Modern Magic

The first great textbook of conjuring. Cards, coins, watches, handkerchiefs, balls, cups and stage apparatus, each explained step by step with the original engravings.

What’s inside

1. Introduction — the magic wand, the magician’s table and dress, profondes and pochettes
2. Sleight of hand with cards — the pass, the force, false shuffles, palming, the change, the bridge
3. Card tricks without sleight of hand — discovering a chosen card, the four kings, the whist trick
4. Card tricks with sleight of hand or prepared cards — the long card, the three card trick, the shower of aces
5. Card tricks with special apparatus — the magic sword, the rising cards, card boxes, the torn card
6. Sleight of hand with coins — palming, passes and changes
7. Coin tricks without apparatus — the flying money, the multiplication of money, the wandering sixpence
8. Coin tricks with special apparatus — vanishing boxes, the nest of boxes, the shower of money
9. Tricks with watches — the watch-mortar and magic pistol, the mesmerised watch
10. Tricks with rings — the flying ring, the magic ball and rings, a ring in an egg
11. Tricks with handkerchiefs — the vanishing knots, the egg and handkerchief, the magic laundry
12. Tricks with dominoes and dice
13. The cups and balls — the principles and twelve classic passes
14. Ball tricks with special apparatus — the ball box, Morison’s pill-box, the obedient ball
15. Hat tricks — cannon-balls, birdcages and a pudding from the hat
16. Miscellaneous tricks — the egg bag, the Chinese rings, the inexhaustible bottle
17. Stage tricks — conjuring tables and traps, the Indian basket trick, the aerial suspension
18. Concluding observations — working up tricks, arranging a programme, stage arrangements
19. Appendix: famous automata and illusions — Kempelen, Robert-Houdin, Psycho, Pepper and Tobin, the living marionettes
20. Appendix: second sight, spiritualism and parlour magic — clairvoyance, mediums and their tests, parlour tricks

Professor Hoffmann, 1876 · David McKay. Complete 594-page PDF. Free to download: check out at $0 and the file arrives by email and on your order page.

This classic is in the public domain. Scans come from library copies, so expect the odd stain or stamp of an old book.