An original blurb read: Tragic Magic containing original magical sketches, tricks, some humour, and many interesting items that will grip you.
From The Sphinx: And here is another one that awakens my cereberzation - Harry Leat's Tragic Magic. Here is a book of 122 pages of the queerest conglomeration of sense and non-sense, good magic and irrelative matter - yet relating to magic - that has yet crossed my rugged editorial path. The table of contents lists 42 items, and I advise the purchaser of the book not to skip a single one of them. I do not know why the book is named Tragic Magic, for the magic...
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.
After Tarbell finished his 60 lesson Tarbell Course he decided to continue with post-graduate lessons. The name post-graduate stems from the fact that Tarbell sent out graduation diplomas for all who followed along his 60 lesson course. To my knowledge he only published one such post-graduate lesson. If you know about more such lessons I would be delighted to hear from you.
1st edition, 1926, Tarbell System Inc., Chicago; 33 pages.
The Magic Art is a book very much in the style of the Hoffmann books. It describes in particular the tricks invented or used by Mr. Holmes. Tarbell calls this book 'excellent' in the Tarbell Course. Holmes was a prolific author who wrote several other titles as well. In this volume he deals with all kind of props from pill boxes to cards, coins, handkerchiefs, gaffed glasses and the list continues.
Paul Fleming wrote:
In 1920, Donald Holmes announced his intention of writing a series of books which were to form "a complete library on the Art of Magic." Unfortunately, he abandoned the undertaking (for what reason we do not know)...
Today we have the Masked Magician exposing magic secrets. Eighty years ago it probably was done by writing a book without the author's name given. I do not know if this book falls in the category 'exposure'. It certainly is a book that clearly reveals a lot of interesting tricks. One is the bullet catch. It has nearly 200 excellent photographs. Card and coin manipulation is dealt with in great detail. Overall a very good book. The photographs are the outstanding part.
A review in the March 1909 Sphinx states:
"The Art of Modern Conjuring" is an anonymously written work on "Drawing Room...
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 know about. But you...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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 been already dealt with in Later Magic. Otherwise the contents 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, he authored in 1918 a book called Latest Magic which according to the...
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 dealt with a magic which was already considered old fashioned. From a historical perspective it still makes quite an interesting read.
1st edition, 1918, Spon & Chamberlain, New York; 2nd edition, 1919; 222...
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
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
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...
The collaboration of T. Nelson Downs and John Northern Hilliard produced this wonderful book. Downs was the first to introduce an act with small objects onto the vaudeville stage. He was most famous for his coin manipulation, and in particular for his version of the "Miser's Dream". The Art of Magic covers sleights with cards, coins, and balls, and teaches many tricks and routines with detailed explanations from the master.
The card section in this book was epoch making. It features the first appearance in print of the side steal. Based on the number of pages dealing with card magic this is more a card book than...
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. It is a magnificent book featuring tricks from Germain, Conradi, Goldston, Okito, Elliott, and others. It is very difficult to get a hardcopy these days. Other books in this top 10 list are
Paul Fleming wrote:
In 1910, Henry Hatton, a well-known writer on magic, and Adrian Plate,...
This booklet doesn't deserve the name 'booklet', because it is packed with many wonderful effects using small objects, from cards and coins, to ropes and silks and everything in between. There is also a nice section on vesting and sleeving. Jean Hugard is one of the outstanding teachers and authors in magic. My friend Chuck has been vanishing an orange for the last forty years in much the same manner that this booklet reveals how to vanish a dinner plate. He also remembers reading of Blackstone Sr. performing some of these stunts. Whenever the author is Jean Hugard - read it!
Paul Fleming wrote:
Close-Up Magic is...
Reginald Scot intended his Discoverie of Witchcraft as a sensible argument disputing the existence of witches. It also features a small section on magic. The magic section starts with Booke 13 and Chapter 22. You will find rich full accounts of charges against witches, witch trials and practice of the black arts. Further, interviews with convicted witches, excerpts from inquisition, astrology, alchemy, charms, the names of demons, angels and other "words of power", spells, rituals, sabbats, biblical and Egyptian magic, and more. The Discoverie remains a much quoted primary source for those interested...
Dieses Buch ist für den jungen angehenden Zauberkünstler geschrieben. Es ist in einem netten Dialog verfaßt und lehrt dem jungen Zauberkünstler alle wichtigen Lektionen. Einige Kunststücke sind recht schwierig und nicht unbedingt für den Anfänger geeignet. Die zweite Hälfte des Buches widmet sich dem Schattenspiel und dem Puppenspiel.
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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.
The official byline read: The standard texbook on how to become a magician. Sleight-of-hand..."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
The Tarbell Course is without a doubt the most comprehensive and most encompassing magic literary work in existance today. It has almost 1300 pages and nearly 2900 illustrations. It covers practically every form of magic: sleight of hand with cards, coins, thimbles, cigarettes, silks, ropes, ..., up to mentalism and illusions. It goes beyond the mere technique and teaches patter, routining, marketing and other often neglected facets of being a magician. There is no other book which comes even close in breadth and depth of the material covered. It is amazing that since the late 1920s nobody has...
This is the sequel to 200 Tricks You Can Do.
published 1927 by George Sully and Company; published 1939 as one volume together with "200 More Tricks You Can Do" as "400 Tricks You Can Do" by Blue Ribbon Books; 186 pages
This book shows that Howard Thurston, sometimes refered to as the World's Master Magician, knew a lot about the Close-up side of magic, not just stage magic. He explains tricks with coins, cards, balls, matches, paper, ... There is something for everybody - easy and self-working tricks for the beginner, and more advanced ones for the intermediate skilled performer. Make sure to also check out More Tricks You Can Do
published 1926 by George Sully and Company; published 1939 as one volume together with "200 More Tricks You Can Do" as "400 Tricks You Can Do" by Blue Ribbon Books; 200 pages