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Howard Thurston - Throw Out Card
3d Magician Throw Cards
 (1920)
In Collection
#2193
10*
Magic
Memorbilia, Ephemera 
Howard Thurston Throw Out Card
2nd of 2 copies)

Original 1920-1930's Vintage
Master Magician Howard Franklin Thurston "The King Of Cards" Advertising Magician Throw Out Card Back Of The Card Shows His Daughter Jane Thurston "She Takes After Her Dad"

This is an ORIGINAL card that Thurston gave to his audiences! During his show, Thurston demonstrated card manipulations. As part of the act, he would throw these cards to the audience. His skill was such, that he was able to throw them to the last row of the balcony! He had different printings and several versions of Throw-Out Cards. The one here is one with Thurston's portrait on one side and his daughter Jane on the other.
Card Dimensions: 2-11/16" x 3-11/16" Date: Circa mid-1920's
Product Details
Extras Rare
Personal Details
Read It Yes
Location Magic Library (Home)
Current Value $16.00
Condition Very Fine
Owner Bryan-Keith Taylor
Notes
Howard Thurston From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Howard Thurston

Born July 20, 1869(1869-07-20)
Columbus, Ohio
Died April 13, 1936(1936-04-13) (aged 66)
Miami, Florida
Cause of death Pneumonia
Nationality American
Occupation Magician

Howard Thurston (July 20, 1869 – April 13, 1936) was a stage magician from Columbus, Ohio.

Contents [hide]
1 Life
2 The King of Cards
3 Passing of the mantle
4 Legacy
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links


[edit] LifeThurston had the largest traveling magic show for the time, requiring more than eight entire train cars to transport his props across the country. Thurston was the most famous magician of his time, more famous even than his contemporary Harry Houdini.

[edit] The King of CardsHe is still famous for his work with playing cards. According to legend, a Mexican magician appeared at a magic shop owned by Otto Maurer in New York City. The enigmatic magician demonstrated how he could make cards disappear, one by one, at his fingertips.[1]

Maurer showed Thurston the move, which he would later feature in his act. He added the "Rising Cards" trick from Professor Hoffman’s Modern Magic, the book from which Thurston had learned the rudiments of magic. For this trick, he would walk into the audience and ask several people to choose cards from a deck of cards. The deck was shuffled and placed into a clear glass. Thurston would then call for the chosen cards. One by one the cards would rise up to the top of the deck. When audiences wanted the cards to rise higher, he developed a way of causing the cards to rise directly out of the pack.

Thurston arranged an impromptu audition with Leon Herrmann, nephew of Alexander Herrmann. His performance fooled Leon. From that point on he called himself "The man that fooled Herrmann" and used the publicity to get booked into top vaudeville houses in the U.S. and Europe, billing himself as the King of Cards.

[edit] Passing of the mantleThurston continued presenting the Thurston-Kellar Show following the retirement of Kellar. The Thurston show became an institution. He kept up the grind for about thirty years. On March 30, 1936, Thurston suffered a stroke he received from a cerebral hemorrhage. He later died on April 13 at his Oceanside apartment in Miami Beach, Florida. Death was attributed to pneumonia.[2][3][4] He is entombed at Green Lawn Abbey, a mausoleum in Columbus, Ohio.

[edit] LegacyThurston is mentioned and appears briefly in Glen David Gold's novel Carter Beats the Devil (ISBN 0-7868-8632-3), concerning fellow stage magician Charles J. Carter and the Golden Age of magic in America. Thurston is also mentioned in two novels by Robert A. Heinlein: Time Enough for Love and To Sail Beyond the Sunset and in the novel "The Best Team Ever" by Alan Alop and Doc Noel (ISBN 978-1935098027).

Thurston is quoted as a subject matter expert in Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People (ISBN 0-743272-773). He appears in Part Two, Chapter One ("Do This and You'll Be Welcome Anywhere").

[edit] See alsoAmerican Museum of Magic
[edit] References1.^ Hiding the Elephant by Jim Steinmeyer
2.^ "Leading American Illusionist Had Vast Repertoire, but Liked Card Tricks Best. Headed Last Big Show of Kind Played Before Royalty. Studied for Ministry.". New York Times. April 14, 1936. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00C16F63F54147B93C6A8178FD85F428385F9. Retrieved 2009-02-22. "Howard Thurston, the magician, died here today at the age of 66. Pneumonia, following a cerebral hemorrhage suffered on March 30, caused his death. ..."
3.^ "Thurston Dies Of Pneumonia At Miami Beach". Washington Post. April 14, 1936. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/247353372.html?dids=247353372:247353372&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=APR+14%2C+1936&author=By+the+Associated+Press.&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Thurston+Dies+Of+Pneumonia+At+Miami+Beach&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-02-22. "Howard Thurston, the man who produced living things from nowhere and made them disappear again in thin air, passed through the curtain of death here today."
4.^ "Thurston, Peer of Magic, Dies in Miami". Chicago Tribune. April 14, 1936. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/459936122.html?dids=459936122:459936122&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&date=Apr+14%2C+1936&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=THURSTON%2C+PEER+OF+MAGIC%2C+DIES+AT+MIAMI+BEACH&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-02-22. "Howard Thurston, the magician, who died yesterday in Miami Beach, Fla., ..."
[edit] Further readingSteinmeyer, Jim (2011). The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston Versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, a member of Penguin Group. ISBN 9781585428458. OCLC 646111788.
Thurston, Grace; William L. Rhode, and Charles Holzmueller (2006). My Magic Husband: Howard Thurston Unmasked. [United States]: Phil Temple Publication. OCLC 70700027.
[edit] External links