member of Exonian Magical Society and Cambridge University Magical Society. Clergyman. Amateur magician specializing in mental magic. Wrote Magical Mentalia (1942, 66pp; repr 1950), Magical Originalia (1943, 67pp), Arrowsmith's Mystery Box (n.d., 90pp), and Arrowsmith's Assorted Mysteries (1967, 44pp). Tricks in Magic Circular, etc.
Excerpt from the preface:
Exceptional - EX - equals for me Exonian and this book could well have been called Exonian Magic for the Author has been closely associated with the "Exonian Magical Society" for many years, first as Member, then as Fellow, then as President, and now as Hon. Life-Member, and as the deceptions that follow have been conceived and brought forth under its inspiration and by its help. Several of its items have been contributed by fellow-members of the Society, and in this connection, the Author wishes to thank Messrs. J. Hughes, H. Knight, Geo. Moore, and W. T. Lloyd...
All the court cards are found in a borrowed deck repeatedly and genuinely shuffled by the spectators. The performer first produces the Kings, then the Jacks, and lastly the Queens.
The deck is shuffled by a member of the audience. The cards are inserted in a trouser pocket. One at a time the Kings are produced. The spectator shuffles again the pack of cards. The performer puts it behind his back and produces the four Jacks. Again, the cards are genuinely shuffled by the spectator. After making the spectator check that his pocket is empty, the performer inserts the cards into it. Despite all...
Two surprising card tricks based on a little known principle.
My Lady's Jewels
The performer starts with: "The story goes that a certain queen had some very valuable diamonds, and one day when she opened her jewel casket lo and behold some of them were missing. Summoning the court detective, she commanded him to trace the stolen gems and return them to her, and, being a very able sleuth his quest was soon accomplished. If you will take your own pack of cards and follow my directions, I will show you how he did it."
The cards having been produced (and emphasis is laid upon the fact...
A seemingly "impossible" book test.
George Arrowsmith wrote:
A worthwhile exercise for a Mentalist is to set himself a problem that seems unsolvable and to wrestle with it, and to go on wrestling until a possible (and practical) solution is found. "All things are possible to him who keeps on trying" …
Here, then, is such a problem that occurred to the author. A word had to be chosen from a book, one of several, and all of them had to be genuine and unfaked in any way. The word was to be freely selected from any line on any page of the book. This word had to be encircled by the pencil...
Magical Mentalia