Only an experienced performer could write a practical book of this kind. No theories, but facts and tested procedures - that are invaluable when put into practice. Therefore, you are not only getting an ebook containing original tricks, moves and routines, but information that will pay you dividends, be you beginner, amateur or professional.
You will love Monk's natural breezy style - and while you are absorbing the splendid advice on acquiring the professional touch in your performance, you will get many a chuckle in the bargain. Chapters embrace the following subjects:
The magician explains that he was once robbed. The thief took his ring, his watch and the money from his wallet. All these items are put into an envelope. Immediately after the magician tears up the envelope. All the items have vanished and returned to their original place. The ring is on the ring finger, the watch is on the wrist and the money is back in the wallet.
In this video you get a detailed explanation of how this routine works. As is typical with Tommy Wonder, he always teaches lessons which apply to many other effects. For example, he spends some time talking about where to attach...
Reminiscences of Charles H. Foster who some consider the most gifted and remarkable spiritual medium since Emanuel Swedenborg. This account gives facts and descriptions of many seances held in different parts of the world.
This is a fascinating account of Charles H. Foster's story - a medium who exhibited mostly skin writing (dermography) and pellet reading. When Foster visited England in 1861 materialization phenomena were added to his performances.
Foster enjoyed drinking alcohol and smoking cigars in barrooms with his companions as much as he did transmitting messages from the dead....
There is quite some confusion about this book, because there are American editions and British editions, some only with card magic, others with additional chapters on cups and balls and other non-card magic effects. The book we have reproduced was printed in London and it does include non-card items. We are reproducing the complete table of contents below.
This book was edited by W. H. Cremer as noted in the preface of Hanky Panky.
PRELIMINARY
PART I. - GENERAL TRICKS
In this article from Scribner's Monthly Magazine Henry Hatton, writing under the pseudonym of an 'Ex-Conjurer' explains in words and illustrations the Indian Box Mystery, the Spiritual Bench, the Inexhaustible bottle, including a funny accident that happened with it, and Marabout Mocca as performed by the elder Herrmann.
1st edition 1880, PDF 11 pages.
Karl Germain was a dynamic stage performer whose baffling feats of wizardry have come to life again in this must-have ebook.
Several of Germain's stage, club and close-up mysteries are revealed in this well-illustrated text, allowing them to be appreciated by a new generation of magicians.
Cramer explains many of Germain's feats, including Casadega Propaganda (a small Spirit Cabinet), several large Spirit Cabinets for stage performances, various types of Spirit Slate-Writing, a Spirit Seance In a Lighted Room, the Germain Handkerchief Color Change (the finest ever invented), Miss Confetti...
This is book 2 in the SOHO (Sleight of Hand only) trilogy. The other two are SOHO and The Lizard Wizard's Diary.
"Gregg Webb has been marching to the beat of a different drummer for the past couple of decades. His wonderful handcrafted magazines contain great magic that is fun to perform. Why sweat the hard stuff when you can fool laymen - and your magic buddies - with stuff that is sneaky rather than difficult?" - Joe McKay
Doctor Edward George Ervin was a dentist and amateur magician whose mentor and teacher was famous William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo.
Excerpt from the introduction by T. Nelson Downs:
Nearly thirty years ago, when I first met Dr. Ervin I was not only greatly impressed with the man himself, but also the type of magic he stood for. During the passing years this impression has become increasingly strengthened. To me the words "Ervin" and "subtle ingenuity" mean one and the same thing, for I have been privileged to share the greater part of his choicest magical inventions during a long period.
As per the old proverb,...
Mark has been working close up commercially for over 25 years and in that time he has gradually amassed experience of working in a huge variety of venues and working situations. Exactly how to cope with everything that the modern day close up worker encounters requires thought, planning and expertise if you really wish to do it well, and in this book he has tried to give as much real world advice as he can to help make your job that much easier.
There are 8 chapters of highly detailed advice on all aspects of commercial close up, the chapter headings being:
The Professional Worker Series is a selection of targeted and focused ebooks which offer professional, sound advice on a number of key performance areas. The ebooks are written in an easy to understand style which cuts out all the waffle and padding, and instead gets right to the core of each subject.
Volume 3 in this series takes a close look at what is required to work commercial magic at a table side. It's probably true to say that more opportunities are available for close up magicians to work at a table side than for any other form of close up. From big dinner functions with large numbers...
This is a little gem for collectors. Thurston produced a series of 50 tricks which were distributed in candy boxes. These are all tricks for beginners with largely common objects. They are very well described in a clear format (ghostwritten by Walter B. Gibson). First the title, then a block of illustrations followed by the trick description. That was followed by the sections "What You Need", "How To Do It" and "What To Say". Even a very young magician can follow these instructions and learn some neat tricks:
This can be the most powerfully deceptive steal or vanish in your thumb tip arsenal. No, it is not the Slydini Back Steal or the Vernon Kick Steal.
