Illusions, Escape & Stage in Magic & Mentalism: page 1

Table of Contents

3. Content
4. Introduction
4. The Hindu Needle Mystery
7. Oriental Productions
8. The Indian Basket Trick
9. The Hindu Mango Tree
10. Flowers by Request
12. The Wonderful Fertiliser
14. The Hindu Turban
16. Sands of the Desert
18. The Chinese Rings

1st edition 1931; 23 pages.

Table of Contents

3. Content

   Audiences

4. Children's Entertainments
6. Church Socials
6. Smoking Concerts
7. Hotels

   Stage Presentation

7. Technique of Stage Magic
9. Music and Magic
10. Getting Volunteers on the Stage

    Stage Illusions

11. Stage Illusions
12. The Vanishing Ghost
14. The Bathing Beauty
15. The Haunted Sentry Box
16. Walking Away From Your Shadow
17. The Floating Lady
22. Performing Animals Regulation Act 1925

1st edition 1931; 23 pages.

Table of Contents

3. Content

   Publicity Feats

4. Introduction
4. The Blindfold Drive
6. Under Water Escape
7. The Living Burial

   Escape Tricks

9. The Mail Bag Escape
10. Paper Bag Escape
11. Straight Jacket Escape
11. Upside Down Escape
12. Regulation Handcuff Escape
12. Packing Case Escape
14. Unprepared Packing Case Escape

15. The History of Magic (part 8)

1st edition 1931; 18 pages.

Table of Contents

3. Content
4. Enchanted Rickshaw
4. Walking Through a Window
5. The Death Penalty
7. The Living Cremation
8. Cheating the Hangman
9. The Flying Huntsman
11. Vanishing Carload of Girls
12. The Scrap Book
13. The Sword Box
15. The Devil's Cage
18. Sawing Through a Woman

1st edition 1931; 22 pages.

Two volumes and amongst the most valuable to the young performer who wants really practical professional advice right from the start. Alan Alan is one of the world's most highly paid escapologists and without revealing his very closest secrets he explains how the simplest stunt or effect can be built up into a great money-making act.

An extract from Alan Alan's death defying escape from a burning rope hanging over a cage of fierce lions is also included and completely analysed detail by detail by Alan Alan. Slightly muffled sound quality but the content is worth its weight in gold for anyone...

Self-levitations have been recently popularized by street performers like David Blaine and others. U.F. Grant as usual was way ahead. Here you will find a lovely self-levitation as well as four other easy to build levitation apparatus.

If you are into levitations you should also check out Modern Levitations by U.F. Grant.

14 pages

3. Contents
4. Introduction
5. Uncanny Self-Levitation
7. Casket Asrah
10. Girls In The Air
11. Easy-Do Board Suspension
13. The Floating Head Illusion

Five easy to build and practical levitations by the creative master of thrift, U.F. Grant. One could even be called an impromptu levitation because most supplies are available in a typical household. Every levitation is illustrated.

Paul Fleming wrote:

Although published anonymously, this was very likely written by U. F. Grant. 19 easy to build illusions.

4. Atomic Sight
5. The Bunny Girl Illusion
7. Chen Lee’s Laundry Bag Illusion
9. Flat Model Head Vanish
11. The Gate - Way Illusion
13. Ghost & Witch
16. Resista
18. The Miracle Dove Act
20. Modern Sawing Thru A Girl
22. Nu-Way Doll House
24. Nu-Tronic Spirit Cabinet
26. Shooting Thru A Girl
28. Spot-Lite Girl Vanish
30. Superior Dove Vanish
32. The Girl In The Balloon Illusion
34. Torture Of A Princess
38. The Victory Girl Production
40. Witch's Broom & Rope Illusion
42. The Zig Zag

Although the original title of this manuscript is "Close-Up Floating Light Bulb", this is not a close-up effect but a stage effect. The method would not allow you to perform this in an intimate close-up setting.

With the aid of a hoop you let a light bulb float, rise and descend.

6 pages

This is a beautiful and professional illusion. The effect is stunning and would fit into any Las Vegas type illusion show presented by headliners such as Lance Burton, Copperfield or Siegfried and Roy.

This ebook tells you how it is performed and how the apparatus works. However, this is not an easy illusion to build. This ebook does not include detailed blueprints you can immediately work from. You will understand how it works and you do get some very good illustrations, but you will need experience building illusions to actually build this.

1st edition 2008; 15 pages.

Including R. C. Buff's original routine for the Floating Walking Stick and Lewis Ganson's routine for the Dancing Walking Stick. This was part of the famous Ganson Teach-In series originally published by Supreme Magic Inc. Rights are now owned by Martin Breese whom we thank for the kind permission to reproduce this booklet.

[Get the full collection of all 17 Teach-Ins at a huge discount.

1st edition 1977; original 27 pages; PDF 34 pages.

4. Contents
5. The Floating and Dancing Walking Stick
5. The Stick Dances
7. The Stick Floats
9. The Floating Walking Stick
9. - "The Balance"
10. - The Floating Moves
10. - The Stick Rises And Falls
12. - The Stick Floats ...

Supreme moves, Will Ayling's routine, Luis Gavilondo's "Sacred Sun Ball". Photographed and written by Lewis Ganson. This was part of the famous Ganson Teach-In series originally published by Supreme Magic Inc. Rights are now owned by Martin Breese whom we thank for the kind permission to reproduce this booklet.

[Get the full collection of all 17 Teach-Ins at a huge discount.

1st edition 1977; original 35 pages; PDF 44 pages.

