The Modern Wizard
by August Roterberg

Roterberg was a dealer, but he also wrote excellent magic books - four altogether. The Card Tricks and how to do them is an excerpt from New Era Card Tricks. So actually he wrote only three books. The Modern Wizard was his first one. It explains tricks with silks, eggs, glasses, billiard balls, coins, candles, pill boxes and more. Roterberg has a very efficient style of describing a trick. He supplies no patter or other fluff, but still manages to explain a trick thoroughly. He packs 68 tricks or methods into merely 120 pages. He closes his book with the chapter "The Art of Magic" where Roterberg gives a crash course in how to be a good magician. See magic as a true form of art, don't give away the secrets and work hard on perfecting your skills.

1st edition, 1896; 123 pages.

5. Billiard Ball and Handkerchief
5. Enchanted Billiard Ball and Glass of Water
6. Glass Ball and Handkerchief Trick
8. A New Billiard Ball Trick
10. Another New Billiard Ball Trick
11. Changing Red and Black Billiard Balls
12. Ball and Orange Trick
12. Chameleon Billiard Ball
14. Handkerchief, Which Changes Color
18. Glass Box, Handkerchief and Paper Cone
22. New Changing Handkerchief
23. First Method
24. Second Method
26. Third Method
26. Spirit Handkerchief
28. Flag and Candle Trick
30. Simplified Parasol and Handkerchief Trick
31. Vanishing Handkerchief Tube
34. Changing Handkerchief Tube
35. New Vanishing Handkerchief
36. Handkerchief Productions
37. First Method, Extra Finger
38. Second Method, Finger Shell
40. Third Method, Pocket in the Seam
41. Fourth Method, Improved Hand Box
42. Fifth Method, Rubber Ball
42. Sixth Method, Latest Hand Box
43. Seventh Method, Hand Bag
44. Eighth Method, Wand
45. Ninth Method, Coat Lapel
46. Tenth Method, Cache
47. Eleventh Method, Prepared Handkerchief
50. Lemon, Handkerchief and Hat Trick
52. Vanishing Egg
53. Egg and Handkerchief Shot
54. Enchanted Glass and Egg Trick
56. New Egg Glass and Handkerchief Trick
57. Production of Eggs
57. First Method
57. Second Method
58. New Eggs from the Mouth
59. Vanishing Egg and Bag Trick
60. First Method
61. Second Method
61. Third Method
62. Fourth Method
66. Wine and Water Transformation
66. First Method
67. Second Method
68. Third Method
69. Fourth Method
70. Water of Cana
71. Wine or Water
72. Chameleon Liquids
73. Glass Which Fills Itself
75. Transformation of Paper Shavings into Coffee and Milk
75. First Method
76. Second Method
77. Accommodating Glass
79. Separation of Wine and Water
80. Improved Coin and Orange Trick
82. New Ball of Wool Trick
83. New Aerial Treasury
85. Coins Disappearing from the Plate
86. Bewitched Glass and Coin
87. Aerial Coin
88. Coins, Hat and Plate
90. Appearance of a Bouquet
90. First Method
90. Second Method
91. Third Method
92. Fourth Method
92. Handkerchief, Soup Plate and Flowers
94. Flower Production from the Wand
95. Disappearing Flower Basket
95. Tambourine and Ribbon Trick
99. Enchanted Candles
100. Revolver Shooting Trick
102. Production of Ribbons from the Finger Tips
103. Watch, Glass and Handkerchief Trick
105. Watch and Pill Boxes
107. Black Hand and the Spirit Rings
109. Enchanted Colored Sands
110. Sieve and Water Trick
113. The Art of Magic