Hundreds of tricks devised by one of the leading magicians of the early 20th century — from relatively complex maneuvers involving mathematical calculation and the discovery of a chosen card, to such simple sleights of hand as "The Traveling Ace" and "Putting the King and Queen to Bed." Fascinating, clearly illustrated material for amateurs and professionals alike.
In the early decades of the 20th century, Ellis Stanyon was a leading figure in the field of magic. His card tricks were among the cleverest ever devised. Hundreds of the best tricks, selected from rare issues of the influential monthly Magic dating from 1912 to 1920, are presented in this book, edited by Karl Fulves. Fulves introduces the tricks with expert commentary and practical advice on how modern magicians can best perform them. Included are relatively complex tricks involving mathematical calculation, a prearranged deck or the discovery of a chosen card, as well as simple card tricks for beginners. Here, too, are tricks involving card reading, forcing a card, palming a card, false shuffling, false cutting and more. Amateur and professional magicians alike will find fascinating material for their routines here, expertly presented, and clearly illustrated in over 150 drawings.
Early in the twentieth century, the venerable British magician Ellis Stanyon set himself the formidable task of recording -every trick yet published in any book or magical magazine.- He called this compendium A Dictionary of Magical Effects, and published it in monthly installments in his Magic newsletter, which billed itself as -the Oldest paper in the World devoted solely to the interests of Magicians, Jugglers, Hand Shadowists, Ventriloquists, Lighting Cartoonists, and Specialty Entertainers- Karl Fulves, the prolific and accomplished scholar of magic, has culled the issues of this rare periodical to bring to the reader over 600 of the very best of Ellis Stanyon's card tricks and techniques, as fresh and pertinent today as they were at their inception.
Appealing equally to amateurs and experts and all levels in between, Mr. Stanyon begins with clear and concise variations on simple methods of discovering and revealing a chosen card; he moves on to the more challenging and brilliantly conceived card tricks utilizing mathematical calculation, as well as card tricks via arrangement, confederates, card reading, and special prepared cards; principles of sleight of hand, various methods of palming, changing and forcing cards; false shuffles and cuts; and finally, the book's finale details ornamental sleights and flourishes.
Ellis Stanyon's original text consists of step-by-step instructions for each and every trick discussed; interspersed throughout is Mr. Fulves' commentary and updates, accompanied by easy-to-follow diagrams. All these elements combine to enable you to successfully perform a host of mystifying manipulations that will baffle laypersons and professional magicians alike.
Karl Fulves is one of the most respected authorities in the field of magic. For over 40 years, he has written hundreds of books on the subject and taught the art of illusion to thousands of people of all ages. This legendary figure also edited and published such magazines as Epilogue and The Pallbearers Review.
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: Simple Methods of Discovering a Chosen Card
1 Reading the Index Pip
2 "The Bottom Card as "Key"
3 The Bent Corner
4 Drawing the Card from the Bottom
5 The Thumbnail-Embossed Mark
6 The Twenty-one Cards
7 "The Silent Count?Top Card as "Key"
