Magic & Mentalism: page 6

The section contributed by Mr. H. C. MOLE, an enthusiastic amateur of Aintree, Liverpool, is a complete programme in itself, being a practical explanation of an illustrated Lecture delivered by Mr. Mole before the Northern Magical Society at Liverpool, in October, 1914. The programme is unique in that it consists of acceptable items not requiring executive skill or manipulative practice.

My own section consists of various useful ideas and suggestions of such a variety calculated to interest every performer whether amateur or professional.

The chief requisites for success in the performance of the black art is manual dexterity and self-confidence; nimble fingers and a cool temper. Any one who exhibits feats of legerdemain, will do well to remember that one of the best methods of diverting the attention of the audience from the action of your fingers, is to keep talking; the more diverting your talk, the less attention will the audience give to your manipulation of the object...

This is a book on close-up magic. The effects described in this book are not only mystifying but vastly entertaining. I know they are practical and popular, because I do them all the time, and I love them. Some of the effects in this book were originally published in different magic magazines like Magigram, Mantra etc. While re-writing them for this book, I have updated the effect, handling and presentation, based on my experience of performing them several times, to make them more interesting and entertaining. Even readers who may have read the original versions will find something...

It is true that most of the ideas we get are from the books, Magazines etc. but many such ideas are left in a corner as they are difficult to prepare or the materials are not available. Whenever I get such ideas, I think of ways to make them easy and possible for performance.

In this assembly of D. P. uses, Bruce Posgate has discovered how it can be effectively used in a variety of ways. I am sure the reader will wonder why he never thought of these things himself and how he could have been so stupid as to consider it a one-trick prop—strictly for the birds.

Coins, cards, beads, colored liquids, clocks, cigarettes, balloons and even mathematical magic may seem too wide a range of lid-loading stuff to please some, but I am sure the...

My real forte is, I think, being able to take a couple of standard effects and shove them together and get a bit of a different effect. I also enjoy reading old magazines on Magic and reviving some of the good things that have been covered in dust for years. Who said, if you want to keep an original idea secret, publish it in a magazine? Truly, many real gems can be unearthed by plowing through old books and magazines.

I do not claim that this book is full of novel notions which are mind boggling and which will set the magic world ablaze. But I must say, keeping modesty aside for a moment, that the contents are all 'practical goodies'. Not always very original, but their dressing has fetched me laughs, applause, rewards,...

Here is a bunch of my creations in the field of intimate type close-up magic, that I have been using for long in my close-up work. In fact, many of the tricks in this book have been published earlier in Abra, and Magigram. However due to repeat performances, these have been further polished, and the articles are rewritten for this book, including these improvements.

Some people perform magic and some people are magic, but very few possess both of these qualities. I believe that the contributors to this book are genuine exceptions. It was Derek Lever who suggested to me that I should write this book. At first I was a little apprehensive about approaching my friends as I didn't want to feel that I was exploiting their status. I really shouldn't have worried as all the people featured in this book were more than happy to oblige - they have all been very generous in contributing some of their best material.

This little manuscript of choice effects I fondly dedicate to my dear friend, Louis Lam of Holland, a magician, gentleman, and writer. I am indebted to him for many of the fine effects contained herein. Effects which magicians will find choice magical morsels for immediate introduction into their programs.

Why this book on restaurant magic? There are several reasons why any book is written - money, ego, sincere desire to pass on knowledge discovered or acquired. All are valid reasons and, being related to the author, are very personal.

But this book falls out of the ordinary since it was not the author's idea in the first place but resulted from the demands of friends. After the initial suggestions, however, the project unfolded...

Do not cultivate quick movements; at the same time it will never do to be painfully slow; but endeavor to present your tricks in an easy-going, quiet, graceful manner. It is generally understood that “the quickness of the hand deceives the eye,” but this is entirely erroneous. It is impossible for the hand to move quicker than the eye can follow, as can be proved by experiment. The deception really lies in the...

No, my ever so constant and indefatigable readers, this book contains no marvels, but merely the practical effects of men who conjure, men who think and men who achieve, in contradistinction to the dreamers who dream.

I said just now that there was nothing startling in this book; but there is some very good Magic. The "Snowman" takes my fancy. True, it makes use of plaguey and never-sufficiently-damned tubes. The peculiar stringing of a pack of cards which you will find on page - (How can I tell on which page it will eventually appear!) is alone worth the...

Remember, I beg of you, as you read this book, that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and have hope within you, that you may discover herein the very item your frousty programme lacks. Believe me, the age of miracles has not ceased.

And you, critics, reviewers and turnip-munchers, bestir your jaded parrots in praise of this book, but whether you boom it or burst it, consider also this: that all the secret subtleties, the cute little, quaint little moves, the tricks of affectation and of style, all the glory and delight of accidental discovery,...

The first volume of this never-to-be-too-much-praised series of pragmatical, pneumatical and windy problems I published for love; the second for fame, the third for a wager, the fourth from habit and this present one which you now hold in your much too shaky hands, for money.

Alas, it is so with all enthusiasm and desire: something fades. But, I promise you, this is not the last you will hear of me. Be frolic then, and delve into and dig out from herein the information you so much desire; but I pray that you may not discover from whom I borrow my preliminary thunder. ...

It is entirely possible that this excellent book should never have been published - not like this; anyway, not for general sale.

There are two kinds of magic books, you know. The kind they give away with the box top off a breakfast cereal, and this kind of book, which tells explicitly and with pictures - so the reader can really get the hang of them - valuable secrets of professional magic. In brief, I'm sorry that this one is so very good but I'd be honestly sorrier if it were bad.

At the outset it should...