Biographies & History in Magic & Conjuring: page 6

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...

The biography of a great artist and creative of the Italian and international magical world.

Fifteen years after his death, the artist, magician and writer Roberto Bombassei, through a work of research and study, pays tribute to his mentor by publishing for the first time his biography: his beginnings, his path, his studies, his thoughts, his creations.

Foreword by Tony Binarelli. English translation and additional notes by Biagio Fasano.

• Foreword By Tony Binarelli
• A Few Words From The Author
• The Birth
• The Meeting With Fred Kaps
• Parapsychology: A Bit Of Truth And A Lot Of Scams
• Parapsychology...

Martin Breese interviewed Robert Harbin on March 26th, 1977, not even one year before Harbin's untimely death. The interview took place at Harbin's home in London, England.

Spend 90 minutes listening to Robert Harbin - one of the world's most creative illusionists and inventors. Here is the full life story of the man who invented Zig Zag and a number of other illusions that will be performed by magicians over the years to come. Since making the recording Robert Harbin became ill and died. The words spoken on this tape were used as the basis for The Robert Harbin Book published by Martin Breese....

This is a digital facsimile version of the original hardcover book. [The one hardcover I had left has sold. Sorry.]

Back in the 1970s Martin Breese had the chance to record Robert Harbin on one of his early Magicassette releases. The Harbin Magicassette probably rates as the most popular of his recordings.

In 1983 Martin asked the late Owen Griffith to transcribe the words from the Harbin Magicassette. The late and great Eric Mason created the illustrations for The Harbin Book. One day at a business trade fair Martin saw a full scale photo litho printing machine being demonstrated and decided to leap in to the deep end and he bought the demonstration machine and had...

The authorized book of Rovi's life, philosophy, and magic. The first part deals with Rovi's life from birth, through military service and marriage all the way to his success in magic. A fascinating story with over 50 tricks including the much-requested "Cowboy Trick." Wonderful effects for a variety of skills. Many sleights are thoroughly explained and discussed, including Rovi's fabulous forces, pass, side slip, peek and top change. Many of these ideas appeared in print in this book for the first time.

Wonderful illustrations by Tony Dunn; produced and partly edited by Anthony Brahams.

1st edition 2000, The...

This article succinctly critiques the Milton Franklin Andrews case, and introduces us to two at the time new suspects, James DeWitt Andrews and Edwin Sumner Andrews.

This article first appeared in the 1999 December issue of Magic Magazine, except for this release Richard Hatch added two pages introductory notes to better frame his article in the historical context of the hunt for Erdnase. The article is also essentially the talk Richard gave at the 1999 Los Angeles Conference on Magic History.

1st edition 1999 (intro 2021), PDF 16 pages.

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...

• HENRY SLADE Was he a medium or a magician?
• CAGLIOSTRO The Mystery Man of Europe
• KATTERFELTO Lecturer, conjurer, and quack
• SERVAIS LE ROY He levitated a pianist and her piano
• C. W. STARR His vanishing act was for sheriffs
• TORRINI His greatest illusion was himself
• SIGNOR BLITZ What he pulled from a hat one night kept a family together
• CHARLES MORRITT His masterpiece was the Disappearing Donkey
• THE BOTTLE CONJURER How was he going to jump into a bottle?
• MAELZEL There was more to his Chess-playing Automaton than met the eye
• ROBERT HELLER His mindreading act mystified audiences
• THE BANGS...

• CARDINI He seemed bewildered by his own magic
• BLACKSTONE "The Last of the Great Magicians"
• LEON MANDRAKE He wore a turban or a top hat - depending on the gig
• DUNNINGER Was it true that the renowned mindreader couldn't read the mind of a gnat?
• DAVENPORT BROTHERS Their spirit cabinet brought them fame. But were they mediums or magicians?
• PROFESSOR NEUMAN He had misread a mind - and the police hauled him away
• THE GREAT LESTER Did he have the exclusive rights to that name?
• GEORGES MÉLIÈS A magician who transformed himself into a filmmaker
• CHARLIER No one knew where he came from - or where he finally went ...

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...

How does one actually become a magician - and why? Is it even possible to make a living from magic? What is life like as a magician? Are these normal people?

A person who has traveled with his art to more than 60 countries around the world will tell you his secrets. See him awarded second place world champion at the FISM World Congress of Magicians, with a show based only on sleight of hand. Learn how he became a self-taught expert manipulator. See how he booked his own gigs and was even hired as the only completely unknown actor for "The Dream Ship" on German television network ZDF. ...

Paul Voodini presents Victorian Seance and the Birth of Mentalism, recounting the rise of Spiritualism in the 1800s, the antics, tricks, and techniques of the fraudulent mediums, and how this led directly to the birth of that branch of the magical arts known as 'mentalism.'