8 "Several Heaps on Table?Bottom Card as "Key"
9 The Bridge at the End of the Pack
10 The Twenty-one Cards (Variations)
11 The Direction of Gaze
12 Discovering One Card Chosen from Seven or Eight
13 Noting Position Where Drawn Card Is Replaced
14 "The "Key" Card Obtained by the Index"
15 Sighting the Index of the Drawn Card
16 Pencil Line on the Edge of the Pack
17 Three Effects with Wax
18 The Margin and Pip Discovery
19 "The "Reversed" Card"
20 Tinfoil on the Back of the Card
21 The Step
22 Marking the Card with a Pin
23 "X-ray" Cards"
24 "The "Touched" Card"
25 "The "Portfolio" Card"
26 The Glimpse
27 Reflectors
28 "The "Turned-Up" Card"
29 "The "Ruffle," How to Make It"
30 "The "Ruffle" Force"
31 A Simple Method of a Forcing Card
32 A Simple Trick Shuffle
CHAPTER 2: Simple Methods of Revealing a Chosen Card
1 The Revolution
2 The Revolution Change
3 The Revolution Change Through the Pack
4 Hitting the Pack Out of Hand
5 Jerking the Pack Out of Hand
6 Forcing the Choice with an Ordinary Die
7 Card Found at Any Number form the Top of the Pack
8 Wrong Card Visibly Changed
9 Person Sits on a Chosen Card
10 "To "Cut" the Pack at the Chosen Card"
11 By Looking at Any Card
12 The Card Jumps Out of the Pack
13 Nailing Chosen Card to the Door
14 The Card Found at Any Number
15 The Blindfold Stab
16 "The Pack "Cut" into Four Heaps"
17 The Card Reverse in the Pack
18 On the Ceiling
19 Any Number from the Top of the Pack
20 Catching Two Selected Cards
21 At Any Number Chosen by the Audience
22 Pretending to Be a Mind Reader
23 Revealing a Card by Its Weight
24 One of the Three Dealt on the Table
25 Knocking the Pack Out of Hand
CHAPTER 3: Various Simple Tricks with Cards
1 The Four Robbers
2 The Three Robbers and the Constable
3 "Three Aces, Separated, Come Together"
4 "The "Piano" Trick"
5 The False Count
6 The Card Jumps Out of the Envelope or the Pack
7 "Two Cards, Placed in the Centre of the Pack, Found on Top"
8 Guessing Thought Cards
9 The Travelling Ace
10 The Simple Four Ace Trick
11 "Two Aces, Separated, Come Together"
12 Putting the King and Queen to Bed
13 A Card Thought of Discovers Another One Freely Chosen but Lost in the Pack
14 Name of Selected Card in the Envelope
15 Four Kings Change Places with Four Sevens
16 To Vanish One of Five Cards
17 With the Half Card
18 To Distinguish the Colour of the Cards Under a Handkerchief
19 Naming the Card on Top of Four (or More) Packets
20 Several Cards Pass Through a Book
21 To Slip the Top Card to the Bottom
22 Inseparable Kings and Queens
23 "How to "Bridge" the Cards"
24 To Detect Which of Four Cards Has Been Turned Around
25 Naming a Card in One Packet by Looking at One in Another
26 A Card Thought of Finds a Selected Card
27 An Eight Spot Put in the Centre Passes to the Top
28 Sighting the Index of the Drawn Card
29 The Half Card Combination
30 "The "Slip" Change"
31 "The "Slip" Force"
32 Several Chosen Card Reversed
33 "The "Whispering" Trick"
34 A Subtle Deal to Find the Chosen Card
35 To Distinguish Court Cards by Touch
36 To Distinguish Red from Black Card by Their Backs
37 Affectionate Kings
38 Inseparable Sevens
39 The Old Mormon and His Three Wives
40 Queens Digging for Diamonds
41 The Roadside Inn
Chapter 4: Card Tricks?Calculation
1 The Transposed Cards
2 "The Card at Unknown Number from Bottom, Placed at Any Number from Top"
3 The Spots on Card Indicate Number of Cards Secretly Added to Pack
4 A Numerical Shuffle
5 "Any Number of Cards dealt Face Upwards, to Discover One Chosen"
6 To Produce a Card at Any Number
7 Alternate Method of Producing a Card at Any Number
8 The Selected Card Appears at Number Chosen by Another Person
