Along with a huge collection of photographs from well-known magicians, there are “How-To” photos which are clear and professional.
Edwin A Dawes has the historical knowledge and Arthur Setterington is a good practical performer, and the combination as evinced here is unbeatable. The illustrations are by Angela Sutherland and the Picture Research by David Sutherland and I feel they must get a particular mention for their good work in both these departments.
As for the contents let me list them for you.
- “Magic Past” is the basic history of the Art.
- “The Great Escape” naturally leans heavily on Houdini but brings in all sorts of escape artists; though Steve Baker won’t be too happy to find that Paul Daniels is the “only performer to have ever attempted the dramatic escape” wherein a speeding car whacks into a packing case holding the escapologist.
- “Disappearing Acts” and “Acts of Illusion” covers Asrah, Vanishing Cars, Elephants and some transpositions. Here again photos you never saw before like “Van Buren” doing his motorcycle vanish and “Faust” (Granville Taylor) with the Amac “Find the Lady” set-up he bought from the Cecil Lyle estate. “Ravisoud ” the Swiss illusionist is depicted with his oddly-designed “Buzz Saw” and Emerson and Jayne get a full page with their flying carpet illusion.
- “Mindreading and Levitations” is an odd mixture. Photos again seldom seen of people like Fogel and “The Great Masoni”. Most of the levitations are actually suspensions. Gogia Pasha and Michel de la Vega are depicted in action. (I last saw de la Vega in the Casino in Estoril, since that he seems to have vanished.)
- “Card Mysteries” is mostly instructional, detailing the Short Card, the “EightKings” set-up and the Card Stab along with a short-card “Find the Lady” demonstration among other tricks.
- “Magic for the Junior Magician” is exciting. It gives a full-page photo of Ali Bongo doing the “Ball Vase”. The next page shows exactly how he does it and reveals the Exotic One to be actually William Oliver Wallace. Initials WOW!
- “Master Magician”again shows little-seen photos. Rene Septembres, Tel Smit, Shimada, Dante producing a pig with Moi-Yo Miller and a double-page of Soo’s 1910 stage setting
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Hardback, good condition. Some wear and tear on jacket, cover and pages are in good condition.
Published by Gallery Books, 1986..
ISBN: 0831727802