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Biographies & History in Magic & Conjuring

Magic has a rich and long history. You will read fascinating stories about Houdini, Robert-Houdin and their predecessors, or about long forgotten inventors of today's popular tricks. Maybe you have seen the movie "The Illusionist" or "The Prestige" and want to find out more about magic and some of the tricks from the movies. Here is a great place to start to wet your appetite and then later you can dive into the methods and how to ebooks.

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Francis White
50 Years at the Magic Circle by Francis White

Fifty years a member of the Magic Circle and then President. One of the best known personalities of the magical world will hold your attention with memorable accounts of how he met David Devant and was given private lessons by the great illusionist himself. Francis talks about happenings at Royal Command performances and dramatic happenings at the Magic Circle over the years. This is living history.

This is a licensed reproduction of the famous Magicassette series created by Martin Breese - now owned by Lybrary.com.

★★★★★ $14
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David J. O'Connor
A Journey Through A History of Magic by David J. O'Connor

A Journey Through a History of Magic traces the lives and times of famous magicians throughout history through to many popular present day performers. With pictures and photos that introduce you to many almost forgotten performers who have gained fame.

Featuring a few of the performers who have shaped the art and craft of magic through the ages.

  • The History of Magic
  • The Conjuror Painting
  • Dedi the Magician
  • Matthias Buchinger
  • Hieronymous Scotto
  • John Nevil Maskelyne
  • Joseph Pinetti
  • Louis Hasselmayer
  • Robert Houdin
  • John Henry Anderson
  • Chung Ling Soo
  • Charles Dickens
  • Fox Sisters
  • Annie Abbott
  • Great Lafayette ...
★★★★★ $10
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Percy Abbott
A Lifetime in Magic by Percy Abbott

Written by a man who spent seventy-four years ... a lifetime in magic! A professional magician, a world traveler, author, inventor, founder of the world's largest magic company. Percy Abbott, the 'Caliph of Colon', and magic are synonymous. In this ebook you will discover stories, experiences, secrets and advice that only a lifetime in magic can offer. You will uncover facts about the greats that will amaze you. There is a fund of information on tricks and illusions new to present day magicians.

Contents

  • Dedication
  • Memories
  • Foreword
  • The Chrystal Lantern
  • Comedy Snake Basket
  • Lost In...
★★★★ $4
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Dagmar Mussey & June Barrows Mussey
A Magical Upbringing: Collected Letters and Articles from June Barrows Mussey by Dagmar Mussey & June Barrows Mussey

Purchase this ebook together with The Amateur Magician's Handbook and receive an immediate $10 discount!

If I ask: "Do you know June Barrows Mussey?" I get a blank stare. If I continue: "you know Henry Hay?" then suddenly the response is: "Certainly. He wrote The Amateur Magician's Handbook."

June Barrows Mussey, alias Henry Hay was a remarkable man who had a magical upbringing. Imagine, a boy of just 14 years old going on an international magic tour in the U.S. all by himself; a year later he went alone to Europe, the Dutch authorities made great trouble when he wanted to enter their country because they felt he was too young. His parents and particularly...

★★★★ $15
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Charles Bertram
A Magician in Many Lands by Charles Bertram

This is a fascinating travel log, including a good number of photos, by an accomplished magician circling the globe including visits to India, China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Unites States, Canada and other places. He devotes three fascinating chapters to the tricks of the Indian conjurers, but does not tell us a lot about his own performances during his voyage.

From the introduction by Professor Hoffmann:

A book of travel, written by a keen observer, is always interesting. Charles Bertram was not only a keen observer, but enjoyed opportunities of observation denied to ninety-nine travellers out of...

$5
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Harry Kellar
A Magician's Tour by Harry Kellar

Harry Kellar writes about his travels and adventures around the world. Very readable and entertaining.

1st edition, 1886; 214 pages.

  1. Start in Life
  2. The Bull Fight
  3. Triumphal Tour through Mexico
  4. In the Role of Prophet
  5. Through South America
  6. Around the Horn
  7. Shipwreck and Reverses
  8. First Bow in the Colonies
  9. Dining with the Maharajah
  10. Boar Hunt in Java
  11. The City of Shanghai
  12. At the Court of Ava
  13. The Spiritualist Excitement
  14. In the Punjaub
  15. In Bombay
  16. The Jugglers of India
  17. In Africa
  18. Hard Luck Turns
  19. Before Her Majesty
  20. Kimberley Diamond Fields
  21. Substitute for Jails
  22. Chinese Gordon
  23. Among...
★★★★★ $12
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Carl Hertz
A Modern Mystery Merchant by Carl Hertz

The trials, tricks and travels of Carl Hertz the famous American illusionist.

