Published 1800-1899 in Magic & Conjuring: page 2

On the covers you will find:

• Sargent
• Soto Sunetario
• Stevenson
• Robert Ankele
• Leon Herrmann
• J. Burlingame of Chicago
• Adrian Plate
• Albert E. Smith - the popular Lyceum prestidigitateur
• Prof. Samri S. Baldwin
• Francis J. Werner
• T. Nelson Downs
• Marshall the Mystic 136 pages
  125. Mahatma - Volume II, Number I - July 1898 - 8 pages
  125. Sargent - biography
  126. Manchester Notes - news
  126. Boston News
  126. Is Magic Dead - Sargent, The Merry Wizard
  127. Spiritualism - F.D. Hewes
  127. News of the Day
  128. My First Performance as a Star - tory by J.W.
  128. Postal Card Trick
  129. Wine and Water Trick
  129. New Vanishing Performer...

On the covers are:

• F. Robert Lanskail
• John Hamley
• John Henricks
• Hal Merton
• C. Milton Chase
• John Whalen
• Zanzic
• Walter G. Peterkin
• Ellis Stanyon
• The White Yogi
• J. Witt Dougherty

Note: Page numbers refer to those in the PDF files when the collection was assembled. Originally each issue began with page 1.

253. Mahatma - Volume III, Number I - July 1899 - 12 pages
253. F. Robert Lanskail - photo & cover story
254. New Card Tricks - Elliott
     • New Card Reading
     • Mystic Flight of Card
254. The Modern William Tell - Chas. L. Burlingame - continued
256. Juggling Tricks - Wm. E. Robinson ...

After a lengthy introduction, it describes and explains the performances of the muscle-reader Mr. Brown. It also describes and explains the performances of the brothers Outerbridge whose purpose it was to prove that these types of experiments are based on muscle-reading and not any other mysterious mental forces.

This talk was given before the Social Science Association on May 12th, 1875.

Persifor Frazer was an interesting character. For example, he was internationally respected as an expert on handwriting. He devised a process for detecting forgeries through composite photography, leading...

Every generation a magician comes along, whose intention is to record magic in an encyclopedic fashion. Professor Hoffmann was the first in recorded history to attempt such a feat with his trilogy Modern Magic, More Magic, and Later Magic. Certainly many magic books have been published before him, mostly copying from each other. But none reaches the depth and breadth of Prof. Hoffmann's work. The material in these three books records the state of the art of magic in the late 19th century. Today we know more tricks and we have also refined our techniques and methods. But it is astounding how much was already known...

This is the second volume of the Hoffmann trilogy. If you liked Modern Magic you will love More Magic. There is too much to list. Refer to the 'Table of Contents' below for details. This book was rated one of the ten basic books for a working library of conjuring by H. Adrian Smith, historian, collector and owner of the largest private magic library in his time. Other books in this top 10 list are

• Magicians' Tricks by Henry Hatton and Adrian Plate
• The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase
• The Art of Magic by T. Nelson Downs
• Modern Magic by Prof. Hoffmann
• Later Magic by Prof. Hoffmann
• The Modern Conjurer by C. Lang Neil
• Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant
• Tarbell Course by Harlan Tarbell
• Greater Magic by John Northern Hilliard

New Era Card Tricks is the masterpiece of Roterberg's publishing efforts. Scholars are pretty sure that the elusive Erdnase must have known and read this book. It is still today an extremely good and important work on cards. It is a book any serious card man should read. This is to a large part the foundation on which a lot of the later card work has been built. A good part of this book is essentially a translation of the German work Der Moderne Kartenkünstler by Friedrich W. Conradi. Richard Hatch wrote a wonderful introduction that by itself is worth reading. He starts:

The subtitle reads: Containing explanations of all the tricks and deceptions with playing cards. Tricks with cards performed by skillful manipulation and sleight of hand; by the aid of memory, mental calculation, and the peculiar arrangement of the cards; by the aid of confederacy and sheer audacity and tricks performed by the aid of ingenious apparatus and prepared cards. The whole illustrated, and made plain and easy.

The first section of this book is identical with the card section in The Secret Out.

• PARLOR TRICKS WITH CARDS
  • General Rules for Amateurs
• PART I: TRICKS WITH CARDS PERFORMED BY SKILFUL...