9 The Twenty-seven Cards
10 A Reversed Count Brings Card to Any Position
11 To Name the Total Value of Several Chosen Cars
12 "Thirty-one" (Simple Version)"
13 The Clock
14 The Clock?with ten Cards
15 To Detect Chosen Card Amongst Thirty-five
16 To Detect Chosen Card Amongst Fifty-two
17 The Square of Twenty-five Cards
18 The Pairs Re-Paired
19 The Magic Triplets
20 To Discover Card Removed from Pack of Fifty-two
21 Another Method for No. 20
22 To Discover One of Two Cards Removed from Fifty-two
23 The Capital Q
24 To Discover Names of Three Cards Chosen by Three Different People
25 "To Discover Card (or Cards) Amongst Sixteen, After the Fourth Deal"
26 The Spots on Top Card Indicate Position of One Chosen
27 "TO Discover Value of Two Cards Drawn from the Pack of Fifty-two, Without Seeing Any Cards"
28 The Thought Card Appears at Any Number
29 "A Card Chosen at Number from Bottom, Found in Pocket"
30 The Mysterious Addition
31 Odd or Even
32 An Arithmetical Mystery
33 To Discover the Respective Holders of Three Cards or Objects
34 At Any Number from the Top
35 The Numerical Shift
36 The Transposed Cards
37 The Transposed Cards and Mind-Reading
38 The Card in Pocket
39 The Spots on Top Card Indicate Position of One Chosen
40 The Card Chosen Corresponds with Paper in Person's Pocket
41 "The Card Secretly Chosen at a Number from the Top, Picked Out of the Pack in Person's Pocket"
42 Naming Spots on a Card at Any Number in the Pack
43 At Any Number from the Top
44 "Forty Cards Dealt Faces Down, to Pick Up the One Named"
45 "Thirty-one"
46 The Position of Card Amongst Ten
47 Two Packs Shuffled and Card Found in Same Position in Each
48 A Card of Either Colour Found at Any Number
49 To Give the Position of Any Card
50 Placing the Chosen Card at Any Number
CHAPTER 5: Card Tricks?Arrangment
1 Arrangement of a Whist Pack
2 A Numerical Arrangement for a Whist Pack
3 Margery's Arrangement for a Piquet Pack
4 Another Arrangement for a Piquet Pack
5 The Best False Shuffle
6 Changing the Pack
7 Discovering the Pack
8 To Name All the Cards Without Seeing Them
9 "To "Cut" an Odd or Even Number"
10 To Deal Yourself All the Trumps
11 An Improved Whist Trick
12 To Pick Out Any One or More Values
13 To Discover the Number of Cards Taken and to Name Each
14 A Perfect Whist Memory
15 "The Pack "Cut" into a Number of Heaps, to Name Cards in Any Heap Placed in Person's Pocket"
16 The Number of Chosen Cards Are Passed into an Envelope in Full View
17 Rapid Memorization (?) of Half the Pack
18 Naming the Card Secretly Placed in a Pocket
19 The Greek Cross
20 To Name a Card After Dealing Four Times
21 To Discover a Card Chosen from Twenty-five
22 A Chart of the Arranged Pack
23 To Produce Any Card
24 "A Spelling "B"
25 To Discover the Number of Spots on Two Batches of Cards
26 "The Revolution" to Discover Number of Cards Taken"
27 To Discover a Thought Card and Name It
28 "The "Twenty-seven" Card Trick without a "Key"
CHAPTER 6: Card Tricks?Various Arrangements
1 "Reversible "Spelling B"
2 The Alternate Card Trick?Simple
3 To Discover Two Consecutive Cards
4 "Fifteen Consecutive Cards Indiscriminately Drawn from One Pack and One Secretly Chosen, to Produce It From Another Pack"
5 A Trick at Poker
6 Special Arrangement of Whist Pack and Tricks with Same
7 The Genuine Shuffle as Affecting the Above (No. 6) and Other Arranged Packs
8 The Numerical Arrangement and Tricks with Same
9 Any Card Noted in One Pack Found at a Given Number in Another
10 "The Pack Is "Cut" into Four and the Names of the Cards in Either Part Are Found in an Envelope"
