$7(1 review, 14 customer ratings) ★★★★★
#3 in Illusions, Escape & Stage top-rated
This book has an excellent illusion section, a decent chapter about escape artistry and also a fairly large trick section with all kinds of routines with cards, silks, ... The really good part are the illusions. You will find several clever ideas. Will Goldston was himself a craftsman and illusion builder. He can therefore write with authority.
1st edition, 1908?, George Routledge & Sons, London; 259 pages.
- Introduction
PART I - TRICKS
- New Card Catching on Plate
- The Floating Disc Mystery
- The Devo Torn Card
- The Hildyard Target and Cage Illusion
- The Handkerchief and Sword
- A Dancing Doll
- Two Good Bird Cages
- The Devo Card Trick
- The Burnt Handkerchief Restored
- The Candle and Handkerchief Illusion
- The Chameleon Handkerchiefs
- The Mahatma Card Divination Illusion
- The Wedding Ring Passed Through a Handkerchief
- The Magic Cone
- The Pistol to Vanish Cards
- The "Sybil" Bird Cage Illusion
- The Mahatma Paper and Cigar Trick
- The Vanishing Bird Cage
- Novel Flag and Candle Illusion
- Crystal Box and Handkerchiefs
- The Vanishing Canaries and Cage Trick
- Another Canary Cage
- A Good Coin Illusion
- Novel Flag or Handkerchief Trick
- The Chinese Egg Bag Trick
- Card and Bouquet Illusion
- The Mystic Travelling Ring
- An Improved Organ Pipe Production
- Canary Bird Trick
- New Multiplying and Disappearing Coins
- The Nelson Downs Coin and Scale Effect
- The Lee Bullet Illusion
- Cards, Coins, and Glass Illusion
- The Sybil Key Mystery
- An Improved Torn Card Trick
- A New Coin Frame
- A Sensational Card Trick
- The Adrian Plate Changing Billiard Ball and Handkerchief
- The Robertson-Keene Novel Cabinet
- The Duplex Flower Pot Illusion
- The Tricolour Flower Basket
- Effective Coin Vanish
- Indian Jugglery
- Coloured Sands of Enchantment
- New Programme, Ring, and Envelopes Trick
- Spirit Writing
- The Mystic Celery Glass
- A Novel Trick
- The Wine Bottle and Card Trick
- A Novel Slate Trick
- A Neat Handkerchief Trick
- The Egg, Card, and Wand Balance
- The Table Lifting
- A Good Slate Trick
- Slate Writing
- The Novel Jug and Tub
- Wonderful Walking Egg
- Twenty-Five Balloons Produced from Hat
- Mystic Canister and Birdcage
- Handkerchiefs Produced from Glass
- The Egg and Straw Balance
- Handkerchief Spinning Trick
- The Candle and Mystic Bouquet
- A Good Glass Bowl Trick
- Billiard Balls and Cue
- Tao-Li-Tao
- The Marvellous Clock Dial
- The Duck Cylinder
- The Secret of Paper Tearing Trick
- The Vest Servante
- Lifting a Bowl of Water
- The Vanishing Halfpence
- The Flying Coin
- The Penny Through the Hat
- The Coin in the Bottle
- The Improved Servante Tray
- Improved Vanishing Glass Tumbler
- Vanishing Handkerchief Produced Dry from a Glass of Wine
- The Hypnotized Wand
- The Four Sympathetic Lady Friends
- The Card and Cigarette Trick
- The Milk, Wine, and Flag Mystery
- The Three Wonderful Cards
- The New Card Trick
- Dr. Elliot's Method of Dealing Seconds
- A Novel Flower Fêke
PART II - HANDCUFF, BOX AND SACK TRICKS
- Sack Trick
- The Mokana Shoe
- A Manacle Mystery
- The Bean Handcuff Trick
- The Figure 8 Handcuff Trick
- A Handcuff Trick for Test Work
- The "Bean Giant" Cuff
- Latest and Best Fêkes to Open Regulation Handcuffs and Leg-Irons
- How to Fêke Ordinary Handcuffs
- The Celebrated Trick Collar and Bolt
- A New Regulation Police Cuff
- Escape from Zinc Lined Barrel
- The Handy Pocket Fêke for Regulation Irons
- New and Improved Fêke
- Original Packing Case Mystery
- Escape from Packing-Case made by Local Carpenter
- How to Open Handcuff Without a Key
- The Rope Trick
- The Goldston Packing-Case
- The Barrel Illusion
- The Escape from the Iron Trunk
- Escape from Milk Can Securely Padlocked, Containing Three Parts Water
- Improved Iron Cage
- The Improved Packing Case Mystery
PART III - STAGE ILLUSIONS
- The Mysterious Cross
- The Vanishing Performer Trick
- Queen of Knives
- The Bodiless Lady Illusion
- The Ball and Plank Mystery
- The Pillory Illusion
- Silent Second-Sight Act
- The Astounding Cremation Illusion
- The Escape from "Sing-Sing"
- The Stroubeika Illusion
- The Talking Skull
- The Morrit Cage Illusion
- The "Goldston Aga" Illusion
- The Laurie Cabinet Illusion
- Famous Ducks and Tub Illusion
- An Instantaneous Exchange
- The Lady and Scale Illusion
- A Good Cage Illusion
- Improved Vanishing Lady and Cage Illusion
- The Hewes Levitation
- A Novel Box Trick
- The Mysterious Head Illusion
- A Great Levitation
- The New Tub and Paper Bag Illusion
- The Artist's Dream
- The "Bungalow" Illusion
- The Sudden Appearance of a Lady in an Empty Box
- The Mystery of L'Hassa
- The Flower Maiden Illusion
- The Latest Plant Growing Mystery
- The Magic Kettle to Hold Liquor
- The Real "Aga" Illusion
- Where, Oh! Where Have They Gone?
- The Vase of Ink and Gold Fish Illusion
- The Birth of Flora
- Dematerialization
- A Variation
- Conradi's Mysterium
- A New Card Stunt
- A New Knotted Handkerchief
- The Problem of a Glass of Water
- The Flying Handkerchief
- The New Cut and Restored Ribbon
- The Best Method for Loading a Tambourine
- Quantities of Coins produced by the Handful from Two Hats
word count: 48915 which is equivalent to 195 standard pages of text
Reviewed by Don Jarrard (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★ Date Added: Friday 19 August, 2022Mostly illusions covered in other old books. There are some winners like the escape ideas not taught by Abbottsmagic. Most illusions you will not build. Same with the small stuff. You will find a few tricks to use. For the price not bad.