HERRMANN'S BOOK OF MAGIC, Black Art Fully Exposed
An excerpt from the beginning of:
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
There are one or two leading principles to be borne in mind by anyone taking up the study of magic. The first and foremost is, Never tell the audience what you are going to do before you do it. If you do, the chances of detection are increased tenfold, as the spectators, knowing what to expect, will the more readily arrive at the true method of bringing about the result.
It follows as a natural consequence that you must never perform the same trick twice in the same evening. It is very unpleasant to have to refuse an encore; and should you be called upon to repeat a trick study to vary it as much as possible, and to bring it to a different conclusion. There will generally be found more ways than one of working a particular trick. It is an axiom in conjuring that the best trick loses half its effect on repetition.
Should a hitch occur in the carrying out of the programme by the accidental dropping of an article, or from any other cause, above all things do not get confused, but treat the matter as a good joke, and meet the difficulty with a smile, making use of some such expression as the following: “Well, you see I put it down there to show that it would go. It is perfectly solid and does not stick.” By this means, instead of spoiling the entertainment, you add greatly to the amusement of the spectators.
Do not cultivate quick movements; at the same time it will never do to be painfully slow; but endeavor to present your tricks in an easy-going, quiet, graceful manner. It is generally understood that “the quickness of the hand deceives the eye,” but this is entirely erroneous. It is impossible for the hand to move quicker than the eye can follow, as can be proved by experiment. The deception really lies in the method of working the trick, and in the ability of the performer in misdirection, as will be seen from a perusal of the following pages.
A little well-arranged patter as an introductory to an entertainment will be found to put you on good terms with your audience. A few words, something like the following, will suffice: “Ladies and Gentlemen, with your kind attention I shall endeavour to amuse you with a series of experiments in legerdemain. In doing so I wish it to be distinctly understood that I shall do my best to deceive you, and upon the extent to which I am able to do so will depend my success.”
At the close of an entertainment a little speech, of which the following is an example, will be found to prove a good finish: “Ladies and gentlemen, in concluding my entertainment I have only to say that, apart from deceiving you, which was but a secondary consideration, if I have been able to afford you some slight fun and amusement I feel amply rewarded.”
In concluding these remarks I must enforce upon the novice the necessity for constant practice, without which the clearest instruction would be useless. This applies, not only to conjuring, but equally well to any form of amusement, so the would-be magician may congratulate himself on the fact that the difficulties to surmount are not in excess of those of any form of entertainment.
Before proceeding to describe the various tricks it will be well to notice one or two appliances of general utility.
The Dress.—The usual attire of the modern magician is the conventional evening dress, but I have known performers of the present day to adopt various fancy costumes. For instance, I have seen a conjurer attired as a Knight of the Garter; another one, calling himself L'homme masqué, wears Court dress with a black mask covering the upper part of his face. In these two cases, however, the swallow-tail coat, an important adjunct, is retained. Again, I have seen a conjurer attired as Mephistopheles, a very smart costume, and to a certain extent appropriate, but entailing too much trouble for the majority of performers. I have also been present at an entertainment where the magician, a very clever performer, was attired in evening dress, but wore a short dinner jacket. In these last two cases, the swallow-tail coat was, of course, dispensed with, a decided improvement, as it adds greatly to the bewilderment of the audience as to how the conjurer obtains and disposes of the various articles he uses.
Where the ordinary dress coat is used, each tail is provided with a large pocket, known as a profonde, the mouth of which is on a level with the knuckles, and slopes slightly to the side. These pockets, which are usually 7 in. square, are lined with buckram, and sewn on rather full, to keep them constantly open. They are used to contain “loads” for hat tricks, etc., also to vanish articles, such as watches, eggs, or balls....
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
There are one or two leading principles to be borne in mind by anyone taking up the study of magic. The first and foremost is, Never tell the audience what you are going to do before you do it. If you do, the chances of detection are increased tenfold, as the spectators, knowing what to expect, will the more readily arrive at the true method of bringing about the result.
It follows as a natural consequence that you must never perform the same trick twice in the same evening. It is very unpleasant to have to refuse an encore; and should you be called upon to repeat a trick study to vary it as much as possible, and to bring it to a different conclusion. There will generally be found more ways than one of working a particular trick. It is an axiom in conjuring that the best trick loses half its effect on repetition.
Should a hitch occur in the carrying out of the programme by the accidental dropping of an article, or from any other cause, above all things do not get confused, but treat the matter as a good joke, and meet the difficulty with a smile, making use of some such expression as the following: “Well, you see I put it down there to show that it would go. It is perfectly solid and does not stick.” By this means, instead of spoiling the entertainment, you add greatly to the amusement of the spectators.
