Magic & Mentalism: page 4

The best way of learning new things is doing them. Magical Experiments or Science in Play is a fascinating collection of kitchen tabletop experiments with everyday household goods. Many of which have a 'magical' twist to them, in the sense that it is not quite clear to the unfamiliar observer how these tricks are performed, or what the physical mechanisms behind them are. More than 150 experiments are described with gorgeous lithographs. This book was originally written in French and later translated to English. This in itself is proof of quality; otherwise, the translation would not have been...

Two things are noteworthy. One, it is a must read book for magic theory interested. Two, it has a 20 page bibliographical index of card tricks. This includes sleights as well. Anybody doing research on card moves or routines should have this index. It makes searching a lot easier. And this index might point you to interesting books you have not heard about or which are not in your possession.

Paul Fleming wrote:

This is my favorite magic book. The reason for this is that it was a groundbreaking book at the time it appeared and its contents is excellent. It was the first magic book that had photos instead of drawings or engravings throughout. And the contents is fantastic. It is one of the few books with a large chapter on chapeaugraphy. Add to this great chapters on shadowgraphy, plate spinning and paper folding. A large part is devoted to card magic, magic with coins, balls, and handkerchiefs, and much much more. If I would have to select one book this would be it. It is a book not many people...

A great little book from a great author. It is similar in style to the Hoffmann trilogy, though not as exhaustive. It covers the spectrum from little table tricks to grand illusions.

1st edition, 1901, Penn Publishing Company; 244 pages.

Table of Contents

5. Preface
11. I. Introduction
    14. The Dress
    15. The Table
    16. The Servante
    18. The Wand
    19. Concluding Observations
26. II. Principles of Sleight of Hand Applicable to Small Objects
    26. Palming
    29. Le Tourniquet
    29. The Finger Palm
    31. To Change a Coin
33. III. Tricks with Coins
    33. Magical Production of a Coin
    33. A New Coin Fold
    34. Coin and Candle
    35. The Invisible...

The inventor of "sawing a lady in half" has written quite an interesting book. It covers a good range of topics. Particularly the inclusion of fringe fields to magic, such as juggling and black art, makes this book unique. Certainly this is mainly a magic book, so tricks with handkerchiefs and balls are many to be found as well as several interesting illusions. This book is in one other respect quite different to other books. The table of contents is in alphabetical order. So Selbit has kind of combined contents and index - interesting.

1st edition, 1901, Marshall & Brookes, London; 188 pages....

Thirty Card Mysteries is the most important work Charles T. Jordan published. Several card moves and ideas are credited to Charles T. Jordan. The most well-known one is the Jordan Count. In this book, he details moves like a single card reverse or half pack reverse. He describes spelling tricks and the effect Coluria is probably the first magical use of a bracelet code (much more on this binary code can be found in Leo Boudreau’s work).

1st edition, 1919, California; 48 pages.

Table of Contents

1. Preface
2. Introduction
3. Trailing the Dovetail Shuffle to its Lair.
6. 1. Close-Range...

This booklet is actually two booklets in one: Four Full Hands of Card Tricks and Four Full Hands of Down to the Minute Magical Effects. These were originally printed in 1921 and 1922 on large sheets 25 x 19 inches. Later in 1947 LLoyd E. Jones reprinted this material.

1st edition, 1921, Charles T. Jordan; reprint, 1947, Lloyd E. Jones, Oakland; 40 pages.

Table of Contents

5. Foreword
7. Hand No. 1
7. Impromptu Card Tricks
7. 1. The Master Stop Trick
8. 2. Improved Satan's Phrophecy
10. 3. The Vanishing Pair
10. 4. The Four-To-One Detection
11. 5. The Assistance Card Trick
13. Hand No. 2
13. An Impromptu Routine ...

This is number two of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. It has contributions by T. Nelson Downs and Louis C. Haley.

1st edition, 1920, Penngrove, California; 23 pages.

1. Preface
2. The Amazing Aces.
5. Transposition Extraordinary. T. Nelson Downs.
8. The Straight-Jacket Reversed Card. Louis C. Haley.
10. The Triple Escape.
12. Reverse English on the X-Ray.
14. The Stabbed Pair.
15. The Brain Twister.
17. The Winged Cards.
19. The Spelling Fool!
21. The Suits Unscrambled.

This is number four of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. At one time Jordan prepared and sold faked cards and routines that went along with them. When he stopped doing this he decided to select the ten best faked card tricks and collect them in this booklet. You get the description of how to prepare the faked cards yourself as well as the routines.

1st edition, 1920, Penngrove, California; 24 pages.

2. Preface.
3. The Spirit Aces.
6. The Spook Card.
7. The Demon Color Change.
10. A Unique Reverse.
11. Divino.
13. Joker Monte.
14. Pedro Monte.
16. Speaking of Pink Elephants.
19. The Contrary Clock.
22. Transcendental Vision. ...

This is number five of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series with contributions by Dr. E. G. Ervin and Louis C. Haley. It includes some of the most popular effects formerly marketed singly by Jordan.

1st edition, 1920, Charles T. Jordan, Penngrove; 23 pages.