CHAPTER 7: Card Tricks Using Confederates
1 Two Cards Change in Envelope?Comedy Trick
2 To Tell Which Card of Fifty-two Is Touched in Your Absence
3 Alternate Method for No. 2
4 Another Alternate Method for No. 2
5 To Conjure a Card Under a Flowerpot
6 To Conjure a Card into Your Pocket
7 A Card Instantly Removed from a Pack in the Pocket
CHAPTER 8: Card Reading
1 Arranged Pack
2 The Bottom Card?Simple
3 The Bottom Card and Palming
4 Round Convex Mirror
5 Reflection in the Eye (?)
6 Tinfoil on the Back of the Card
7 Subtle Reading of the Index
8 Two Halves of the Pack Face-to-Face
9 Finger Ring Reflector
10 Sighting the Index Under Cover of the Pack
11 Reading the Fifty-two Cards After a Genuine Shuffle
12 The Index Removed from One End of the Pack
CHAPTER 9: Card Tricks Using Special Printed Cards
1 "Two Cards, One in Each Hand, Change Places"
2 Four Red Cards Change Places with Four Black Ones
3 New Precipitation
4 "The "Cagliostro" or "Balsamo" Card Trick"
5 The Disappearance of a Card
6 Any Card from the Pocket
7 A Lightning Change
8 The Phantom Card Trick
9 Improved Phantom Cards
10 Phantom with Ordinary Cards
11 Two Cards Pass from One Plate to Another
12 Perplexo
13 Nox-Em-All
14 The Sphinx Card Trick
15 The Vanishing Card
16 "Papel Blanco"
17 The Four Aces on a Handkerchief
18 Will o' the Wisp
19 Fade Away
20 Nine to Five to Three to Ace to Blank
21 Contrario Aces
22 Chromatic Cards
23 Cremation and Confetti
24 The Card Problem
25 The Yogi Wonder
26 The Princess Card Trick
27 The Three-Card Trick
28 "Pickitout"
29 "The "Knock-out" Card Trick"
30 "The "Best Ever" Card Trick"
31 "Cleveland's "Presto Fly" Card Trick"
32 "The "Spotter" or Educated Die"
33 "The "Canadian Wonder"
34 The Surprise Card Trick
35 Edwards' Dioramic Pack
36 "Pippin"
37 The Four Ace Trick
38 The Twelve Ubiquitous Court Cards
39 Substitution of a Trick Set for Ordinary Cards
CHAPTER 10: Mechanical and Other Prepared Cards
1 Aces versus Kings
2 Aces of Spades and Ace of Diamonds Change Places
3 Three Cards Appear on a Borrowed hat
4 Three Chosen Cards Appear on a Mirror
5 The Card Appears on an Arm
6 The Card Appears on a Handkerchief
7 "The Card, Envelope and Handkerchief Combination"
8 Nailing a Chosen Card to the Wall
9 The Chosen Cards Appear in a Watch
10 The Card Thrown on a Silk Hat Jumps Up and Stands on One End
11 Balancing Any Card on a Hat
12 The Card and a Glass of Wine Balance on a Hat
13 The Mysterious Chain of Cards
14 The Simple Throwing of a Card
15 The Card Disappears from a Glass of Water
16 The Card Disappears from an Empty Glass
17 The Chosen Cards Change to Photographs
18 The Three of Diamonds Changes to two
19 The Signed Ace Changes to a Three
20 Aces versus Blank Cards and Pocket
21 The Two of Hearts Changes to the Two of Spades
22 The Four Knaves Change to Four Aces and Back Again
23 Got 'Em All Beat
24 The Card through a hat
25 The Card in a Bottle
26 The Ink Card
27 The Envelope Changes to the Chosen Card
28 The Vanishing Pips
29 The Reunited Card
30 The Card on a Ribbon
31 Spirit Photography
32 The Chosen Card Changes to a Box of Matches
33 The Mechanical Changing Pip Card
34 The Mechanical Changing Pip and Value Card
35 The Flap Card
36 Changing and Enlarging the Card
37 Several Ordinary Cards Change to Large Ones
38 The Card Changes to a Die
39 The Moving Pip Card
40 The Bullet Ace
41 The Chosen Card Appears Between Two Others on a Thread
42 "The "Torn Corner" Card"
43 An Ace Changes to a Three and Vice Versa
44 Eclipse Vanishing a Pack of Cards
45 The Protean Pack
46 Making a Half Pack of Cards Vanish
47 The Sticking of Pack of Cards
48 The Electric Pack of Cards