"This is the best 10 minutes of thumb tip magic ever! Thank you so much Hal." - Kim Fitzpatrick
The Ultimate Angle Proof Vanish video is by far the number one video download I have ever offered on the thumb tip. This is an incredibly deceptive, under your nose steal or vanish for not just a silk, but anything you can possibly fit in a thumb tip. Performed slow and with no wacky hand movements or gestures or crazy sleights; I believe this is the best...
The whiteboard bat is a paddle with whiteboard surfaces that allow you to write or draw pretty much anything on it with an erasable marker. This allows you to customize the classic paddle trick to your heart's content. Ian Adair developed this idea in the 1970s from an older version that used a blackboard material and chalk. In this ebook you will find loads of ideas what to do with it.
Note that no paddles are included with this download. But it is not too difficult to make these yourself from self-adhesive whiteboard material.
This is an excellent but often overlooked primer on magic.
Excerpt from the introduction:
This book marked the culmination of a twelve-year period in which I contributed dozens of articles to magical magazines, conducted daily columns on puzzles and simple tricks, plus a weekly series of fifty magic lessons for Howard Thurston, then America's leading stage magician. In it, I covered all phases of magic then current, from simple tricks to large illusions, updating them to the present with an eye for the future.
Paul Fleming wrote:
We believe we have said enough to justify the statement, . ....
From the introduction:
Before the young conjurer sets out to try and entertain his friends he should first devote a little time every day to practice. I always believe in a little practice every day. Every trick that one is going to present should be rehearsed over and over again until one is practically tired of it. When the conjurer knows a trick in that way he finds, when he is presenting it to an audience, that he is by no means tired of it, because the trick goes so well that he is bound to like it and it probably becomes one of his favourite tricks.
It is a bit odd to teach productions of lighted cigarettes in a book for young conjurers, but perhaps those were the days when smoking was considered good for you.
From the introduction:
That brings me to another point. Don't be afraid of a mistake, and don't allow yourself to be discouraged by one. The best men make mistakes sometimes. Still, it is as well to guard against mistakes by rehearsals. Take one trick at a time and go over it many times until you know it thoroughly. Then - and not till then - go on to another trick. In this way you will soon build up quite a little store of...
A fantastic ebook on theatrical magic, the psychology of magic, and numerous routines explained in detail.
Enjoy some new tricks — pocket tricks that you can make yourself, card tricks you can do with anyone's deck of cards, stage routines with various magic props that you can make.
This is the first of a series of writings by U. F. (Gen) Grant and Frank Lane, who formed a partnership in the writing magic books.
1st edition 1935, PDF 31 pages.
Nicely illustrated routines of a full-time performer.
From the introduction:
"Why don’t you write a book on Magic?" I have been asked this question hundreds of times in the past several years, and my answer has been that I am too busy, or that I wanted to be the only Magician who did not write a Magic Book!
However, I have taken the time from my hundreds of shows en route each season to conduct a monthly column in TOPS Magazine and to write many articles and tricks for the Sphinx, Genii and Linking Ring. So when I was requested to compile all the tricks I had formerly written for these magazines...
As Harry Leat writes in his introduction, the tricks in this book are not pocket tricks, but ones which rely on some clever piece of apparatus. Some of his ideas are ingenious and have never been published before. Harry Leat was quite a character and it shows in his creations and ideas.
1st edition, 1923, Harry Leat, London; 111 pages.
Clowns perform magic. The only difference is the size of the magic and the illusions themselves. I work both as a clown and a magician. I was asked to share some of the materials I use to teach new clowns. This ebook introduces three classic magic tricks, offers routines to get you started, and is illustrated to show the various manipulations. All items pack small, do not take up much space in your pocket and can be found at very reasonable prices.
"It's a thing of beauty. Everything is covered and I believe it might be one of the best purchases magicians can make today. You cover everything in detail and it's a pleasure to watch. - Olivier Boes
I want us to reimagine and revolutionize our tipistry. Tipistry means breathtaking thumb tip handling ability, competence, proficiency, and mastery. If we can pull this off, you'll also skyrocket your confidence with a thumb tip.
My methodology is to perform close up, with no weird or wacky moves. I just perform slow and deliberate with handling and moves that defy logic.
The Thumb...
While we all intuitively understand what time is, even a child can tell you what time it is, it is a hard concept to fully understand from a scientific point of view. It is hard to define, and wrap your head around. That is part of the intrigue of making it the topic of a magic effect. Particularly for an interested and sophisticated audience it can be a very effective plot line. Jon Racherbaumer explores how magicians have made use of it over the decades, and he has unearthed some remarkable gems.