Maskelyne, Nevil & David Devant: Our Magic
©1911 E.P. Dutton and Company, NY
Hardcover, 487 pages
©1946 2nd Edition, Fleming Book Company, NJ
Hardcover, 336 pages
Comments (Zigby7): With 86 drawings by Jeanne McLavy. Volume three of the Fleming Magic Classic Series. Revised American edition of the work originally published in England. It comprises work on the principles and practice of sound conjuring, in which the reader is taught by David Devant himself. He includes twelve of his choicest tricks with patter, from his own professional program. Maskelyne presents some very interesting information on the Art, Theory, and Practice of Magic. Caveat: Not an easy read, but the nuggets of information are worth the effort.
Contents:
3 Part I: The Art in Magic (Nevil Maskelyne)
3 I The Real Secrets of Magic
6 II The Three Decrees in Art
20 III Unity
29 IV Consistency
36 V Justification
42 VI Surprise and Repetition
54 VII Effects of Transition
54 VIII Climax
64 IX Presentation
70 X Rehearsal
81 XI Speed in Presentation
84 XII Patter
94 XIII Stage Manner and Personality
98 XIV Mental Attitude
101 XV The Importance of Artistic Principles
107 Part II: The Theory of Magic (Nevil Maskelyne)
107 I Terminology
113 II General Analysis
117 III Misdirection
125 IV Styles of Magic
130 V Manipulative Principles
135 VI Principles of Mental Magic
138 VII Mechanical Principles
141 VIII Optical Principles
143 IX Acoustic Principles
145 X Electrical Principles
148 XI Chemical and Molecular Principles
152 XII Magical Inventions
171 Part III: The Practice of Magic (David Devant)
171 I With Playing Cards. The Triangle
181 Bibliographical Index of Card Tricks
194 II With Billiard Balls, Multiplication
212 III With Figures, Simple Addition
220 IV With a Borrowed Watch. The Forgotten Guest
233 V With a Borrowed Handkerchief. A Lesson in Magic
249 VI With Bells. Homing Bells
257 VII With Flags. The National Colors
264 VIII With Liquids. The Three Vases
270 IX With a Rabbit, a Ball, and Two Hats. The Silver Ball
282 X With Fish and Letters. The Educated Fish
290 XI With Doves and Rats. The Point of View
301 With a Canary and a Target. The Phoenix
315 Index
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| Read It |
No |
| Location |
Magic Library (Home) Shelf Q |
| Condition |
Fine |
| Owner |
Bryan-Keith Taylor |
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Maskelyne, John Nevil
(1839-1917)
Born in Cheltenham, England. Founded the great Maskelyne dynasty of English magicians. He got his start exposing the spiritism performance of the Davenport brothers. His performing partner was George Cooke. He opened the Egyptian Hall in London, a showplace for magic and illusion performances, and operated it for thirty years. In partnership with David Devant, he then opened St. George's Hall, a similar venue. A feisty personality, he was involved in two nasty and noteworthy lawsuits. The first involved a claim that Maskelyne had not exactly duplicated the feats of a spirit medium and was therefore not entitled to the challenge money offered. The second suit involved his attempt to stop two other magicians from performing a box escape similar to the one in his show; this suit was dropped when Maskelyne refused to reveal the secret of the escape to the court. His Box Trick invention was the one used by the Houdinis in their "Metamorphosis."
Invented: Thumb Writer, Substitution Trunk Illusion, Mummy Case Illusion, Cleopatra's Needle, The Mystic Freaks of Gyges, "Will, The Witch and the Watchman", Psycho(1875)
Wrote: Sharps and Flats (1894), The Magnetic Lady! or a Human Magnet Demagnetized, Modern Spiritualism (1875), Natural Magic. Published The Magic Circular Magazine
Coauthored: Our Magic with David Devante (1911)
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Devant, David
(1868-1941)
Born in Highgate, London, England. Stage name since 1885 of David Wighton, son of Scottish landscape artist James Wighton. Learned around age 15 from a book. Debut in 1885. Pro illusionist and manipulator. In 1905 taken on as partner by J. N. Maskelyne. First president of The Magic Circle 1905-06. Gave Royal Command Performances 1912 and 1913. Left partnership with Maskelyne in 1915 to go on his own. In 1920, he retired from stage because of illness (paralysis agitans) but continued as writer and teacher.
Prolific inventor, including Artist's Dream (1893), Color Change (1893), the Vest Servante (around 1893), Birth of Flora (1895), Mascot Moth (1905), the New Page (1906) and Vanishing Motorcycle (1913).
Wrote: Hand Shadows (1901), Magic Made Easy (1911), Lessons in Conjuring (1922), Tricks for Everyone: Clever Conjuring with Common Objects (1925), My Magic Life (1931), Secrets of My Magic (1936)
Coauthored: Our Magic with J. Nevil Maskelyne (1911)
