card tricks

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ENCYCLOPEDIA
OP
CARD T R I C K S
Edited by
JEAN HUGARD
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Jwi Piaoi Mrîr
ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF
CARD TRICKS
Revised and Edited by
JEAN HUGARD
Associate Editor : JOHN J. CRIMMINS, Jr.
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Illustrations by NELSON HAHNE
Published by
M A X H O L D E N
220 West 42nd Street New York City
Copyright 1937 by MAX HOLDEN
Second Printed Edition, New York, 1940.
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 3
INTRODUCTION
By Theo. Annemann
CLOSE to a year ago, there made its appearance upon the
horizon of magicdom a book. But what a book! Not for
many a moon had the production of a tome related to magic
stirred the hearts and emotions of those addicted to the reading,
collecting, and performance of things magical, especially tricks
with cards.
The book, aptly named an ‘Encyclopedia’ contained between its
covers nearly every practical card trick produced, invented and im­
proved by magical students for forty years or more. The combined
value of its contents, were the tricks to be computed at their original
marketed price, was well over one thousand jdollars. And were one
to sit well back and mull over the countless hours of study, concen­
tration, and brain-wrecking periods of mind fixation necessary to
produce the contents, it would stagger the best of imaginations.
The material included in the volume was compiled by Doctor
Wilhelm Von Deusen in collaboration with Mr. Glenn G. Gravatt,
the latter a devout follower of magic for many years and an erst>
while contributor to magical journals. The magic fraternity knows
little or nothing concerning Doctor Von Deusen who must have
spent years in gathering this huge collection of secrets which em­
braced the original ideas and inventions of the world’s best card
men.
As originally produced the book was mimeographed on large
pages, the over-all size of the volume making it quite bulky for the
average bookcase. These are not the qualifications generally ex­
pected and desired in a work of this character. However, despite
its format, the book was an immediate success because of its con­
tents which made the work one of the most valuable to appear in
years. The original price was Ten Dollars at which figure Mr.
Gravatt reports that over eight hundred copies were sold, com­
pletely exhausting his one and only edition.
The demand for a second edition became so insistent that Mr.
Max Holden undertook the monumental job. In the belief that
such valuable material warranted the best possible treatment he
has produced herein a beautifully printed and bound book of a size
and makeup to be respected on any shelf. Together with its secrets
it now stands alone as undoubtedly the greatest and most complete
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks ever conceived.
Produced at a cost of over two thousand dollars, the original
4 Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
work has been entirely rewritten by Mr. Jean Hugard, whose
many magical publications are but scant evidence of his mastery
in all phases and departments of magical knowledge.
Mr. Hugard tested every trick herein before placing it on
paper. Where, as was the case quite often, the original work
deleted, (through translation, no doubt) or skipped over important
details necessary for correct performance, Mr. Hugard discovered
these missing points, and corrected the faults.
At half the price of the Gravatt publication, this book contains
even more tricks! Improvements, variations, and other effects of
a nature that need little mechanical ability have been added. In­
tricate sleight-of-hand tricks and those requiring much practice
have been left out of this boon to card trick lovers. There is a
mystery for every condition, place or time. The owner and reader
of what is within these covers need never be at a moment’s loss for
a trick.
But Mr. Holden has gone still further in his zeal to promote
good will and avoid any possible criticism on the part of those who
originated the tricks incorporated in this revised edition.
Before starting on the task of putting the book into printed
form, Mr. Holden approached all known originators of the cfFects
herein, and secured written permission from each for the inclusion
of the tricks. Days were spent in the checking of books, magazines,
and writing to authorities on magic in order to trace the ownership
of certain effects.
For magic is a strange and inconsistent profession when it
comes to inventing a new trick. New principles are few and very
far between. One man invents a trick. He thinks of and puts into
practice an effect which is different than any before, and uses it
with great success and acclaim. But that trick, to which he has a
just claim, may depend entirely upon principles conceived years ago
by as many as four or five different people! A magician who ‘steals’
the effoct of another always falls back on the excuse that the
principle is an old one and available to everyone, notwithstanding
that the individual from whom the effect has been appropriated
conceived an entirely new and novel application of that old prin­
ciple. The argument, to date, has been endless, and so many in­
ventors add a new twist or kink to a trick and pass it on to another
who does the same, that it is understandable why a trick can reach
a state of near perfection and have so many who claim it as their
own. And each one claims it because of his particular addition in
the form of a move, twist or manner of presentation, despite the
fact that he had a nucleus upon which to work, and regardless of
the fact that several more constructive ideas have been added by
others.