2. Preface
3. 1. The Mesmerized Alarm Clock
4. 2. A Silk Production From Empty Hands
6. 3. The Bewitching Umbrella
8. 4. The Vanishing Coin
10. 5. Paper Tearing Supreme
12. 6. New Coin Trick
14. 7. The Psychic Ring Release
16. 8. The Impromptu Mind Reader
20. 9. Up Your Sleeve
21. 10. The Mystic Knife

This is number one of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. It assumes you are familiar with some basic sleights like the Pass and the Palm.

1st edition, 1920, Charles T. Jordan; 24 pages.

1. Preface
2. 1. Satan's Prophecy
5. 2. The Spirit Mathematician
7. 3. Co-incidentally
10. 4. The Pinochle Ace Trick
12. 5. The Vanishing Card
14. 6. The Reversed Court Card
15. 7. The New Pack Detection
17. 8. The Life Saver
20. 9. The Impromptu Arranged Pack
23. 10. The Five Guesses

This is number three of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. Charles Jordan was an excellent and very innovative magician. He collected in this booklet tricks with balls, ring and rope, thimbles, a book mystery and more.

1st edition, 1920, Charles T. Jordan, Penngrove, CA; 23 pages.

1. Preface
2. 1. The Cord Restored
5. 2. A New Ring Release
8. 3. Coin Divination by James J. Moren
10. 4. Another Date-Reading Trick
12. 5. The Ubiquitous Poker Chips
14. 6. The "Full-View" Color-Changing Thimble
17. 7. The Letter-Mailing Mystery
19. 8. A Clean Ball Production
21. 9. A Manipulative Opening
22. 10. The Book Mystery

A little booklet with 12 great card tricks. And the price - a steal!

1st edition, 1934, Max Holden; 12 pages.

2. Sleight of Foot
3. The Voice Betrays
4. The Puzzler Card Trick
4. Card in Pocket
5. The Obliging Card
6. The Joker Tells
7. Cards Behind Back
8. Mind Control
9. A Clever Spelling Trick
9. Another Spelling Trick
10. The Reversed Card
10. Mental Forecast
11. Advertisement

This is a reprint of the sections dealing with card magic from Professor Hoffmann's Modern Magic. There are however six new pages (four in the front and two in the back) which are entitled "Canfield's Expose". These six pages expose scams such as 'short changing', the 'soap game', the 'spindle game', ...

Reprint is too kind a word, rip-off is more appropriate since this was an unauthorized republication of Hoffmann's material. Also interesting to note is that the correct spelling of Herrmann is with two r's and two n's, the book title however only shows one n. Probably a deliberate error to avoid legal troubles. (Information...

After writing Later Magic, Professor Hoffmann intended to follow it with a fourth book. However, advancing age and other engagements compelled him to abandon it. Nevertheless, he wrote this volume, which is not really a part of his trilogy, but functioned as a place to put the material he already collected. A few Hartz items in this book have already been dealt with in Later Magic. Otherwise the content is new.

It is interesting to note that although Hoffmann writes in the preface to Magical Titbits that he abandoned the book which should have followed Later Magic,...

Latest Magic is the last book in Hoffmann's series Modern Magic, More Magic and Later Magic. Hoffmann had quite some problem finding a publisher for this book. The reason being the quality of the contents. When Modern Magic came out, it explained new tricks and tricks which were performed at the time. Thus it was indeed 'modern'. It is also without a doubt the best book in the series. Latest Magic describes Hoffmann's own creations and deals with a magic which was already considered old-fashioned. From a historical perspective, it still makes quite an interesting...

It is the third volume of the Hoffmann trilogy. The 1911 edition was expanded by almost 200 pages with the chapters 'New Miscellaneous Tricks' and 'Recollections of Hartz the Wizard'. This expanded 1911 edition is what you will get here. 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
• [lp=111 The...

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
• [lp=121 Modern...

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...

Some regard this book as the bible of coin magic. And it is indeed packed with moves and tricks. To be precise, there are 116 coin sleights and 236 coin tricks. If you consider adding a coin trick to your program look no further. This is the book for you. Any other book about coins references this one.

Paul Fleming wrote:

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.

Table of Contents

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

Mysterious Mr. Yu or Haldane of the Secret Service is a story (film script) to one of Houdini's own movie creations. It features Houdini as Haldane, a secret service agent who fights an evil ring of counterfeiters, interwoven with a love story.

1st edition, 1921, Harry Houdini; 6 pages.

In Miracle Mongers and their Methods, Harry Houdini turns a critical eye to wonders such as 'The Incombustible Spaniard' or 'Defiers of Poisonous Reptiles'. The timeless fascination with miracles and astonishing claims makes this classic as timely as when it was originally written.

1st edition, 1920, Dutton; reprinted, 1980, Cole; reprinted, 1981/1993, Prometheus; 240 pages.

Table of Contents

1. I.Fire worship. - Fire eating and heat resistance. - The Middle Ages. - Among the Navajo Indians. - Fire-Walkers of Japan. - The Fiery Ordeal of Fiji
17. II.Watton's Ship-swabber from the Indies. -...

Paper is a fascinating product. Being the son of a paper maker (my father worked many years for a paper manufacturer) I developed early on a fondness to paper. And Houdini's Paper Magic is all about paper. Tricks with paper, paper folding, paper tearing, and paper puzzles. It seems today paper folding was replaced by balloon modeling. I have only seen once an act entirely based on paper tearing. Maybe this ebook version of Houdini's Paper Magic inspires one to build an act around paper. This book is definitely a good start. The Modern Conjurer has also an excellent chapter on paper...