A highly readable and informative autobiography that takes Carl Hertz around the globe. Hertz was born as Leib Morgenstein in San Francisco, the son of Russian and Polish immigrants. He started with showbusiness in Northern California at a young age and had initially little success. Nevertheless, Carl Hertz went on to create a distinguished international career as a stage illusionist and debunker of fraudulent mediums and other scammers.

CHAPTER I
My boyhood - Fascination which conjuring has for me - I am discharged...

$10
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Billy Benbo
A Warlock's Wandering by Billy Benbo

A Warlock's Wandering is one magician's memories of his journey along the eternal path of wonder. It is my sincere hope that within its pages you may find something of value in presentation, thought, adaptation, and dressing. Between the lines are little gems of wisdom and knowledge gleaned from the many performers met over the last sixty seven years.

1st edition 2015, 57 pages.

$12
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Greg Bordner
Abbott Compendium 2016 by Greg Bordner

This is the most complete history of Abbott's Magic, and in particular it covers the long history of the Abbott's Get Together.

  • Welcome to the 2016 Abbott Compendium
  • Abbott's Historical Documentation
  • Art of the Abbott Catalog
  • Art of the Get Together
  • Complete Get Together Performer List
  • Timeline of Abbott's and the Get Together
  • 2016 Magic Capital Events
  • 79th Get Together August 3-8 2016

1st edition 2016, 521 pages.

★★★★★ $15
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Henry Ridgely Evans
Adventures in Magic by Henry Ridgely Evans

From the Foreword:

Some years ago I went to see a performance by the late Imro Fox, a clever conjurer, that pleased me very much. The curtain rose on a gloomy cavern, in the middle of which stood a smoking caldron, fed by witches à la Macbeth. An aged necromancer, habited in a long robe covered with cabalistic characters, entered. He went through certain incantations, whereupon hosts of demons appeared and danced a weird ceremonial dance about the caldron. Suddenly, amid a crash of thunder and a blinding flash of lightning, the wizard’s cave was metamorphosed into a twentieth century drawing-room,...
★★★★ $10
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Amedeo & George Schindler
Amedeo by Amedeo & George Schindler

When George Schindler wrote his book Amedeo's Continental Magic he used his tape recorder frequently to capture some of the remarkable Amedeo stories. On this recording George introduces Amedeo and we then hear Amedeo himself talking about his life and times in working for over 65 years in more than 23 countries. In 1972 the New York Society of Magicians named Amedeo as "Magician of the Year." Here is your opportunity to hear him talking about some of his experiences.

Recorded October 20th, 1973. Length 52 min.

$12
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Hugh S. Fullerton
American Gambling and Gamblers by Hugh S. Fullerton

This is an excellent series of articles on the history of gambling in America. Excerpt from the introduction:

These articles are the result of long travels in many parts of the United States. They are real contributions of human and public interest.

  • Preying Upon the Wage Earners
  • How They Prey Upon One Another
    • Where Every Boy Had to Learn Poker
    • Gambling "Commercialized" and Organized
    • "Square" Gamblers all "Broke"
    • The Story of Hot Springs
    • Politics and "Business" Worked for "the Game"
    • The "Open" Season of 1912-13
    • Something Bound to Happen
    • As the "Straight" Gamblers Saw It
    • Why...
$7
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Nimrod
Anatomy of Gaming by Nimrod

This multi-part article starts with some historical perspectives and then is largely about the evils of gambling. However, it has a section on crooked play which is interesting for historical reasons. The topics covered in the section are:

  • Reflectors
  • The Longs and Shorts
  • Convex and Concave Cards
  • Pricked Cards
  • The Bridge
  • Skinning
  • Shuffling or Weaving
  • The Gradus, or Step
  • Palming
  • The Telegraph
  • Dice and Dice Boxes
  • Unequal Dice
  • Loaded Dice
  • Cogging, now called Securing
  • Scratched Dice
  • The Doctored Dice-Box
  • Sauter La Coupe (the pass or shift)

1st edition 1837, PDF 73 pages.