4. Contents
5. Introduction
6. Supreme Moves
6. - Requirements
6. - Set-Up
8. Performance
8. - The Get-Ready
9. - The Ball Rises
10. - The Ball Rises Into View
11. - The Ball Floats Along The Arm
11. - Around The Body
12. - The Ball Suspends...

If you are looking for a detailed and informative plan to fabricate a deceptive base then Base Planning is the right ebook for you. On 25 pages with over 70 detailed diagrams and photos Aaron Chee describes everything clearly. Base Planning is suitable for beginner builders or professional builders. Even if you are not a builder Base Planning will guide you from scratch to the end product. The ebook covers: safety issues, positions and conditions, design and measurement, type of base, construction and finishes.

"The base planning ebook by Aaron Chee is one of the finest ebooks on illusion...

Stan Kramien has toured one of the countries largest and most successful Illusion Shows for many years. Magicapades, Magicazam, the Mad World of Magic, and now Shazam! After playing thousands of dates he has written a primer of success in the Illusion Show Business.

Stan's ebook takes you through his life story where he sets the stage for his life as an illusionist. For the first time anywhere Stan divulges patter for many of the illusions.

Kramien's patter for the levitation alone is worth more than the cost of the ebook.

He tells you how to start and routine a full evening show....

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....

Imagine being able to make your friends car vanish into thin air. You can also make their car appear or change with these methods using no large props what so ever. In fact chances are you already have everything you need to perform this trick so it'll most likely cost you nothing.

I want to be completely honest about the limitations and strengths of this trick. So here are a few questions I feel I'd be most likely to get about this trick.

Is it practical?
Yes and no would be my answer to that question. It's unlikely that you'll perform this trick on a regular basis although it is possible....

The Arabian Tent Illusion was created by Gen Grant, explored in Mark Wilson's Course in Magic and marketed by Creative Magic. It presents a unique palette on which to design an illusion theme. The flat framework panels present a rectangular peaked "house" structure that can be painted in any of myriad designs. This ebook explores many design concepts for this illusion and presents here original artwork and routines. The routines are completely planned, and employ a variety of techniques that use the Arabian Tent to produce and vanish characters and objects in original plots. Some involve simple re-decoration...

Few people consider paper, cardboard and carton high-tech products, but they are. Go visit any paper factory and you will find out that some of the largest and most complex manufacturing machines in operation today are paper machines.

Since my father worked for many years for a paper manufacturer, I have learned to respect paper from a very early age. This is part of the reason why I am so excited about this e-book. It describes 12 stage illusions which you can build entirely from carton. Carton is inexpensive, easy to work with, light weight, pretty durable and packs flat. These are characteristics...

This booklet covers a good selection of Houdini-style escape illusions. Among others you will learn how to escape from a safe or vault or trunk. It teaches several rope ties, how to pick locks and how to escape from handcuffs. This is a worthwhile addition to your escapology library.

24 pages.

1. Preface
3. No 1: A Great Handcuff Trick
5. No 2: Escape From A Safe Or Vault
6. No 3: The Vanishing Assistant
7. No 4: The Crack Marksman
8. No 5: The Marvelous Levitation Act
9. No 6: The Excelsior Rope Tie
11. No 7: The Wonderful Trunk Escape
12. No 8: Escape From 75 Feet Of Rope
13. No 9: The Siberian Chain Escape ...

This is a very clear description of how to build a Houdini-style Sub Trunk from readily available parts. Matt added several clear photos to illustrate various stages and subassemblies. If you have never built an illusion or if you don't know the secret of this classic trick, you will find this ebook very useful.

1st edition, 2004

This book has an excellent illusion section, a decent chapter about escape artistry and also a fairly large trick section with all kinds of routines with cards, silks, ... The really good part are the illusions. You will find several clever ideas. Will Goldston was himself a craftsman and illusion builder. He can therefore write with authority.

1st edition, 1908?, George Routledge & Sons, London; 259 pages.

3. Introduction

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   PART I - TRICKS
9. New Card Catching on Plate
10. The Floating Disc Mystery
11. The Devo Torn Card
12. The Hildyard Target and Cage Illusion
14. The Handkerchief and Sword
16. A Dancing...

This is one of the best books by Houdini, because here he writes about something he really knows a lot about. With many of his escapes he had to be very familiar with the knots he was tied up. This book has many good illustrations and several photos where Houdini himself demonstrates certain ties. It is a great collector item as well as source of information. If you can only buy one book by Houdini, by this one.

1st edition, 1920, Will Goldston Limited, London; 80 pages.

4. Photograph - Ira E. Davenport and "Houdini".
5. Foreword
8. For Opening of Rope Act
11. A Simple Release
12. The Kellar Tie ...

Houdini shines in this book. Handcuffs are his passion. He knows every little detail about them and every nuance in their mechanism. Houdini was not a particular good magician, but as an escape artist he is still unsurpassed. Thus, if you would like to know more about handcuffs and their inner workings, this book is for you.

1st edition, 1909, George Routledge & Sons, London; later reprinted by Magico Magazine, New York; 110 pages.

9. Preface
1. I.Introductory
8. II.Opening Sealed Handcuffs
13. III.Blunders of some Handcuff Exposers
25. IV.Fake or Spoof Manacle
33. V.American Manacles
42. VI.French Letter...

Chuck Smith writes: "Twenty-four illusions as mysterious to audiences today as when they were performed years ago. Most are so easy to construct and execute that a teenager could do them. I know because I, as a student in highschool, built and entertained with several of them. A couple of three fold screens and a large sheet gives you the material for several of the illusions. Recently in a magic periodical I saw an ad for an illusion that looked extremely familiar. It was selling for over $5000. It's method, I'm sure, had it's roots in Grant's Super-Fine Suspension on pages 27-28 of this book....I...