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Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms
A Handbook for Conjurers
Like theatrical presentations, conjuring is an art of illusion. A magician skilled in the craft is able to convince an audience that he or she can read minds, communicate with the spirit world, make objects appear or disappear and perform other acts of of seemingly genuine magic.
Without having mastered the art of presentation or "showmanship" however, even the most competent sleight-of-hand artist can fall short in performance. With this in mind, noted authority Henning Nelms goes beyond the basics to show how techniques developed for the stage by playwrights, directors and actors can heighten the dramatic effect of a magician's performance.
In this instructive book, Nelms analyzes every phase of conjuring-from sleights, devices and illusions to misdirection, controlling the audience's attention, incorporating "patter" and the effective use of assistants. Of particular interest is a chapter on body language, posture-positioning and movement. Also included are some 60 original routines-from simple card tricks to such major illusions as having the performer suddenly appear at stage center.
Indispensable as an instruction manual for novices, this how-to-guide, enhanced with nearly 200 of the author's illustrations, will also serve as a lasting source of advice and inspiration for veteran conjurers.
322 pages, 191 figures, Paperbound
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Magic Tricks & Card Tricks by Wilfrid Jonson
Here are two excellent books for the beginner interested in learning to perform magic and card tricks, bound together in one convenient volume.
Both approach the art of conjuring in a business-like manner, grounding the novice in fundamentals and leading him gradually to a surprising mastery of some 80 different tricks involving cards, coins, matches, tumblers, handkerchiefs, rings and various other articles associated with legerdemain. The art of presenting magic for the spectator's entertainment is given special emphasis.
Magic Tricks explains impromptu deceptions like Coin Through the Hand, Flying Dime, Down Your Sleeve and studied mysteries like Counting Chalk, Bill in the Egg, Kling Klang and Afghan Bands-35 in all.
Card Tricks teaches you how to perform Card in the Pocket, Turn Over, Hypnotism, The 13 Principle, Eight Kings and some 40 others, along with easy methods for false shuffling, palming, the glide, prepared cards and many similar techniques.
190 pages, 89 illustrations, Paperbound.
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Magic A Picture History by
Milbourne Christopher
This is unquestionably the most profusely illustrated history of stage magic ever published.
It traces developments and transitions in the art of conjuring from the time of the Pharaohs up to the present, and presents this panorama through a diverting and unusual array of photographs, lithographs, woodcuts, engravings, drawing, handbills, posters and even copies of sketches from the walls of ancient buildings.
These illustrations-taken from Mr. Christopher's private collection of magic memorabilia, the largest of its kind in the world-are very rare and many are unavailable elsewhere. They offer a unique glimpse of costumes, stage settings and apparatus used by performers at various times; the ingenious advertisements they had printed and distributed; portraits of the magicians by leading portraitists of the day; programs and decorative fans distributed as souvenirs during performances; and satirical broadsides that were passed around the streets when certain pompous showmen were ridiculed. Some of the illustrations are paintings by famous artists, such as Hieronymous Bosch, William Hogarth and Peter Breughel.
There probably has never been another profession-as this book makes one realize-whose members have been such consistently amazing personalities, offstage as well as on. Dedi, the Egyptian wizard who was the first to "decapitate" an ox and make it whole again; Johannes Brigg, who did unbelievable tricks with cups and balls, though he had no legs and only one hand; Philladelphia the wonder worker, who once departed from Berlin in spectacular fashon (he left through each of the four city gates at exactly the same second); Robert-Houdin, "the father of modern magic," whose magic quelled a rebellion in Algeria; John Henry Anderson, whom Houdini called "the greatest advertiser in the history of magic" (he sent moulds to dairymen so that parts of butter with his likeness greeted families at breakfast); Patrizio, who caught cannonballs fired from artillery in the main square of Havana; the legendary Harry Houdini, who escaped from every confinement the imagination could devise-these are only a few of the many magicians whose careers are illustrated here.
This book is a pleasure to read and look through; the text teems with lively anecdotes about the wizards themselves and the illustrations are an unfailing delight. Anyone interested in magic, costuming, stage setting and design, ethnology and psychology, or anyone who simply likes to read about interesting people or see unusual prints and engravings, will want to own this book.
224 pages, 295 illustrations, Paperbound
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Magic Stage Illusions,
Special Effects and Trick Photography Compiled and Edited by Albert A.
Hopkins
This book is one of the great magic classics, the standard work on stage illusions, special effects and trick photography.
This truly remarkable book has page after page of explanations for classic stage illusions, conjurers' tricks, ancient magic, stage scenery effects, automata and curious toys, and photographic diversions. All described in complete detail, many of these illusions and tricks can be recreated by the talented reader; the more elaborate effects are of great historical interest.