Do not cultivate quick movements; at the same time it will never do to be painfully slow; but endeavor to present your tricks in an easy-going, quiet, graceful manner. It is generally understood that “the quickness of the hand deceives the eye,” but this is entirely erroneous. It is impossible for the hand to move quicker than the eye can follow, as can be proved by experiment. The deception really lies in the method of working the trick, and in the ability of the performer in misdirection, as will be seen from a perusal of the following pages.
A little well-arranged patter as an introductory to an entertainment will be found to put you on good terms with your audience. A few words, something like the following, will suffice: “Ladies and Gentlemen, with your kind attention I shall endeavour to amuse you with a series of experiments in legerdemain. In doing so I wish it to be distinctly understood that I shall do my best to deceive you, and upon the extent to which I am able to do so will depend my success.”
At the close of an entertainment a little speech, of which the following is an example, will be found to prove a good finish: “Ladies and gentlemen, in concluding my entertainment I have only to say that, apart from deceiving you, which was but a secondary consideration, if I have been able to afford you some slight fun and amusement I feel amply rewarded.”
In concluding these remarks I must enforce upon the novice the necessity for constant practice, without which the clearest instruction would be useless. This applies, not only to conjuring, but equally well to any form of amusement, so the would-be magician may congratulate himself on the fact that the difficulties to surmount are not in excess of those of any form of entertainment.
Before proceeding to describe the various tricks it will be well to notice one or two appliances of general utility.
The Dress.—The usual attire of the modern magician is the conventional evening dress, but I have known performers of the present day to adopt various fancy costumes. For instance, I have seen a conjurer attired as a Knight of the Garter; another one, calling himself L'homme masqué, wears Court dress with a black mask covering the upper part of his face. In these two cases, however, the swallow-tail coat, an important adjunct, is retained. Again, I have seen a conjurer attired as Mephistopheles, a very smart costume, and to a certain extent appropriate, but entailing too much trouble for the majority of performers. I have also been present at an entertainment where the magician, a very clever performer, was attired in evening dress, but wore a short dinner jacket. In these last two cases, the swallow-tail coat was, of course, dispensed with, a decided improvement, as it adds greatly to the bewilderment of the audience as to how the conjurer obtains and disposes of the various articles he uses.
Where the ordinary dress coat is used, each tail is provided with a large pocket, known as a profonde, the mouth of which is on a level with the knuckles, and slopes slightly to the side. These pockets, which are usually 7 in. square, are lined with buckram, and sewn on rather full, to keep them constantly open. They are used to contain “loads” for hat tricks, etc., also to vanish articles, such as watches, eggs, or balls....
HERRMANN'S BOOK OF MAGIC, Black Art Fully Exposed
An excerpt from the beginning of:
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
There are one or two leading principles to be borne in mind by anyone taking up the study of magic. The first and foremost is, Never tell the audience what you are going to do before you do it. If you do, the chances of detection are increased tenfold, as the spectators, knowing what to expect, will the more readily arrive at the true method of bringing about the result.
It follows as a natural consequence that you must never perform the same trick twice in the same evening. It is very unpleasant to have to refuse an encore; and should you be called upon to repeat a trick study to vary it as much as possible, and to bring it to a different conclusion. There will generally be found more ways than one of working a particular trick. It is an axiom in conjuring that the best trick loses half its effect on repetition.
Should a hitch occur in the carrying out of the programme by the accidental dropping of an article, or from any other cause, above all things do not get confused, but treat the matter as a good joke, and meet the difficulty with a smile, making use of some such expression as the following: “Well, you see I put it down there to show that it would go. It is perfectly solid and does not stick.” By this means, instead of spoiling the entertainment, you add greatly to the amusement of the spectators.
Do not cultivate quick movements; at the same time it will never do to be painfully slow; but endeavor to present your tricks in an easy-going, quiet, graceful manner. It is generally understood that “the quickness of the hand deceives the eye,” but this is entirely erroneous. It is impossible for the hand to move quicker than the eye can follow, as can be proved by experiment. The deception really lies in the method of working the trick, and in the ability of the performer in misdirection, as will be seen from a perusal of the following pages.
A little well-arranged patter as an introductory to an entertainment will be found to put you on good terms with your audience. A few words, something like the following, will suffice: “Ladies and Gentlemen, with your kind attention I shall endeavour to amuse you with a series of experiments in legerdemain. In doing so I wish it to be distinctly understood that I shall do my best to deceive you, and upon the extent to which I am able to do so will depend my success.”