This detailed manuscript outlines and explains such techniques and methods as mesmerism and hypnosis, table-tipping, slates, automatic writing, book tests, 'reading' techniques and Q&A, spirit manifestations, the Ouija board, and much, much more. The text also touches on escapology, quick change, and other magical techniques. ...

• Preface - Paul Gordon
• About the Author by Martin Breese
• Introduction - Paul Gordon
• Edward George Brown - a biography by Paul Gordon
• Obituary by Francis White
• Heartfelt Tributes
• - John Carney
• - Roger Crosthwaite
• - Members of The Magic Circle
• Trevor H. Hall & The Card Magic of Edward G. Brown
• Willane's Methods for Miracles
• Ibidem - P. Howard Lyons
• The 'Lost' Magic of E.G. Brown
• - Divination of Two Mentally Selected Cards
• - The Three Billet Test
• - A Cigarette Change
• - The Penetrating Tumbler
• - Handkerchief and Glass to Hat
• - A Nap Hand
• With Thanks to Edward George Brown
• - The Brown Detective - Peter Duffie
• - Thin...

A tribute to Percy Naldrett by Paul Gordon who shares birth place Worthing in Sussex with Percy. Includes photos and other bits and pieces of information not published anywhere else.

Percy Naldrett was born on 17th May 1888 and died 28th September 1973. He was a printer by trade and a semi-pro magician and collector. He wrote a number of books such as Magic of the Moment (1912, 50pp), Magical Notes and Notions (1913, 36pp), Miscellaneous Magic (1913, 48pp). He was editor of the Magic Circular from 1938-49.

1st edition 2005, 31 pages.

This is a brief historical account, a biographical essay, of one of the most intriguing characters in magic – Mr. Victor Farelli.

1st edition 2006, 36 pages.

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...

Listen to Orville Meyer as he recalls his creation of his bullet catch method which was so masterfully performed by Ted Annemann. A rare treat for all mentalism and magic history buffs. This recording was made June 20th 1985.

Ben Robinson, an expert bullet catcher himself writes:

A fascinating glimpse into Okito's (Theo Bamberg) life and creations. The Bamberg dynasty had magicians spanning seven generations. Okito was a prolific inventor, builder of tricks, and exceptional performer. Learn the details of many of his most cherished secrets.

From the introduction by Dorny:

This wonderful ebook recounts the story of Okito's very first stage show. It is history as told by the great Theo Bamberg (Okito) to magician and writer Joe Palen. He sat with Okito, as he found an old photograph (re-printed in the booklet) and told him stories of his props on stage, their origins and even some of their workings. This ebook is the result of that conversation.

Do not confuse this booklet with the much larger work with the same title: Okito on Magic: Reminiscences and Selected Tricks.

1st edition 1973, 12 pages; 1st digital edition 2012, 10 pages.

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.

You will find three bankruptcy files in this PDF, one with No. 842 from 1899 which consist of 37 pages, one with No. 8576 from 1903 with 476 pages, which is the Jamieson-Higgins bankruptcy, and the bankruptcy No. 8577 from 1903 with 624 pages. The particularly interesting one is the last No. 8577 which was the James McKinney & Co. bankruptcy.

The Jamieson-Higgins bankruptcy is included because James McKinney printed essentially all of the books Jamieson-Higgins published and they were also financially entangled.

It also tells the tale how Chris Wasshuber located the files, had them digitized, and how...

Michael Skinner tells stories from his early years in magic such as meeting Eddie Fechter and Ed Marlo. This short interview was hosted by Roger Klause.

Both of these larger than life legends - Michael Skinner and Roger Klaus - have unfortunately passed away. Videos like these are time capsules allowing us to get closer to these legends, learn from their life, and understand them a little bit better.

length: 3min 13s

A fascinating casebook of true stories from the self-styled "Card Detective" that reveals the inner workings of backroom poker cheats, dice scams, bunco artists, horse race swindles, rigged games of the carnival and midway and much, much more.

Written in a breezy style, "Mickey" MacDougall takes the reader along for an entertaining and informative ride as he consults with casino bosses and card room owners to stamp out cheaters and grifters.

Swindlers take many forms and purvey their trade anywhere people gather: aboard trains and cruise ships, at the racetrack, in back alleys, military...

Joe Karson, of course, invented the famous "Zombie" floating ball, but there was quite a bit more to Karson than just that.

The ebook is divided into two main sections; Karson's biography and Karson's creations (books, tricks and commentary). It has 29 photos, most not seen in many years. Besides extensive research in New England public records, several people who knew Karson were also interviewed, both magicians and laymen. Some of the well known magic personalities interviewed were; John Calvert, Jim Cellini, Ray & Ann Goulet, Jay Marshall, Sidney Radner, Nick Ruggiero, Les Smith, Tony Spina, Ben Stone, Parker...