You will find here behind-the-scenes information on illusions performed by such great magicians as Robert-Houdin, Bautier de Kolta, Heller, Herrmann, Maskelyne and Kellar; how jugglers, acrobats, fire eaters, sword swallowers, ventriloquists and mentalists achieve their effects (including a complete unveiling of Robert Heller's famous "second sight" routine; details of puppet shows among the Greeks, the machinery of temples, magical pitchers, perpetual lamps, and more ancient magic; descriptions of techniques for producing stage effects such as a sunrise, stars, wind, thunder, lightning, snow and more, and specific effects from operas and shows such as the swan in Lohengrin; the scientific apparatuses in automaton chess players, the money maker, the electrical race course, and other automata and toys; and the simple principles behind trick photographic effects, magic photographs, composite photographs, chronophotography, etc.; plus additional tricks like "The Trunk Trick" and "Metempsychosis," and much more.
One of the best books ever written on these areas of magic, this book is unsurpassed in the range and clarity of its text. Illuminating many of the ingenious illusions even more, and giving superb reproductions of actual effects, are over 400 exceptional illustrations. For the serious student of magic, this is an essential and absolutely fascinating volume.
556 pages, 446 illustrations, Paperbound.
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This is a reprint of a valuable long out-of-print book on the subject of magic, self-promotion and comedy, under the guidance of David
Ginn.
Published over 81 years ago, this little booklet offers the self-booked entertainer the essential elements of promoting his or her act and getting paid engagements. According to Byron Walker in his introduction, Syrl Dusenberry's advise is as current now as in 1923, and the performer wishing to be a commercial success would be wise to heed these suggestions."
Enjoy reading this . . . and learn!
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Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic
From one of the world's premier practitioners of classic magic, with years of experience instructing younger readers in the magical arts, comes this new revision of his complete guide to learning and performing fantastic feats of prestidigitation. Acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as "the text that young magicians swear by," it's full of step-by-step instructions. More than 2,000 illustrations provide the know-how behind 300 techniques, from basic card tricks to advanced levitation, along with advice on planning and staging a professional-quality magic show.
Pages: 472 | Format:
Paperback
ISBN: 0762414553 | Page
Size: 8-5/8 x 11 inches
Illustrations: More than 2,000
black-and-white illustrations
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More than seventy impromptu tricks with matches!
Restore a broken match before the eyes of your audience. Make another match spontaneously burst into flames. Mysteriously extinguish the flame by blowing in the opposite direction. Bring matches to life by making them levitate or fly. Make a box of matches move around like an acrobat and a book of matches do somersaults under their own power. Perform these and dozens of other mystifying magic tricks, funny hags, and solve spellbinding puzzles and stunts all with ordinary matches.
45 pages, illustrated, Paperback
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Mathematics Magic and Mystery by Martin Gardner
Why do card tricks work? How can magicians do astonishing feats of mathematics mentally? Why do stage "mind-reading" tricks work? As a rule we simply accept these tricks as "magic," we seldom recognize that they are really demonstrations of strict laws based on probability, sets, theory of numbers, topology and other branches of mathematics.
This is the first book-length study of this fascinating branch of recreational mathematics. Written by one of the foremost experts on mathematical magic, it summarizes, with considerable historical data and bibliography, all previous work in this field; it is also a creative examination of laws and their exemplification, with scores of new tricks, new insights and new demonstrations. In this volume, for the first time, dozens of topological tricks are explained and dozens of manipulation tricks are aligned with mathematical law.
Non-technical, detailed and clear, this volume contains 115 sections discussing tricks with cards, dice, coins, etc.; topological tricks with handkerchiefs, cards, etc.; geometrical vanishing effects; demonstrations with pure numbers; and dozens of other topics. You will learn how a Moebius strip works, how a Curry square can "prove" that the whole is not equal to the sum of its parts and lots more.
No skill at sleight-of-hand is needed to perform the more than 500 tricks described. Mathematics guarantees their success, they will work for anyone. Mathematics Magic and Mystery includes detailed examinations of laws and their application permits you to create your own problems and effects.
174 pages, 135 illustrations, Paperbound.
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Misdirection is the single most important element of any magic. Using subtle techniques a good magician can plainly reveal the secret behind a magic trick to an audience, yet not a single person will see it. This is the power a magician can have when he has mastered misdirection. This book, devoted entirely to the subject, is a must for anyone interested in performing magic like a professional.
60 pages, illustrated, Paperback
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This is the book that founded the reputation of Jack Carpenter back in
1992, establishing him as one of the shining new lights of quality
sleight-of-hand card magic. The magic in Modus Operandi was fresh
and exciting when it appeared, and it remains so.
