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I had a dream a few months ago, I was doing a show and performed a predition with a really beautiful reveal. When I woke up, I really loved the effect but unfortunatly the dream missed out one vital part, the method. I've been thinking on it ever since, going over books, trying to work out a method but I've not been about to come up with anything that I'm happy with. Not until today. I was just moving an old box of props when I spotted a little something that I'd made up years ago from Mark Wilson's Complete Course. I suddenly realised, with a slight change, that was exactly what I'd been hunting for.

So, if you're ever stuck for a method don't forget those basic books that you think you know inside out, there might just be that little gem hiding away in there that you've forgotten.

Where's the "Like" button when you need it

My son Mike, swears by the old and not quite so old books.
He keeps finding methods neglected and often forgotten by today's magicians,

In between University studies he pours over:
Professor Hoffmann' Modern Magic, More Magic, Later Magic & King Koko
Will Goldston's Exclusive Magicial Secrets, More EMS and Further EMS, plus several other Goldston books.
The Rupert Howard Course In Magic
Some of the Ellis Stanyon material
Walter Gibson's earlier works
Dunninger
Corinda's 13 Steps.
Annemann's Practical Mental Magic.The Jinx.
Tarbell Volumes 1 to 8. Tarbell Companion. Tarbell Study Guide
Many of my childhood magic books from 50 Best Conjuring Tricks, Norman Hunter & Bert Douglas
Showmanship & Presentation by Edward Maurice.
The Fitzkee Trilology: Showmanship For Magicians, Magic By Misdirection, The Trick Brain
Milbourne Christopher's Illustrated History Of Magic. Panorama of Magic (now re published as; Magic-A Picture History
amongst many others including old and newer magazines
Plus the books on Programmes that Magicians presented rogrammes Of Magicians(, J.F Burroughs--Magical Night At The Theatre by Charles Waller & Gerald Taylor, Max Holden's Programmes of Magicians, 101 Magic Great Acts, Tony Taylor & the great Reviews of Full Evening Shows, first published in Genii, with photos--Arnold Furst's, Famous Magicians Of The World & Great magic Shows. These cover everone ffrom Dante, Kalanag, Carter, Levant to John Calvert, Houdini--and many more--ALL actually seen by Arnold Furst. 2nd hand copies are around
plus slightly more up to date authors as
Val Andrews--my late great friend
Roy Johnson-- another friend. The RJ Experience, Second Time Round, Third Dimension,Final Call, Silver Special, Pure Gold & Roy's Lecture notes
Eddie Burke's incredible range of Mental Magic
Barrie Richardson's Theatre Of The Mind. Act Two
Basil Horowitz's 4 books on Mental Magic
Al Baker's material
Quality Magic and Magic Of Okito.
The Robert Albo Book--Oriental magic Of The Bambergs
and many more.....the list is nearly endless---My 28 main book shelves get emptier by the week!!

I have brought him up on:
BOOKS; which he loves as much as his Dad has always done.
Here is the Real Knowledge.
You can develop many an original idea and presentation from READING.
It makes you think for yourself. And you study at your own leisure!
And is it not-- easier to turn back a page or two to remind you of what you've read.
Much easier than operating an electronic control to scroll back and forth!!!

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS he will receive: The 21 bound volumes of Hugard's Magic Monthly, some old bound Abras, Edwin's 4 Books, and The Harbin Book (Magic Of Robert Harbin)

DVDS/VIDEOS.. Very useful for storing material, CHECKING a sleight, a handling -- BUT NOT to COPY EXACTLY what is on them or that magician's style & presentation
AND ABOVE ALL--*** Seeing (MOST IMPORTANT) performances of magicians who have the polish, the style and the originality***
SOMETIMES to see How it Should NOT be done!!
Allen Tipton

Yet another priceless thread, thank you one and all - it's now a sticky and deservedly so!

Couldn't agree more.

