Illustrated Magic by Ottokar Fischer

PREVIOUSLY OWNED
CONDITION: Very Good

COLES EDITION

Translated and edited by J.B. Mussey and Fulton Oursler.  In a similar fashion to Henry Hay’s Amateur Magician’s Handbook, Ottokar describes many of the essential tricks of magic, providing a good overview to the magic art. There have been many reprints of this book. Lots of diagrams and B&W photos.

In this book, Ottokar Fischer, internationally known authority on the art of magic, teaches hundreds of magic effects as produced by professionals, by amateurs and by the Fakirs of India. He explains the secrets of magical apparatus; illusion effects of the past and the present; feats of dexterity and skill; fakes, gimmicks and other secret accessories; vest-pocket magic; mathematical and sleight-of-hand card effects; mind reading, clairvoyance and telepathy; illusions; the mystery of escapes from chains, handcuffs, leg and neck irons, etc.; and puzzles and their close connection with magic.
 
In each case Fischer describes the effect as it is seen by the audience and then the means by which it is made possible— with the aid of scores of illustrations—so that the reader is let in behind the scenes and allowed to see the skill and ingenuity which have gone into the perfecting of the ancient and honorable art of magic.
 
An excellent guide and instruction manual that teaches the reader about the historical, the technical, and the performance aspects of magic.
 
With an introduction by Fulton Oursler and an unpublished chapter by the late Harry Kellar.

Contents (updated and corrected):

vii To the Reader (Ottokar Fischer): 1929

1 The Magic of Today (Fulton Oursler) 19 Three Secrets of Success for Every Magician (Harry Kellar)

25 Chapter I From Magic Man to Modern Conjurer

29 Chapter II Why You Can’t Always Trust Your Senses 29 Examples of Illusions of Touch: Aural and Optical Illusions 38 Illusions: Their role in magic

40 Chapter III The Secrets of Magical Apparatus 40 Objects of Magical Apparatus 40 Apparatus and Accessories of General Importance 40 – The Magic Wand 41 – The Magician’s Table 42 – Servantes 42 – Wells 42 – Pistons 42 – Spring Pulls 43 Artistic Treatment of Magical Effects 44 Classification of Magical Effects 44 Automata 44 Refinement, Simplification, and Perfecting of Magical Apparatus 45 Virtuosi of Stage Magic 46 The Conjurer’s Program 46 The Conjurer’s Patter 47 Interesting Magical Effects of an Earlier Period 47 – The Mysterious Orange-Tree 48 – Schiller’s Bell 49 – The Devil’s Target 50 – The Myserious Casket 50 – The Inexhaustible Punch-Bowl 52 – The Japanese Inexhaustible Box 54 Magical Effects of the Present 54 – Spring Flowers 54 – The Vanishing Bird Cage 54 – The Flags of All Nations 55 – The Blue Phantom 57 – Feather Bouquets 57 Comparison Between Old and New Tricks of Similar Effect

60 Chapter IV Feats of Dexterity and Skill 60 Adroitness and Dexterity 60 The Prestidigitator 61 The Conjurer’s Dress Suit 62 Classic Sleight-of-Hand Experiments 62 The Gallant Conjurer (Glass Bowl Production) 62 The Ring in Danger 65 The Traveling Handkerchiefs 67 The Multiplying Billiard Balls 69 The Miser’s Dream – Various Sleights with Coins 72 The Cups and Balls

73 Chapter V Fakes, Gimmicks and Other Secret Accessories 74 Thimble Tricks 75 Cigar Tricks

79 Chapter VI Vest-Pocket Magic 79 Vest-Pocket Tricks With Mechanical Accessories 79 – The Miniature Silk Handkerchief 81 – The Rattle Bars 82 – The Three Match-Boxes 82 – The Mircle of Confucious 83 – The Cigarette From Nowhere 84 – The Magic Cigarette Factory 85 – The Magic of Numbers 85 – The Snobbish Coin 88 – The Anti-Spiritualistic Cigarette-Paper 89 Pocket Tricks Requiring No Preparation 89 – The Wandering Coin 91 – The Magic Envelope 93 – The Four Journeymen (Coins, Cards and Handkerchief) 95 – The Hurculean Bank-Note 96 – The Lightning Knot 97 – The Torn and Restored Cigarette-Paper 98 – The Electric Tube 99 – The Floating Cane 100 – The Balancing Cigar 101 – The Rotating Cigar 101 – The Cut and Restored String 103 – The Penetrating Glass 104 – A Double Surprise