In Modus Operandi Jack Carpenter shares the first mature fruits of
his invention, developed through years of thought and performance. The
contents collect both card magic, gambling exhibitions, original sleights
designed to fool the fastest card-room company (and your audiences),
all designed to elicit pure astonishment. This is capped with an essay on
modern cheating methods, providing surprising information that will make
your presentations more factual.
Modus Operandi offers progressive sleight-of-hand card magic that
will excite and challenge card workers of all levels—and will amaze and
impress your most discriminating audiences! Long out of print and
sought after, we have printed another 500 copies, which won't last long.
Clearly written by Stephen Hobbs, and illustrated by Kelly Lyles.
175 pages , Hardcover
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More Card Manipulations (Series 1-4) by Jean Hugard
Illustrated Directions On How To Do Over 120 Card Tricks and Stunts
Jean Hugard, besides being a master performer, was also one of this century's most gifted writers on magic. Through his writing he brought the literature of magic up to a new professional level.
This book, continuing the carefully worked out descriptions begun in Card Manipulations, adds another 120 flourishes, sleights, tricks and manipulations to the magician's repertory.
Among the many manipulations and sleights are forces, passes, glides, color changes, top and bottom changes, the Herrmann pass, the "Cottone" snap productions, the Grote instantaneous palm, the Carlyle false count, double lifts, false cuts, controls, shuffles and much more. Tricks using these manipulations include story tricks, spelling and counting tricks, tricks for small audiences, tricks used in the professional acts of such magicians as Frederick Braue, R.M. Jamison, Paul Curry, Walsh and Haber and Joseph Cottone and tricks perfected or first described by Hugard.
For each manipulation, sleight or trick, the author first describes the effect to be produced. Then, in a combination of clear, detailed descriptions and drawings, he tells the exact method needed to achieve the desired effect. Alternate methods, tips, histories, and an analysis of possible trouble spots make it easy to develop the tricks for a perfect performance.
205 pages, fully-illustrated, Paperbound.
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More Self-Working Card Tricks by Karl Fulves
88 Foolproof Card Miracles for the Amateur Magician
Card magic has captivated man for many centuries. Today, it remains the most popular area of legerdemain, accounting for half of all tricks performed by magicians.
Now Karl Fulves, noted writer in the field of magic, has compiled a new treasury of foolproof card tricks, the definitive sequel to his popular Self-Working Card Tricks. This book contains a wealth of new material-captivating and baffling card wizardry that will amaze your audience and astonish even accomplished magicians.
Fulves shows you how to perform such classic card maneuvers as Miraskil, The Open Prediction, Flip Top and The Jaks Two-Deck Trick. Clear, easy-to-follow directions, complemented by 96 instructive illustrations, help guide the novice through each trick.
Chapters on special areas of card magic and technique include:
Impromptu Card Tricks
Telephone Tricks
Riffle-Shuffle Setups
Two-Deck Card Tricks
Telepathy With Cards
Gambling Secrets
Neither great dexterity nor long hours of practice are required to master tricks offered in this collection-all succeed instantly by virtue of the step-by-step instructions.
Discover how this rich assortment of self-working tricks will mystify and delight friends and relatives-anyone intrigued by the ancient appeal of "card magic."
136 pages, 96 illustrations, Paperbound.
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Mulholland's Book of Magic by John Mulholland
Described by critic Edmund Wilson as "a topnotch magician-and one of the world's leading authorities on professional magic," John Mulholland was not only one of the most brilliant magicians of the 20th century, but at the time this book was first published, he was the only magician to be listed in Who's Who in America.
In this classic guide, he reveals many of his best-kept secrets, explaining what magic is and why it works, offering practical tips on practicing and how to avoid errors and stage fright.
At the heart of the text are detailed, easy-to-follow instructions for performing scores of tricks. Would-be magicians will soon be astounding friends, family and even large audiences with such card tricks as The Hungry Jackass-a feat that makes use of any easy memory device; seemingly extemporaneous tricks such as The Bread Winner, in which a coin vanishes and reappears inside a roll; tricks especially created to entertain youngsters; magical thought transference and other intriguing stunts such as Beelzebub's Letter, in which a letter mailed yesterday contains a coin borrowed today!
None of these tricks require sleight-of-hand; but you will need such common objects as a deck of cards coins, rings and string, paper napkins, matches and a dollar bill. Practitioners will find they can master some feats in just a few minutes after reading the instructions. Other tricks can be learned in an hour, or at most, after a few hours of practice.
352 pages, 72 illustrations, Paperbound.
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