★★★★★ $15
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Stephen Forrester
Annotated Discovery of Witchcraft by Stephen Forrester

A lucid commentary on the first printed English conjuring text; showing the development of magic tricks from 1584 up to the present day. Written by a magician for magic historians and magicians interested in the beginnings of their art. Including many unpublished references to Reginald Scot with quotations and illustrations from most of the early English books with conjuring from 1584 up to 1784.

The text will show Scot's influence on his contemporaries along with witchcraft beliefs before and after the Discovery of Witchcraft was published. With definitions of old English words in the text, a bibliography of...

★★★★ $30
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Anthony Owen & Jay Fortune
Anthony Owen Talks to Jay Fortune by Anthony Owen & Jay Fortune

If you want to break into the TV market you have to listen to this. Anthony Owen is currently the most successful TV magic producer in the UK and has worked on the Derren Brown shows, Monkey Magic, Dirty Tricks, The Real Hustle, and many more. And even if you are not trying to become a TV magic star you will hear a lot of great advice for anybody who wants to make a living with magic.

"I thought CDs were out as a way of learning about magic, but this one by Anthony Owen proves I was wrong. You just have to hear him speak to get the full inspirational effect of his amazing story. This is...

$27.50 $19.90
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Giovanni Iuliani
Archives of Human Prodigies 1 by Giovanni Iuliani

There once was a dream world that travelled at night on a train full of possibilities. This was the Golden Age of the circus (1880-1930s). Aboard this magical train, you would find circus performers, a menagerie of exotic animals and those known as "freaks".

Also called human prodigies, the "freaks" were born with special physicalities. Among these were giants, midgets, siamese-twins, etc. All were gathered inside a giant tent known as the sideshow (or annex attraction).

Get ready to see many astonishing if not shocking pictures. The Archives of Human Prodigies is published in three...

$12
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Giovanni Iuliani
Archives of Human Prodigies 2 by Giovanni Iuliani

Freaks, strange people, monsters, and even prodigies are some of the words used to describe the human beings that you will find in this ebook. While we realize that today many of these words might be considered "politically incorrect" we have taken the liberty of using these terms insofar as to better communicate the mindset of the sideshow people of that era. No disrespect is intended.

At the time, sideshows went by many different names, among these: dime museums of one kind or another and tent attractions, fronted by huge banners, depicting very unusual people and or animals. Curiosities...

$12
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Giovanni Iuliani
Archives of Human Prodigies 3 by Giovanni Iuliani

More unusual people including super fat, slim, tall, small, and many other freaks of nature. Learn about giants such as Chang Yu Sang, Edward Beaupré, Allen E. Tilden, Conrad Furrows, Bimbo, Sgt. Emmet M. Stephens, Capt. George Dowling or John Aasen. Or perhaps you are more interested in midgets such as Lynn Major White, Lia Graf, Tom Thumb, Major Rhinehart, Doletta Boykins, and Major Mite. Many more identified and unidentified prodigies are documented.

1st edition 2013, 62 pages.

$12
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Hardin Jasper Burlingame
Around the world with a magician and a juggler by Hardin Jasper Burlingame

Wonderful biographical information about magician Baron Hartwig Seeman, and juggler William D'Alvini. Also includes a chapter on the German magician Bellachini and a fascinating chapter on the psychology of conjuring.

  • CHAPTER I. Introductory Remarks
  • CHAPTER II. Life Of Professor Seeman
  • CHAPTER III. Thrilling Experiences With Ole Bull
  • CHAPTER IV. A Visit To The Pyramids
  • CHAPTER V. The Czar Befriends The Magician
  • CHAPTER VI. To England, Africa And India
  • CHAPTER VII. Experiences With A Great Fakir
  • CHAPTER VIII. A Problem Solved
  • CHAPTER IX. Martin Luther's Wedding Ring
  • CHAPTER X. William...
$7
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S. W. Erdnase
Article Series: Estimating for Printers by S. W. Erdnase

This series of 14 articles was written by Edward Gallaway, aka S. W. Erdnase. It is a compact but thorough introduction to estimating for printers. For many years, Gallaway taught estimating to printers at the then largest privately held printing company, R. R. Donnelley. He was an instructor in their apprentice school and was at the same time the chief estimator of the company. He would later found his own School for Print Estimating in Chicago, the only such school solely dedicated to teaching this subject. He wrote the textbook for his school Estimating for Printers as well as other works...

$10
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Hurt McDermott
Artifice, Ruse & Erdnase by Hurt McDermott

"Frankly, I find your approach the most careful and cautious of all that have been published." - Bart Whaley

"Hurt's book is very good writing on a subject I care about. I enjoyed it tremendously and learned a great deal in the process. I think you will, too." - Richard Hatch

The search for one who may not want to be found.

