Lewis, Eric C.: A Choice of Miracles
©1980 Magical Publications, Sierra Madre, CA
©1983 Magical Publications, Sierra Madre, CA
Hardcover, w/dj, 254 pages

With bookplate for Margaret Yates

Eric Lewis is one of the great minds in magic who came up with many great effects during his lifetime. These 3 books represent the documentation of his inventions and incorporate many of his earlier writings which have been edited and rewritten and new illustrations drawn. These books incorporate much of the history behind the tricks which makes for interesting reading. This was conceived as trilogy and that was what was delivered, exactly 3 volumes. Lewis was also an expert craftsman and began building tricks at a young age. Many of Lewis' effects have also been commercially produced including many by Milson Worth.



A Choice of Miracles was published in 1980 and contains 213 pages. It describes his magic up until 1939 and here are some of the highlights:

Alarm Clock Production
Broken and Restored Wand
Merely a Mistake
Playing with Fire
The Book of Spells
Off and On the Ribbon
The Strange Letter
Walking-Cane Suspension
Locked Books Release
Case of the Curious Cubes
Curiouser and Curiouser
Improved "Zen's" Switch
Penetrating Flower-Pot
Comedy Flower Growth
Chinese Hat
Dual Lantern Production
Mystery of the Triple Temple
Convocational Jacks
Living and Dead Test
Cups and Balls for the Stage
Convincing Color-Change Wand
Vanishing tube
Golden Arrow
Electric Bulb Penetration

The second book in the series, A Continuation of Miracles, published in 1981, has a total of 254 pages. Lewis continues on his magical journey. Here are some of the effects described:

One Man Nest of Boxes
Crazy Imaginary Four-Ace Trick
Black Magic
Lighted Bulbs from Mouth
Fantastic Frame
Penelease
Die in Box
Clock Dial
Cups and Balls
Billiard Balls
Mass Production
'Orrible Murder
Fig-Leaf Chest
Peacock Fantasy
Hypnotizing a Rabbit
Card Guillotine
"Slam-Through" Glass Vanish
"Elevated" Magic Welding
Sympathetic Silks
Tricolor
Acrobatic Balls
Casket of Boxes
Chronicle of the Sympathetic Cubes
Perplexing Puzzle
Yellow Art Tubes
Torn, Restored, and Rising Card

The Crowning Miracles is the last of the volumes and has 237 pages and was published in 1983. This volume has over 20 years of children's magic, close-up, stage, and platform magic. Here are some of the highlights:

Suprinso
Pin-Up Girl
Color Forcing Paddle
"Slate" Mistake
Harbin-Lewis Trick
Mystery of the Crystal Ring
Who Done It?
A Lesson in Card Magic
School or Circus?
Pirate's CHest
Solid Chuff-Chuff
Eric Wilson and "Brer Rabbit"
Michael Chick
Die Table
Edward Pierce
Abdul's Fez
Weird Cylinders of Wung and Wong
Tumbling Name Blocks
The Great Zonzo
Newspaper Headline Prediction
Die-Vination
Dial-a-Number
Imaginary Pipe
The Red Card
Self-Priming Syphon of Louis Histed
Multiple Jiffy Slate
Sword Stab
Die Everlasting
Midas Touch
Painting by Numbers