Who was Jean Hugard?

Jean Hugard was the stage name of John Gerard Rodney Boyce, a magician born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He worked in banking and business before performing, moved to the United States in 1916, ran his own small magic theatre at Luna Park on Coney Island, and then spent the rest of his life writing about magic. His books with Frederick Braue, Expert Card Technique and The Royal Road to Card Magic, are both still sold today. He died in Brooklyn in 1959.

Where did Jean Hugard come from?

Hugard was born John Gerard Rodney Boyce in Toowoomba, Queensland. Wikipedia and LibraryThing give his birth date as 4 December 1871. Some library records give the year as 1872.

He did not start out in the theatre. He worked for a bank and later went into the meat business, while doing magic as a keen amateur.

What kind of magician was he?

Hugard turned professional in the mid-1890s and performed around Australia. He worked under several names, including Chin Sun Loo, presenting a Chinese-themed act.

In 1916 he left Australia for the United States, leaving behind his wife and their sons. In America he worked at Luna Park, the amusement park on Coney Island, where he ran his own small magic theatre.

Why is he remembered as a writer?

When he stopped performing, Hugard settled in Brooklyn and turned to writing and editing. He wrote dozens of books on magic, covering cards, coins, thimbles and general conjuring. Among them was the Modern Magic Manual (1939).

He also finished other people’s work. John Northern Hilliard died before completing Greater Magic, and Hugard took on much of the remaining work on the book. He also revised and rewrote an earlier collection of card tricks compiled by Glenn G. Gravatt and others, which became the Encyclopedia of Card Tricks.

He also worked closely with Frederick Braue. Together they wrote Expert Card Technique and The Royal Road to Card Magic, two books we still sell today.

What was Hugard’s Magic Monthly?

Hugard ran his own magazine, Hugard’s Magic Monthly, and kept writing and editing it late in life, even after he had lost his sight.

When did he die?

Jean Hugard died in Brooklyn, New York, on 14 August 1959.

What should you read first?

• Royal Road to Card Magic (eBook) by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue. A course in card magic that teaches a set of skills in each chapter, from the overhand shuffle and riffle shuffle to the glide, the palm, the pass and the classic force, followed by tricks that use them.
• Expert Card Technique by Jean Hugard and Fred Braue. A 448-page softbound book on card technique: the palm, the shuffle, the lift, the side slip, the pass, false deals, forces and fans, plus tricks such as the Four Aces and the Rising Cards.
• Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, revised and rewritten by Jean Hugard. Over 600 card tricks, from impromptu and spelling tricks to tricks with special decks.

For more history, read about Dai Vernon and Ted Annemann, or browse our free ebooks.

Frequently asked questions