Biographies & History in Magic & Conjuring: page 5

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....

Here is one of magic's most fascinating personalities giving the secrets of how he achieved everything that every young magician would wish to achieve. How magic earned him a luxury cruise ship, a luxury private airplane and stardom on TV, the theater and many movies.

John takes us back to his early days and tells how his career actually started when he produced an egg from the pocket of a young friend whilst at Sunday School. You'll hear how a little bit of magical-style misdirection got him his first big break teaching Clark Gable card moves for a film; Clarke fluffed it all and Calvert...

This is the second volume of John Calvert's Story. Sit back, relax, and listen to a life full of magic. Learn from one of the greatest and most successful magicians of all time.

(See here for Volume 1.)

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

Val Andrews recreates the master in Tell Them You Saw Dante and takes you back to the days of Sim Sala Bim. Val Andrews impersonates Dante. A remarkable insight into Dante the man and the performer. Val takes us behind the scenes with this great performer and the whole recording is rather in the style of a radio broadcast featuring extracts from Dante.

This recording was originally created and released by Val Andrews. In 1977 it was purchased by Martin Breese and is now owned and copyrighted by Lybrary.com.

runtime 45min

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.

This is Val's own life story. Val is one of magic's most prolific writers and he draws from his vast magical experience as he recounts the story he knows best - his own. To people who know magic and the Show-Biz scene this is a marvelous recording to listen to.

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

runtime 1 hour

This 60 minute recording includes the very best of the great Sid Lorraine. This is a happy mix of talk about magicians, how he got started in magic, heavily interspersed with magic you can do. There is a substitute for the pass, a gold fish bowl production (without the bowl), a card trick that baffled Blackstone.

Craige Snader in Magic Sounds said: "...it is great value as you get a magic lecture by one of the greats that you can listen to over and over. A great tape for study or just pleasant listening."

This is a digitally re-mastered (MP3) version of the original MagiCassette™ released...

Dr. Cannon was probably magic's most unusual character. He lived for many years on the Isle of Man where he ran a healing sanctuary. He had his own fully equipped theatre - The Enchanted Hall. Goodliffe, who was afflicted by a crippling disease, was encouraged by Dr. Cannon to take a free course of treatment.

Goodliffe knew Cannon well as a result and provides an absorbing portrait of this man on the recording. Of course you hear Cannon speaking as well. Fraud, fake or genuine mystic? Decide for yourself after listening to yet another voice from the mysterious past.

Believe it or not,...

Listen to one of the old timers talking about his friendship with Dai Vernon, T. Nelson Downs and many other big names. If you haven't read the Magic Of Faucett Ross by Lewis Ganson, then this recording will send you to your nearest magical dealer to buy it. If you have the book, then you will see how Lewis Ganson used the material of this recording to create the classic book. One of the funniest recordings in our collection.

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

This ebook draws on the contemporary and other accounts to examine the persona Houdini created, having been born one Ehrich Weiss in Hungary prior to immigrating to America as a young child. It recaptures the era of variety and some of the acts that were rivalling Houdini. It explores in detail Houdini's clash with Carl Mysto in Salford in 1904, which had Houdini taking the unprecedented step of exposing his rival's coffin escape on stage. It also tells the story of Jack Wilson, a blacksmith, who claimed to have beaten Houdini at his own game following his challenges to Houdini in Blackburn and Bolton...

This ebook examines some of Houdini's escapades in Lancashire, England and explodes some of the myths that the world famous escapologist built up around himself. It draws on contemporary newspaper accounts and sources. Amongst other stories it relates closely the controversy surrounding Houdini's appearance at the Palace Theatre, Blackburn, England in October 1902 when he faced one of his severest challenges from William Hope Hodgson, who was to go on to be a writer of fantasy literature before his death in the First World War. Houdini, a master of showmanship and publicity, was able to exploit the ordeal...

The ebook tells the stories of 'Dr' Walford Bodie and 'Sir' Alexander Cannon both flamboyant magical characters of the last century. Walford Bodie was a magician-showman known to Houdini who sent him the actual electric chair from "Sing Sing" prison. Cannon was also an eccentric character suspected by MI5 of being a spy in World War II!

The cover features caricatures of Bodie and Cannon specially designed by magic graphic artist Donald Monk.

1st edition 2005, 1st digital edition 2013, 77 pages, 29 illustrations.

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...

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.

From the introduction:

In this ebook, George Boston, old time magician, takes his readers behind the scenes of the magic shows. Associate and confidant of the great men of magic, he recalls the greatest "tricks" in his memory and in many cases tells "how it was done." The great names of magic - Thurston, Blackstone, Houdini, Kellar, Carter and Nicola - appear in these pages. The book is liberally illustrated with many photographs, and is written in the highly readable style that has made Robert Parrish's For Magicians Only and New Ways to Mystify such popular favorites.

• About the Authors
• Introduction
• 1 How I Became a Magician
• 2 The Illusion Show
• 3 Thurston's Mysteries of India ...

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...

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...

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.

A 'magical' autobiography and an inspirational book.

• 1+ million people have seen him live in 165+ countries
• 15+ million views on YouTube with over 1000+ videos
• 180+ TV shows and multiple prime time TV series
• thousands of global online students
• 40+ Books and best-selling author
• TedX Speaker
• Known as the German with a South African accent

Can you believe it! A non-US, UK, or Europe magician that achieved fame and fortune, traveled the world, became a TV star in his own country, and achieved all his dreams! A magical inspirational real-life story like never before. Magician, Professional...

This work is sort of a condensed history of magic. The story of some notable tricks. For example, what was the oldest conjuring trick in the world? What was the newest? Were the Piddingtons really telepathic? How does a magician saw a girl in half? Do conjurers use marked cards? How do they do the Indian Rope Trick?

• A Word From The Publishers
• Chapter One: The Secret From The Tomb
• Chapter Two: The Cups And Balls
• Chapter Three: Oracles And Robots
• Chapter Four: It's All Done With Mirrors!
• Chapter Five: The Lady Vanishes
• Chapter Six: The Trick That Never Was
• Chapter Seven: Up In The Middle...

The Delphos Kleeblatt, a German newspaper, was established by Carl Jettinger in December 1889 on a suggestion by Edward Gallaway. It ran until 1905. Gallaway approached Jettinger with the idea, having just returned to Delphos from a stint as a typesetter at a German newspaper in Indiana, and convinced him to partner with him in this newspaper startup. However, before the newspaper was launched Gallaway changed his mind, left Delphos, moved to Ft. Payne in Alabama and started there the Payne Weekly People. Carl Jettinger, a bit miffed by first being convinced of the great idea, and then Edward bailing out...

An account of the author's professional life; his wonderful tricks and feats; with laughable incidents, and adventures as a magician, necromancer, and ventriloquist.

Excerpt from the Preface:

Reminiscences of the life of humorist Artemus Ward (Charles Farrar Browne) and pictures of a showman's career in the Western world.

A wonderful account of show business by the example of the humorist Artemus Ward during the 19th century. In particular, it describes how performers had to travel through the US during the 1860s, how they had to advertise and promote their shows, including the characters they encountered and the situations they had to master.

For conjurers most interesting is chapter 25: Spiritualism And Conjuring. This tells of how Hingston and Browne helped a conjurer by...