5
Encyclopedia op Card Tricks
So, within the present volume, Mr. Holden has given credit by
name to those who brought the effects described into the limelight
through twists and fancies of their own, and marketed them to the
profession. Thanks for such permission are due Percy Abbott,
Howard Albright, A1 Baker, Frank Chapman, Charles Eastman,
U. F. Grant, Leslie Guest, Ralph W. Hull, Geo. Johnson, Charles
T. Jordan, Frank Lane, William W. Larsen, Loyd of California,
Charles W. Nyquist, J. F. Orrin, Ralph W. Read, John Scame,
Floyd G. Thayer, Dai Vernon, Herman Weber and M. F. Zens.
Special thanks are due Harry Leat too, for the publication within
of a complete work, “The Nikola Card System,” now out of print,
and for which many have paid almost half the cost of this entire
volume.
Program after program may be built from the contents of this
encyclopedia, and it is doubtful if the day will come when the tricks
herein will not be useful. It is hardly probable that this generation
of magicians and card trick fans will again see the like of the re­
vised “Encyclopedia of Card Tricks.”
New York City
June, 1937
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 7
STATEMENT
BY THE PUBLISHER
A S the publisher of this revised and the first printed edition of
the “Encyclopedia of Card Tricks,” I wish to express my
appreciation to all of the known originators of the effects
contained herein who have so graciously cooperated in this effort.
If, perchance, any ideas herein are original with some one,
and not duly credited, it is not due to lack of search on my part
but because of no identification being discoverable. To all such,
if there be any, I extend my thanks.
I am happy to acknowledge the friendly help of Glenn G.
Gravatt without whose initial edition there might never have been
any such book.
I am sure the entire fraternity will join me in thanking
Charles T. Jordan for his generosity in permitting us to literally
help ourselves to his enormous store of ideas.
To Jean Hugard and John J. Crimmins, Jr., I am deeply in­
debted for the infinite care and pains they have taken in re-writing,
editing, arranging and proofreading the many pages, and for
their assistance I am duly grateful.
To Ted Annemann and others who have freely lent their aid
in many ways, I give a full measure of thanks.
And if you, dear reader, derive pleasure and profit from our
efforts, we shall all be happy.
Fraternally yours
MAX HOLDEN

9
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
Contents
INTRODUCTION By Theo. Annemann ......................................................... 3
STATEMENT By The Publisher......................................................................... 7
C H A P T E R I
MISCELLANEOUS IMPROMPTU CARD TRICKS
Twin Souls ...................................................... In His Pocket .................................................. 28
The Magic Breath ........................................ Find tha Queen ............................................. 28
Reversed Court Card ................................. Super Card Prediction .............................. 29
The Sagacious Joker No. I .................. Tha Finqar Points ........................................ 29
M " M " 2 .................. The Five Card Mental Force .............. 30
" ” " " 3 .................. "Just Think" Mental Mystery .................. 31
M " M M 4 .................. Matching tha Acas ...................................... 31
The Trio ........................................................... 20 Supasso ............................................................. 32
Cards of Chance .......................................... 21 Naw Card Discovery ................................... 32
Push .................................................................... 22 Thought Card from Pockat ..................... 33
Card Detectives .......................................... 22 Naming Cards in tha Dark ....................... 33
The "Easy" Card in Wallet ..................... 22 Tha Magic Thrust ........................................ 34
Prediction ........................................................ 23 U Find Your Card ..................................... 34
A Smart Location ......................................... 23 The Card and Crystal Sell ....................... 35
The Whispering Quaan ............................ 24 Tha Secret Mathematician ....................... 35
The Card Doctor .......................................... 24 The Card Miracle-Certain ....................... 37
Stampado ........................................................ 25 " Tucker's version ......... 37
Color Divination .......................................... 26 " Abbott's version ......... 37
Tha Vanishing Pair ..................................... 26 " " T. Nelson Downes1 Original 38
The Unknown Laapar ................................... 27 Cut in Detection ........................................ 39
Self Control .................................................... 27 Sleight of Foot ............................................ 39
C H A P T E R II
SPELLING EFFECTS IN CARD MAGIC
System for arranging cards Peculiarities of the Pasteboards ......... 48
for any spelling combination .............. 41 The Naw Spall ............................................... 49
Spelling a Card .......................................... 43 Tha Automatic Spallar .............................. 49
Duplex Comedy Speller ............................ 43 Spellino ............................................................. 50