In 1902 under the pseudonym S.W. Erdnase and the title Artifice, Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table a book on sleight-of-hand with cards was published. This book became the bible for card magicians. To this date it remains arguably the single most important book on sleight-of-hand card magic. Some of the most respected masters of card magic,...

★★★★★ $45
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Harry P. Bowman
As Told On A Sunday Run by Harry P. Bowman

A collection of basic information about circuses small and big, their names and when they were in operation.

  • War Time Circus
  • Shows Harry Bowman was connected with
  • Famous Firsts in Circus History
  • Circus Wrecks and Accidents
  • Circuses and Tent Shows (in alphabetical order)

1st edition 1942, 31 pages; PDF 75 pages.

$10
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Rachel Colombini
At Home With Aldo Colombini by Rachel Colombini

A candid intimate interview with the Italian Teddy Bear. With wit, honesty, and lots of inside details, Aldo shares with his fans his life as a comedy magician and lecturer; his view on magic, tells about his career, the move to the USA, his hobbies, and how he was able to survive until 60 just with a deck of cards and a piece of rope! He also teaches an easy Italian recipe for a great pasta dish, and he may even play the guitar and sing a song if pressed by Rachel (and helped by a glass of wine). Of course, he will also show and explain a trick never before released.

Aldo and Rachel have...

$10
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MP4 (video)

Cameron Francis
At Home With Rachel Colombini by Cameron Francis

A heart-to-heart interview with Rachel Colombini conducted by Cameron Francis. Her beginnings in England, the move to the USA, how she and Aldo met, her difficult moment with open heart surgery, the recovery and more. She then shares a trick never before released and, why not, sing a song!

$10
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MP4 (video)

Al Mann
Axel Hellstrom by Al Mann

The Life and works of Axel Hellstrom. Contents include:

  • Hellstrom's history
  • Axel Hellstrom's mnemonic system
  • other performers
  • Hellstrom & Houdini & the S.A.M.
Note that this manuscript comes unbound in a package of loose sheets, the way Al Mann stored them. You can bind them anyway you like, or leave them unbound, perhaps only hole punch them and put them in a binder.

19 pages

$30
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Albert Deane Richardson
Beyond the Mississippi by Albert Deane Richardson

Life and adventure on the prairies, mountains, and Pacific coast.

Beyond the Mississippi is a travel log of Albert Richardson from a few years before and after the American Civil War. As the title suggests, he traveled west of the Mississippi through states and territories such as Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Iowa, Oregon, California, Nevada, etc. He describes nature, people, politics, and commerce. It includes exciting adventures as well as fairly dry facts such as how many bushels of grain a particular area produces. Overall it is quite readable and the...

$9
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Patrick Davison
Born on the Highwire: The Autobiography of Arthur Duchek by Patrick Davison

Arthur Duchek, born (almost literally on the highwire rigging of his parents' circus act) into a European circus dynasty in 1930, grew up to be a world-famous circus and variety artist and international entertainment agent.

He survived a devastating accident on the circus lot as a 4-year old child, an accident that left him with a speech impediment. His will power and determination, along with the help of an eccentric Parisian speech therapist, helped him overcome this obstacle. After joining his uncles with the circus in America, Arthur experienced unbelievable abuse at their hands.

You...

$5
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Bert Pratt
Browsing Around in Magic by Bert Pratt

Bert Pratt was a bookworm, somebody who worked his way through libraries and book stores to find the odd appearance of magic in non-magic books. He wrote a series of articles which were published in the Midget Magician, a journal that saw a print run of only 50. It is therefore safe to assume you have never read these articles.

It includes excerpts from books and magazines now practically unobtainable. Bert Pratt, writing as Ptinos, delved deeply into the old book marts of London, into libraries, into magazine files, to find magic and magical references. The resulting reading is charming,...

★★★★ $5.95
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Henry Ridgely Evans
Cagliostro by Henry Ridgely Evans

Count Alessandro di Cagliostro, by real name Giuseppe Balsamo, was an Italian occultist, mentalist and magician, who managed to achieve entry into the royal courts of Europe where he practiced various occult arts, mentalism, magic, alchemy, etc. His fame continued beyond his death, but eventually he was labeled a charlatan. Regardless of how one wants to portrait Cagliostro, there is a lot magicians and mentalists can learn from him and his exploits.