105 Chapter VII The Wonders of Card Magic 105 Historical Note on Playing Cards 106 Fundamental Sleights With Cards 107 – The Blind Cut 108 – The Change 109 — Top Change 110 — Bottom Change 111 – The False Shuffle 112 – The Force 113 The Glide 113 The Mexican Turnover 113 The Palm 114 The Pass 115 The Slip 115 The Set-Up Pack and Tricks Therewith 116 Other Mathematical Card Tricks 116 – The Inseperable Pairs 117 – The Card in the Pocket 118 Sleight-of-Hand Card Tricks 118 – With Pass, False-Shuffle, Blind Cut, and Slip 118 – With the Change (The Bewildering Aces) 120 – With the Glide (The Siamese Aces) 120 – With the Mexican Turnover (The Power of Gold) 121 – With the Palm (The Cards Up the Sleeve) 124 – The Magnetic Plate 124 – The Puzzling Prediction 126 – The Rising Cards 127 – The Queen of the Air 128 The Card Fountain 128 Flourishes 128 – The Back Palm 129 – Springing the Cards 129 – The Waterfall Drop 129 – The Turnover on the Arm 130 – Spread and Catch on Arm 130 – Throwing a Card 130 – Making a Fan 130 Dr. Reinhard Rohnstein and His Card Tricks

132 Chapter VIII Mind Reading, Clairvoyance, and Telepathy 132 Definition of Terms 132 Fake-Clairvoyant Experiements 132 – The X-Ray Eye 133 – Second Sight 134 – The Seer Swami’s Watch 134 – The Wonder of Language 135 Fake Thought Transference 136 – The Spoken Code, for Letters and Numbers 138 – “What is That?” 139 – Silent codes 139 — The Eye Code 140 — The Map Test 140 — The Great Book Test 141 — Finger Code 142 Telepathy 142 – The Pin Test 143 – Execution of a Task Thought by a Spectator 145 – Experiements Without Direct Contacct with the Control

146 Chapter IX Stage Illusions 146 The Term Illusion as Used in Magic 146 Varieties of Stage Illusions 147 Interesting Illusions 147 – The Window of the Enchanted House 147 – Mystery Oh! 148 – One-Two-Three 151 – Here-There 152 – Escape Illusions 153 – Adomey 154 – Aerolithe 154 – The Floating Yoghi 155 – Asra 156 – Sawing a Woman in Two, etc. 157 – Cassadaga

160 Chapter X Ghosts and Other Apparitions 161 Belief in Spirits and Belief in Magic 162 Spirit Apparitions in the Hands of Charlatans 163 The Magic Lantern Used to Produce Spirit Apparitions 163 Henri Robin’s Presentation of Moving Spirit Images 164 Their Imitation by Professor J.H. Pepper 165 Arrangement of a Stage for Spirit Apparitions 165 Effects Depending on the Robin-Pepper Principle 165 – The Blue Room

166 Chapter XI The Wonders of Black Art 166 Chance Discovery of Black Art 166 Ben Ali Bey and His Stage 167 Arrangement of the Black Cabinet 168 Ben Ali Bey’s Effects 168 – The Magnetized Drawing 168 – The Creation of a Woman by the Gods of the Orient 169 – The Soap-Bubbles 171 Predecessors of the Black Cabinet 171 – The Vanishing Horse

172 Chapter XII The Mystery of Escapes 173 Escapes from Rope Ties, Chains, etc. 173 – Hands Tied Behind Back 174 – The Davenport Tie 175 – Arms Crossed, Hands Tied Behind Back 176 – Ten Ichi Thumb Tie 177 Escapes from Handcuffs, Leg and Neck Irons, and Other Locking Devices 181 Escapes from Bags, Baskets, Boxes, Metal Recepticals, Stockades and Similar Restraints 183 Prison Escapes

186 Chapter XIII The Feats of the Fakirs  186 Fakirs in Their Oriental Home  187 Technique of the Indian Conjurers  187 Mythical Tricks of the Fakirs and Attempts to Explain Them  187 – The Indian Rope Trick          189 – The Mango Trick  189 – Burial Alive    192 Other Oriental Conjuring Tricks  192 – The Cups and Balls  193 – The Magician’s Drum  193 – The Transformation of the Pebble  193 – The Indian Basket Trick  194 – The Magic Sign  195 Snake-Charmers and Other Indian Jugglers

196 Chapter XIV The Wonders of Puzzles 196 Puzzles and Their Close Connection with Magic 196 Puzzles of Separation 196 – The Chained Heart 197 – The Devil’s Keys 197 – The Mysterious Triangle 197 – The Hello Puzzle 198 – The Morning Star 199 – The Wonder-Block 200 – The Chinese Ladder 200 – The Blocks of Desperation 202 – Japanese Wooden Puzzles 202 Puzzles with Secret Fastenings 202 – The Mysterious Jewel-Casket 203 – The Matchbox 203 – The Surprise Box 203 – The Mysterious Bolt 204 – The Lucky Dollar 204 Cut-Out Puzzles 204 – The T Puzzle 204 Curious Puzzles 204 – The Screw Screwed Into the Bottle 205 – The Bottle Puzzle 206 – The Japanese Rods