The type of 'mind-reading' George Beard means here is what we today call muscle-reading, which is a term that Beard himself coined. Beard describes several experiments he conducted and describes very clearly the physiology of muscle-reading, and that it is an involuntary muscle contraction that has nothing to do with animal magnetism or thought transference.

1st edition 1877; PDF 10 pages.

A complete handbook of legerdemain, containing all the latest optical, chemical, mechanical, and magical tricks and deceptions, amusing transmutations, astonishing sleights and subtleties, together with all the noted tricks of modern magicians and prestidigitators.

If you always wanted to make a mouse come out of a pack of cards, change salt to sugar, or make fire burn under water, this may be just the book for you. The author only identifies himself as 'An Old Conjuror'.

Excerpt from the publisher's preface:

This is the first catalog Roterberg issued, titled: "Descriptive Catalogue of the Latest European Novelties in Magic, Second Sight, Anti-Spiritualism".

Noteworthy here is that Roterberg states that he corresponds not only in English but also German, French and Volapük - a universal language created by the German catholic priest Johann Martin Schleyer in 1880.

1st edition ca. 1894, 20 pages.

The title page reads: "Superior, New and Standard Conjuring Tricks, Spiritualistic Manifestations and Books on Conjuring."

Particularly noteworthy are the pages in the back where he reprints quotes and praises from customers who have read his books including John Northern Hilliard and Harry Kellar.

1st edition ca. 1898, 76 pages.

A collection of simple and effective experiments illustrating chemical, physical, and optical wonders.

Published by the Offices of the Chemist and Druggist. 42 Cannon Street, London.

• ANCIENT AND MODERN CHEMISTRY
  • 'The Four Elements'
  • Collecting Gases
• EXPERIMENTS WITH THE GASES
  • Oxygen
  • Nitrogen
  • Hydrogen
  • Experiments With Hydrogen
  • Composition Of Water
  • Making Gas From A Bottle
  • A Model Gas Manufactory
  • Inextinguishable Flame
  • Gas Balloons
  • Musical Flame
  • Musical Tubes
  • Carbonic Acid Gas
  • Carbonic Acid Gas From The Lungs
  • Combustion And Respiration
  • Decantation Of Gases
  • Weighing...

This is an all time classic with 57 beautiful illustrations. It is one of the most complete books written on magic, because it teaches both stage and close-up magic (cards, coins, silks, cups and balls, etc.), technique, presentation, and all the peripheral skills necessary for great conjuring.

"I beg to say that it is far and away the very best work of its kind ever published" - Harry Kellar

"My den contains a large collection of books on magic, but none has a cover so worn as 'Sleight of Hand' by Edwin Sachs." - David Devant

This is quite an interesting relatively early book on card moves, tricks and cons. It was published in 1877. Some believe that the author C. H. Wilson could be the elusive Erdnase, the author of The Expert at the Card Table, because the S.W.E. Shift is explained in The 52 Wonders.

Chapters are:

• Chapter I: The Double and Single Passes
  • The Long Pass
  • The Short Pass
  • The Magic Pass
  • The Rolling Pass
  • The Grand Pass
  • The Invisible Pass
  • The Vizard Pass and Change
  • The Circle Pass
  • The Dovetail Pass
  • The Single Short Pass
• Chapter II: Miscellaneous Passes
  • The Elbow Pass
  • The Side Pass
  • The Monte Pass
  • The Table Pass ...

A collection of graceful arts, merry games, and odd tricks, intended to amuse everybody and enable all to amuse everybody else. Full of suggestions for private theatricals, tableaux, charades, and all sorts of parlor and family amusements. With nearly 150 illustrative pictures.

In the days without the Internet, TV, or even radio, people entertained themselves. This book covers all kinds of things one can do from arts and crafts, little plays, simple conjuring tricks, and other activities.

1st edition 1866, 302 pages; PDF 157 pages.

From the introduction:

The record of a career famous for adventure and vicissitude, and in which the jester won more tricks than the gamester.

• Preface
• Chapter I: Birth And Early Peregrinations
• Chapter II: Becoming A Patron Of The Pasteboards
• Chapter III: Early Times On The Mississippi
• Chapter IV: Getting A Sobriquet And Meeting Great Men
• Chapter V: The Turnpikes, The Packets And The Inns
• Chapter VI: Initiated In The Sons Of Malta
• Chapter VII: From The Green Mountains To Pike's Peak
• Chapter VIII: With The Bold Soldier Boys
• Chapter IX: The Fraternity Of Gamesters
• Chapter X: To Point A Moral And Adorn A...