  • Proem
  • I. A Master of Magic
  • II. The Conjurer and the Cardinal
  • III. The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
  • IV. The Downfall of the Grand Cophta ...
$7
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Henry Ridgely Evans
Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry by Henry Ridgely Evans

Evans raises the possibility that Cagliostro's real name might not have been Giuseppe Balsamo, as well as describes his Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry.

  • Introduction
  • PART I.—A Master Of Magic
  • PART II.—The Egyptian Rite
  • PART III.—A Visit To The House Of Cagliostro
  • PART IV.—Reception Of An Apprentice In An Egyptian Lodge
1st edition 1919, 26 pages; PDF 37 pages.
$5
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W. R. H. Trowbridge
Cagliostro: The Splendour and Misery of a Master of Magic by W. R. H. Trowbridge

This is a very good book on Cagliostro, because Trowbridge does not simply parrot the opinion of other authors who wrote about Cagliostro, but he did his own research and came to his own conclusions. One can certainly argue about some of Trowbridge's conclusions, but overall this is a very thorough and detailed description and analysis of Cagliostro's life.

  • Preface
  • Bibliography
  • Part I
    • Chapter I: The Power Of Prejudice
    • Chapter II: Giuseppe Balsamo
  • Part II
    • Chapter I: Cagliostro In London
    • Chapter II: Eighteenth Century Occultism
    • Chapter III: Masked And Unmasked
    • Chapter IV: The...
$10
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David Britland
Chan Canasta: A Remarkable Man Volume 1 by David Britland

Chan Canasta (1920 to 1999) was something of a TV sensation in the 1950s as one of Britain's leading mentalists. His blend of psychology and traditional conjuring which he called psychmagic, was a breath of fresh air. This beautifully ebook is a unique record of his mentalist effects and unique entertaining style.

"Martin has excelled himself with the production values. It looks beautiful; maybe it is the most attractive looking book I have ever seen. If you are interested in Canasta then you will have to buy the book." - Peter Zenner

"I'm not sure that there have been other books quite like this....

★★★★ $49
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David Britland
Chan Canasta: A Remarkable Man Volume 2 by David Britland

This is the long-awaited follow up to the first volume. It is a quality soft back publication, perfect bound. It contains a lot of information that arrived too late for inclusion in the first volume. We are grateful to all those who have helped us produce this set of books on the Remarkable Chan Canasta.

  • Publisher's Introduction
  • Further Discoveries by David Britland
  • Chan Canasta article (reprinted from Magic Magazine)

The first volume can be found here: Chan Canasta: A Remarkable Man Volume 1

1st edition 2001, 45 pages.

$22
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softcover

Steve Sanders
Charles Oswald Williams and the Golden Age of Magic by Steve Sanders

Charles Oswald Williams was a good friend of Professor Hoffmann, Chung Ling Soo and many other notable magicians. He was also a magic dealer and inventor, amongst his customers was a young Cardini. Williams also had the honour of being one of the first magicians to perform in The Magic Circle's inaugural show.

Charles Oswald Williams was at the inception of the Golden Age of Magic and his life story followed the development of Magic as we now know it. This ebook chronicles his life story in parallel to the rise of Magic. In addition, it contains a full account of The Magic Circle's first show in London in 1906, describing...

$15
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Roger Woods
Chris Van Bern: The Busy 'B' by Roger Woods

This is a biography of Chris Van Bern (1872? - 1950) christened The Busy 'B' by The Magician Monthly in 1911 because of his versatility as a variety performer. His presentations were original and he was something of a 'character'. He became a member of so many local magic clubs throughout the UK that it is believed his record has never been surpassed by anyone. He was Honorary Vice President, for example, of The Modern Mystic League (Blackburn & District Society of Magicians), and The Order of The Magi (Manchester). A generous man to all magicians he co-authored A Whirlwind of Wizadry with De...

$12
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Thomas Frost
Circus Life and Circus Celebrities by Thomas Frost

A history of the circus in Britain during the 19th century. One chapter deals with America, another with circus slang. Perhaps most interesting are the recollections of a gymnast and how he made it into the circus.

From the Preface:

But of the circus artistes - the riders, the clowns, the acrobats, the gymnasts, - what do we know? How many are there, unconnected with the sawdust, who can say that they have known a member of that strange race? Charles Dickens, who was perhaps as well acquainted with the physiology of the less known sections of society as any man of his day, whetted public...

$5
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