Mulholland, John: The Art of Illusion
Magic for Men to Do
©1944 Charles Scribner's Sons
Hardcover, w/dj, 5x7.5", 142 pages

©1944 Armed Services Edition
Hardcover, 5x3.75", 160 pages

Comments: Note, there was a special edition of this book printed for the Armed Services during WWII - see photo at right.

Contents (descriptions as printed in book ToC):

1 Chapter 1 - What Manner of Man: the general ideas which a magician must bear in mind about the performance of magic, and a description of what magic is and why it works

12 Chapter 2 - Sundry Mysteries: extemporaneous magic with Borrowed objects
12 The Freely Selected Card: two methods of finding, and four ways of disclosing, the chosen card
24 Rings and Strings: instantaneous release of several finger rings tied with cords
29 Magic Spelling: three ways of shoing that playing cards can spell
34 Coins, Paper Napkins, and Olives: coins disappear, torn paper napkins become whole, and olives change to lumps of sugar, all by the means of this single, simple trick

45 Chapter 3 - The Hungry Jackass: a method, depending on an easy memory device, by which the magician can perform a wide variety of amazing feats with playing cards
48 To Know Which Card Has Been Selected
49 To Know by Sound Which Card is Missing From the Deck
50 To Know How Many Cards are Missing From the Deck: and which cards
51 The Fortune Telling Cards: the deck discloses the selected cards
53 A Correct Prophecy: the magician writes the name of the card to be chosen
56 Dealing the Winning Hand: in either bridge or poker, the magician holds the best cards
57 Further Tricks: how to know the numerical location, in the deck, of any card
58 Shuffling the Deck and a Trick in Connection Therewith: the trick which makes the others seem impossible

62 Chapter 4 - Further Mysteries: Tricks which require secret preparation
62 The Prophetic Pennies: the date on a selected penny discloses the top four cards of a shuffled deck
66 Wrong Way for the Answer: the magician knows of which one dollar bill, among five, the spectator is thinking
72 String for a Parcel: making two pieces of string into one long piece
78 By the Sense of Touch: Without looking, the magician finds in the deck the three cards which have been selected
82 A Matter of Luck: What seems to be mind-reading, the magician terms luck
87 Beelzebub's Letter: A letter mailed yesterday contains a coin borrowed today
96 The Flight of a Coin: A quarter disappears in flame and reappears inside an hermetically sealed package

105 Chapter 5 - Mind Signals: A systems whereby the magician can communicate secretly to his assistant descriptions of playing cards, money, jewelry, and those miscellaneous articles a man has in his pockets and a woman carries in her handbag

126 Chapter 6 - The Secrets Unraveled: various additional items of information which a magician will find useful to know; such has how to make up a program and how to eliminate errors; as well as several additional feats of magic



The Art of Illusion Magic for Men to Do by John Mulholland. NY Charles Scribner's Sons 1944. Ex library book, pocket and stamps. Book in good condition, some pencil lines, library stamp on one page. 2 pages have small edge tear. Some edgewear to cover.


142 pages, red cover, no dj