• TRICKS WITH CARDS
  1. How To Make The Pass
  2. The Long Card
  3. To Produce a Particular Card without Seeing the Pack
  4. To Call for Any Card in the Pack
  5. The Changeable Ace
  6. The Convertible Aces
  7. The Gathering of the Clans
  8. Everybody's Card
  9. Forcing a Card
  10. The Card hit upon by Guess
  11. Ups and Downs
  12. To Tell The Card That A Person Has Touched With His Finger
  13. The Card Discovered by Touch or Smell
  14. Confederate Cards
  15. The Ten Duplicates, or Cards in Couples
  16. The Turn-Over Feat
  17. The Nerve Feat
  18. To Tell The Number Of Cards By The Weight
  19. To Change the Card by Word of Command
  20. The Card in a Mirror
  21. The...

• Chapter I: Introduction
• Chapter II: Dress, Table, Wand, Apparatus, And Stage
• Chapter III: Tricks With Handkerchiefs
• Chapter IV: Palming, Passing, And Changing Coins, Rings, And Small Articles
• Chapter V: Tricks With Coins Not Requiring Apparatus
• Chapter VI: Coin Tricks Requiring Apparatus
• Chapter VII: Tricks With Cups And Balls
• Chapter VIII: Tricks With Rings
• Chapter IX: Tricks With Hats
• Chapter X: Tricks With Watches
• Chapter XI: Tricks With Dice And Dominoes
• Chapter XII: Tricks With Electricity
• Chapter XIII: Miscellaneous Tricks
• Chapter XIV: Spiritualism And Mesmerism

1st edition...

This is a lovely old-school children's story about a pig named Grunter Growler, his life on a farm, his animal as well as human friends, and his success winning 1st prize as the most beautiful pig in the country.

The interesting part for conjurers is that Grunter meets Toby the Learned Pig which includes a description of a typical performance of Toby. Those who study and research learned pigs might find it interesting. All learned pigs in England were named Toby. It is therefore not clear which Toby was the model for this description.

• Preface
• Chapter I. Introductory
• Chapter II. Our...

A series of letters, between an unidentified friend and his correspondent (William Frederick Pinchbeck) comprising of how to train a pig, invisible lady and acoustic temple, philosophical swan, penetrating spy glasses, several magic tricks, such as how to catch a bullet, and reflections on ventriloquism.

This book includes the first known description of the "Eight Kings" card stack.

1. Method of teach the Pig – from Letter I. to IX. See also Letter V. Appendix
2. Principles of the Acoustic Temple – from Letter IX. To XIV. See also Letter II. Appendix.
3. A Demonstration of the philosophical...

Familiar and scientific explanation of legerdemain, physical amusement, recreative chemistry, diversions with cards, and of all the minor mysteries of mechanical magic, with feats. As performed in public by Herr Alexander, Robert Houdin, "The Wizard of the North," and distinguished conjurors of all ages and nations.

• PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT.
• PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION.
• PART FIRST. MINOR TRICKS FOR SOCIAL COMPANY.
  • SECTION FIRST. Arithmetical ingenuities.
    • I. How to divine the numbers remaining in a sum which some person has thought of.
    • II. How To Find 6 Times 13 In 12
    • III. A comic dilemma.
    • IV....

A fairly detailed work on the rules and variations of draw poker. Also includes some advice on how to play the game successfully. This work includes Robert C. Schenck's rules for draw poker.

• PREFACE
• CHAPTER I
  • Introduction
  • The Element of Chance
  • The Question of Stakes
• CHAPTER II
  • Technical Terms
• CHAPTER III
  • The Order of Hands
  • The Straight
  • The Blaze
• CHAPTER IV
  • Rules of Draw Poker
  • The Limit
  • The Ante
  • The Straddle
  • The Deal
  • Betting Before the Draw
  • Discard and Draw
  • Betting After the Draw
• CHAPTER V
  • Jack Pots
  • Incidental Jack Pots
  • The "Buck"
  • Progressive Jack Pots
• CHAPTER VI
  • Freeze Out
• CHAPTER...

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...