Though my wife might disagree - but only because of the growing amount of space the magic library takes up, rather than any actual disagreement with the concept

Two not in Allen's long list:

"Amateur Magician's Handbook" by Henry Hay
And the book which I keep plugging - "Modern Magic Manual" by Jean Hugard

Barry

Had them both Barry but given as were over 100 more to young magicians years ago.
And the list I have put in is about one eightth of the amount of books sent to my son.
He is now having to build more shelves.!!!

Allen Tipton

Great advice!

One of my fave books is Karl Fulves' "Self Working Mental Magic" - full of lovely stuff.

MatCult wrote:
One of my fave books is Karl Fulves' "Self Working Mental Magic" - full of lovely stuff.

All his books are excellent. As well as the SW series, I can recommend "Easy Magic" and the "Big Book", both published by Dover. Some of his ideas made me take a sharp intake of breath when I first read them.

Barry

magicofthemind wrote:"Amateur Magician's Handbook" by Henry Hay"
Barry

IMHO "The Amateur Magician's Handbook" is probably the worste titled book ever published and anyone who purports to do magic, and has not read it, deserves to have their 'fundament' kicked very hard. Next to the Herb Z (and if you don't have a table,) it contains the best, in the hands, false shuffle known to man.

Alcolophon--I understand what you mean re Henry Hay' title.

But in 1947 when the book was first published--the word 'amateur' was an honourable word.

Henry Hays first book was titled 'Magic' by Barrows Mussey in 1942
He also co edited 'Illustrated Magic' by Ottokar Fischer under his name J.B. Mussey
It was my first BIG magic book. I notice inscribed, inside, in my young handwriting is 1946

There were several other books including one which used material from The AMH.

His full name was 'June Mussey Barrows.'

MY WORST TITLE is
ALL The Secrets Of Magic Revealed' by Herbert L. Becker..The Great Kardeen.
For me it should be-- ?????? after Great!

MOST of the explanations and exposures of the methods are as hilarious as The Mad Book Of Magic.
Like the final one : 'Tiger To Assistant ' wherein the assistant is hidden in the usual place and just before the cage is lifted into the air--'I quote--' The tiger actually walks out of the back of the cage and thrugh the curtain, unseen by the audience'.

And there are better ones!!

All his 'explanations' are grouped under headings of famous illusionists & magicians--as Siegfried & Roy, Doug Henning,Kreskin, Houdini & his brother Hardeen.Mark Wilson, Robert Houdin, Thurston, Kellar, Walter Gibson(the author of many books) and of course The Great Kardeen.
The Zig Zag lady is exposed in a distorted drawing and no credit to Harbin!!!!!!The Floating Ball is 'done with invisible strings'!!
I have so many pencilled in notes--I ought to publish them like the book which was written showing where Houdini was wrong about Robert Houdin

It does say in the Kardeen section--' From 1978 to 1993, nearly 15 years Kardeen has not been heard from! As his contemporaries began to retire from magic, Kardeen began to yearn, once more for the stage. He wants to make a comeback into show business. The final chapters on Kardeen have yet to be written. watch for Kardeen and see history in the making'. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait!

Allen Tipton

Here's an interesting idea to get the creative juices flowing using old or basic magic books:

Count up your magic books. Go to random.org and generate a random number between 1 and that many. Open the book the number points to. Note how many effects it has. Generate a second random number between 1 and that number of effects. Take the effect pointed to apart completely. Understand it form all angles. Build it up again in your own style. No cheating with making second choices!

Paradoxically, limiting your choices is actually a very valuable and productive creativity principle.

Or... go to your old magic books, open at a random page, note the effect, stick an X in the middle of it's title and sell it to E!


Could we tagline this thread with "do look over the basic books"?

Lawrence wrote:Or... go to your old magic books, open at a random page, note the effect, stick an X in the middle of it's title and sell it to E!

OK, you do that while I grab the kohl pencil and practice looking moody.

Tomo wrote:

Lawrence wrote:Or... go to your old magic books, open at a random page, note the effect, stick an X in the middle of it's title and sell it to E!

OK, you do that while I grab the koXhl penXcil and practice looking mXoody.

Fixed it.