Farelli's Impromptu Speller ..................... 44 Spellino Climax ............................................. 51
Knock Out Speller ........................................ 44 Howard's Simplex Speller ....................... 51
A Single Speller ............................................. 45 U Spell Your Card ................................... 52
Superlative Speller ..................................... 45 An Easy Speller ............................................. 52
You Selected the ......... ............................ 46
Spell It ............................................................. 46 PRE-ARRANGED SET UPS
Impromptu Speller ..................................... 46 Thought Spelling .......................................... 53
Wiiard Spelling Master .............................. 47 Quadruple Spelling ..................................... 54
10 Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
Another Thought Spelling ........ ........... 54 Sure Winner Spelling Bee ....... ........ 60
Improved Spelling Triclt ......................... 55 Frank Squires Speller ................................ 61
Think H— Spell 1+ ....................................... 55 Gwynne s Speller .......................................... 61
Improved Chevalier ..................................... 56 Spell It Yourself .......................................... 62
Spelling Any Card Called For ............. 56 Seller's Speller Idea .................................. 63
The Shuffled Spelling Bee ..................... 57 Incomprehendo Speller .......... ................. 63
The Double Speller .................................. 58 Perfect Spelling Triclt ................................ 64
The Whispering Speller .......................... 58 Card Spelling DeLuxe ................................. 64
The Joker Spelling Routine ................. 59 Laiybones ............... .................................... 65
Variation of Joker Spelling .................... 59 Think of a Card ............................................ 65
The Joker Speller ...................................... 60 The Spelling Bee .......................................... 66
C H A P T E R I I I
"YOU DO AS I DO"
A Peeul iar Coincidence ......... ................. 67 Domination of Thought .............................. 72
You Do As Do ................ ......... 68 A Strange Coincidence ........................... 73
Identical Thought .......................... 68 Coincidence Again ................................... 74
Two Souls With A Single Thought .... 68 Sympathetic Sympathy ............................ 74
Follow Me ..... .............................. 68 Synthetic Sympathy ..................................... 75
A Cl ose Work Discovery ........................... 69 Backr Up ........................................................ 76
A Follow Up Effect ..................................... 69 Mental Coincidence .......... .................... 77
Co incidence .................. ................................ 70 Coincidence ................................................... 78
Loyd's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ............. 70 Another Marvelous Coincidence ........ 78
A Variation of the Above ....................... 71 A Card Sympathy ........................................ 79
Another Do As I Do ...... .................... 71 Paradox of Pairs .......................................... 80
Do As I Do in the Dark .............................. 72 Hugard's Follow Me ................................... 61
C H A P T E R IV
CARD SUBTLETIES UTILIZING KEY CARDS
A Couple of Cards Get Together ........ 82 The Mystic Seven ........................................ 88
Mental Vision .............................................. 82 Master Mental Mystery ........................... 89
Phenominal Thought Cards .... ___ 83 Infallible Detection ..................................... 89
Indetecto ........................................................ 83 Face Down Detection ............ ................... 90
Detected by Fingerprints ...................... 84 Devilish Cards ............................................... 90
The Three Heaps ....................................... 84 Comedy Twin Card Prediction .... ..... 91
Douhle Prediction ..................................... 85 The Nervous Card ..................................... 91
Impenetrable Stop Trick ......................... 85 The Nifty Key ................................................. 91
Mephisto's Prediction ............................. 86 Up Your Sleeve ............................................ 92
The Sequel ...................................................... 86 The Quartette .............................................. 92
A Ccunt Down Mystery ........................... 87 Think of a Card ............................................ 93
The Card and Number ........................... 88 Demon's Detection ____.............................. 94
Tone Control ................................................... 88
C H A P T E R V
"SLICK" PRINCIPLES IN CARD MAGIC
Ttie Slick Card ......................................... 95 The Master Card Speller ........................... 98
The Half MoonL ocation .......................... 96 Counting by Eye ....................................... 99
Location Plus ................................................... 97 Odd or Even ................................................. 99
Everybody's Card _________________ 97 The Mystic Cut .......................................... 99
Stage Location .................................... 97 A Slick Card Routine .................................. 100