Magic and Stage Craft
by Guy Jarrett

This is one of the most important books on stage illusions. Many experts consider it among the best 10 illusion books ever published - some even have it in their top three. Besides describing a list of startling illusions Guy Jarrett mixes in stories about show business and there in particular his opinion about some of the big names in magic. Particular Howard Thurston receives a lashing from Jarrett. This book has a refreshing honesty and directness that is missing from most other magic books. Jarrett even describes a few card effects and other parlor tricks he has performed.

Unfortunately the book has also a couple of real problems which were to a good degree caused by Guy Jarrett typesetting, printing and binding it all by himself. His spelling is sometimes quite 'adventurous'. He uses unusual abbreviations and the sequence of illustrations has very little to do with where they are referenced in the book.

To improve on the readability and correct these formatting deficiencies we have fixed some of the most disturbing spelling errors and we have reordered the illustrations to make them appear where, or close to where, they are referred to. This ebook is also formatted for convenient viewing and reading on mobile devices.

1st edition 1936, 1st digital edition 2013, 172 pages

Table of Contents

8. I Say
11. Twenty-one People Cabinet Production
12. - Presentation on a clear stage
14. - The explanation
18. Sawing A Woman In Two
21. My Sawing
24. Sawing An Egg
25. The Bangkok Bungalow
34. Easel - Pedestal, in the G. V. Follies
37. The Charlatan
40. Zeno
44. Easel and Star Trap
46. Bottle Box
48. Flower Cone
49. Curtained Cabinet Without A Base
50. Creo
52. Buried Alive
55. Floating Table
56. Thru A Jail Window
58. Walk Out Of A Rope Tie
60. Plank And Chains
61. Water Barrel Escape
64. Grandfather's Mirror Illusion
66. Sack And Bolt Escape
67. A Camel Back Trunk
69. Coat, Hat And Sphinx Table
71. Fefi, Streets of Paris Chicago Fair
74. Tenagra - Little Venus on the Half-shell
76. Shuttle Table For Pigeons
77. Otto Hornman's Own Ring Move
79. Catching A Live Pigeon In The Air
81. A Free Walking Figure
82. Sheet Metal Box
83. Vanishing Polly Cage
84. Water Tank Escape
86. Girl, Boy And Sack
88. Whirling Tire
91. Coat Tie
92. Magic In The Chicago Fair
94. Life Show
95. The Micro Show
96. Telling Time
97. Matches And Steel Bar
100. Dilger's Candle Stick
102. Ghost Show
104. Lambs Blood
105. The Nightingale And The Rose
107. Thurston's Patented Steamship
108. Spear And Arrow In Crane Wilbur Drama
109. Spirit Paintings
110. Frozen In A Cake Of Ice
111. David Devant
112. Dracula
114. Kellar Show To Thurston
117. Ching Ling Foo
119. Women Magi
120. The Old Pipe Trick
121. Cigarette Vanish
122. Coin Vanish
123. Coin Feke
124. Illusions From World Renowned Inventors
127. Improved Old Illusions
129. Girl Without A Middle
130. Up Side Down
131. Substitution Trunk
132. Belasco's Mimi
133. Sample Spectator Of A Magic Show
134. Moving Pictures With Perspective
136. Vanishing Auto
139. Vanishing Elephants
143. The Kid Show Attractions
143. - Hole in the tongue
143. - Martha
144. - Lentini
144. - Jean
144. - Half man and half woman
145. - Chastity Belt
147. Revolving Cabinet
149. Bewitched
150. Boaconstrictor
154. Strippers
157. Instantaneous
159. "Knock 'em dead."
160. A positive mind read
161. The Fall Of Show Business
164. Fish Bowl Table
167. Levitation
169. Puzzles
171. Magic Show
172. Not how books are usually published