49 Producing a Pack of Cards from an Empty Glass
50 The Card Jumps Out of an Envelope
51 The Ten of Spade Changes to the Ten of Clubs
52 The Chosen Card Is Found Printed on a Plain Card Places in a Glass Tumbler
53 The Four Ace Trick
54 New Precipitation
55 "The "Tokio" Card Trick"
56 DeLand's Two-Card Monte
57 A New Protean or Chameleon Pack
58 The Five of Diamond Changes to the Five of Spades
59 "Deland's "Eureka" Card Trick"
"CHAPTER 11: "Forcing" Packs and Tricks with Same"
1 Pack to Force One Card
2 Pack to Force One or Three Cards Singly
3 Pack to Force Three Cards Together
4 "The "Ruffle" Force with an Ordinary Pack"
5 Discovering the Chosen Card by a Throw of the Dice
6 "The "Slip" Force"
7 To Produce Three Cards at Any Number
8 Four Cards Changed to the Same Value as a Fifth Drawn from Another Pack
9 "The "Fin de Siécle" Forcing Pack of Cards"
10 "The "Ae-Di-Tse-Tal" Forcing Pack"
11 "The "Svengali" Wonder Forcing Pack"
12 "The Double "Forcing" Pack"
13 "The Triple "Forcing" Pack"
14 "The Combination "Fin-de-Siécle" Magic Pack"
15 The Forcing and Self-shifting Pack
16 The Multiple Shifting Pack
17 Three Cards Produced from a Pack Shuffled in a Hat
18 The Forcing Pack that May Be Genuinely Shuffled
19 "The "Ivory" Versus "Air Cushion" Finish"
20 "The "Key" Card Forcing and Self-shifting Pack"
21 Three Persons Select the Same Card
22 The Chosen Card Is Dropped at a Given Signal
23 "The "Anstro" Forcing Deck"
24 "The "Monte Cristo" Forcing Pack"
25 The Master Mystery Forcing Pack
26 The Pack Is Wrapped in Paper and a Knife Passed between Two Chosen Cards
CHAPTER 12: Besauté (Stripper) and Cornered Packs
1 Description of the Pack
2 "To "Cut" at the Card"
3 To Blow the Card from a Pack
4 To Separate Red from Black Cards
5 To Draw Picture Cards from a Pack
6 To Draw the Card from a Pack in a Person's Pocket
7 To Pass the Card from a Pack into a Person's Pocket
8 To Name Cards Before Removing Them from a Pack under a Handkerchief
9 To Draw Cards from a Pack One After Another
10 To Pass the Chosen Card Through a Handkerchief
11 With a Confederate
12 "To Name the Number of Cards in the "Cut"
13 To Draw One to Ten Cards
d)
CHAPTER 20: Ornamental Sleights and Flourishes
1 Springing the Cards from One Hand to the Other
2 Palming Cards when Reversing the Pack in the Same Hand
3 Changing the Face Card of the Pack
4 Colour Change?Suiting Actions to Words
5 Revolution of the Cards on the Arm
6 Cards Thrown from the Left Arm and Caught in the Right Hand
7 Cards Thrown from the Left Arm and Caught in the Left Hand
8 Combination Throw?Back and Front of the Arm
9 Jerking Up the Pack from the Table with One Hand
10 Jerking Up the Pack from the Back of the Left Hand
11 Revolution on the Table
12 Balancing the Pack on the End?on the Back of the Hand
13 Catching the Pack from the Elbow
14 To Throw a Card Across a Large Theatre
15 "A Card Thrown a Considerable Distance, Returns to the Hand"
16 A Card Thrown Returns and Is Severed by Scissors
17 The Waterfall Shuffle
18 The One-Handed Waterfall Shuffle
19 The Falling Ribbon of Cards
20 The Accordion One-Handed Shuffle
21 Catching Two Heaps of Cards from the Back of the Hand
22 "The "Pass" by Throwing the Pack from the Left to the Right Hand"
23 "One-Handed "Pass" Against Left Hip"
24 "The Longitudinal "Pass"
25 The Double-Palm Change
26 Subtle Overhand Shuffle
27 A Supposed Shuffle in a Silk Hat
28 "One-Handed Genuine "Cut"
29 "One-Handed Triple "Cut"
30 Subtle Force with a Dinner Knife
31 "An Exciting "Drop" from the back of the Hand"
32 A Bridge of Card Between the Hands
33 Tearing a Pack of Card in Half
BIBLIOGRAPHY