The Amateur Magician’s Handbook

420 Pages·1983·61.89 MB·English

by  Henry Hay

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BY HENRY HAY
BOSTON
PUBLIC
LIBRARY
THE WHOLE WORLD OF
MAGIC EXPLORED
IS
This famous handbook is the one essential guide for
every amateur magician. Beginning with a complete
rundown on basic equipment and fundamental.skills-
such surprisingly simple yet effectively startling tech-
n.ques as sleight ofhand, palming, false shuffling and
much, muchmore-thebookgoesontoprovidedetailed
instruction for a full range oftricks that include every-
thing from disappearing acts to reading minds, plus a
newchapteronclose-upperformances, oneofthe magi-
can's most fascinating challenges. Here is a truly com-
mpraekheesnsy.ovueawomraksttehratotfatkheesethveerm-ypsotpeurlyarouatndofemxcaigtiicngasaritt
ofillusion.
THE
AMATEUR
MAGICIAN'S
HANDBOOK
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR:
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THE
AMATEUR
MAGICIAN'S
HANDBOOK
FOURTH EDITION
NEWLY REVISED AND EXPANDED
by
Henry Hay
Photographs byAudreyAlley
<r>
A SIGNET BOOK
NEW
AIVIERICAIM LIBRARY
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NEWAMERICANLIBRARY, 1633BROADWAY.
NEWYORK.NEWYORK 10019.
Copyright © 1950, 1965, 1972, 1982 by Henry Hay
All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be used orreproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case ofbrief
quotationsembodied incritical articles and reviews. Forinformation address
Harper&Row,Publishers,Inc., 10East53rdStreet,NewYork,NewYork 10022.
ThisisanauthorizedreprintofahardcovereditionpublishedbyHarper&Row,
Publishers, Inc. The hardcover was published simultaneously in Canada
by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Toronto.
©
SIGNETTRADEMARKREG US PAT.OFF ANDFOREIGNCOUNTRIES
REGISTEREDTRADEMARK—MARCAREGISTRADA
HECHOENCHICAGO.USA
Signet, SignetClassic, Mentor, Onyx, Plume, Meridian
and NAL Books are published by NAL PENGUIN INC.,
1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019
First Signet Printing, (Fourth Edition), April, 1983
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PRINTEDINTHEUNITEDSTATESOFAMERICA
In Memoriam
Thomas Nelson Downs
'The GreatMan" ofmy boyhood
and, alas,
John Mulholland
What shall we do without him?

.
Contents
Introduction ix
A Few Words Before Curtain Time xi
1 The Magic State of Mind 1
2. Hard Easy Tricks and Easy Hard Tricks 10
PARTI
HAND MAGIC 19
3. Hand Magic with Cards 19
—
4. Give Them a Rest Tricks Where No Cards Are Chosen 87
—
5. Please Take a Card Standard Card Tricks 106
6. Hand Magic with Coins 124
7. The Miser's Dream, and Other Great Coin Tricks 142
8. Hand Magic with Billiard Balls 172
9. The Multiplying Billiard Balls 180
10. Other Hand Magic with Balls 185
11. Hand Magic with Thimbles 190
12. Hand Magic with Cigarettes 193
PART
II
APPLIED ART: HEAD MAGIC 201
13. Head Magic with Cards 202
14. Varied Head Magic 220
part
ill
APPARATUS MAGIC 231
15. Silks 231
16. Small Gimmicks and Fakes 249
17. Standard Stuff 256
PARTIV
MENTAL MAGIC 275
18. Mental Magic 275
PARTV
INTIMATE MAGIC 293
19. Close-Up Performance 293
PARTVI
CHILDREN'S SHOWS 311
20. Performing for Children 311
PARTVII
PLATFORM MAGIC 335
21. Platform Magic
Coaching Yourself with Videotape by
The Amazing Randi 335
—
22. How to Stage a Magic Show Some Professional Advice 349
1. Comedy 349
2. Pantomime 351
3. Music 354
4. Night-Club Shows 356
5. Business Methods 357
6. Publicity 359
APPENDIX 361
Further Tricks andIllusions 361
Biography andBibliography 373
Index 384