At the close of an entertainment a little speech, of which the following is an example, will be found to prove a good finish: “Ladies and gentlemen, in concluding my entertainment I have only to say that, apart from deceiving you, which was but a secondary consideration, if I have been able to afford you some slight fun and amusement I feel amply rewarded.”
In concluding these remarks I must enforce upon the novice the necessity for constant practice, without which the clearest instruction would be useless. This applies, not only to conjuring, but equally well to any form of amusement, so the would-be magician may congratulate himself on the fact that the difficulties to surmount are not in excess of those of any form of entertainment.
Before proceeding to describe the various tricks it will be well to notice one or two appliances of general utility.
The Dress.—The usual attire of the modern magician is the conventional evening dress, but I have known performers of the present day to adopt various fancy costumes. For instance, I have seen a conjurer attired as a Knight of the Garter; another one, calling himself L'homme masqué, wears Court dress with a black mask covering the upper part of his face. In these two cases, however, the swallow-tail coat, an important adjunct, is retained. Again, I have seen a conjurer attired as Mephistopheles, a very smart costume, and to a certain extent appropriate, but entailing too much trouble for the majority of performers. I have also been present at an entertainment where the magician, a very clever performer, was attired in evening dress, but wore a short dinner jacket. In these last two cases, the swallow-tail coat was, of course, dispensed with, a decided improvement, as it adds greatly to the bewilderment of the audience as to how the conjurer obtains and disposes of the various articles he uses.
Where the ordinary dress coat is used, each tail is provided with a large pocket, known as a profonde, the mouth of which is on a level with the knuckles, and slopes slightly to the side. These pockets, which are usually 7 in. square, are lined with buckram, and sewn on rather full, to keep them constantly open. They are used to contain “loads” for hat tricks, etc., also to vanish articles, such as watches, eggs, or balls....
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
There are one or two leading principles to be borne in mind by anyone taking up the study of magic. The first and foremost is, Never tell the audience what you are going to do before you do it. If you do, the chances of detection are increased tenfold, as the spectators, knowing what to expect, will the more readily arrive at the true method of bringing about the result.
It follows as a natural consequence that you must never perform the same trick twice in the same evening. It is very unpleasant to have to refuse an encore; and should you be called upon to repeat a trick study to vary it as much as possible, and to bring it to a different conclusion. There will generally be found more ways than one of working a particular trick. It is an axiom in conjuring that the best trick loses half its effect on repetition.
Should a hitch occur in the carrying out of the programme by the accidental dropping of an article, or from any other cause, above all things do not get confused, but treat the matter as a good joke, and meet the difficulty with a smile, making use of some such expression as the following: “Well, you see I put it down there to show that it would go. It is perfectly solid and does not stick.” By this means, instead of spoiling the entertainment, you add greatly to the amusement of the spectators.
Do not cultivate quick movements; at the same time it will never do to be painfully slow; but endeavor to present your tricks in an easy-going, quiet, graceful manner. It is generally understood that “the quickness of the hand deceives the eye,” but this is entirely erroneous. It is impossible for the hand to move quicker than the eye can follow, as can be proved by experiment. The deception really lies in the method of working the trick, and in the ability of the performer in misdirection, as will be seen from a perusal of the following pages.
A little well-arranged patter as an introductory to an entertainment will be found to put you on good terms with your audience. A few words, something like the following, will suffice: “Ladies and Gentlemen, with your kind attention I shall endeavour to amuse you with a series of experiments in legerdemain. In doing so I wish it to be distinctly understood that I shall do my best to deceive you, and upon the extent to which I am able to do so will depend my success.”
At the close of an entertainment a little speech, of which the following is an example, will be found to prove a good finish: “Ladies and gentlemen, in concluding my entertainment I have only to say that, apart from deceiving you, which was but a secondary consideration, if I have been able to afford you some slight fun and amusement I feel amply rewarded.”
In concluding these remarks I must enforce upon the novice the necessity for constant practice, without which the clearest instruction would be useless. This applies, not only to conjuring, but equally well to any form of amusement, so the would-be magician may congratulate himself on the fact that the difficulties to surmount are not in excess of those of any form of entertainment.
Before proceeding to describe the various tricks it will be well to notice one or two appliances of general utility.
The Dress.—The usual attire of the modern magician is the conventional evening dress, but I have known performers of the present day to adopt various fancy costumes. For instance, I have seen a conjurer attired as a Knight of the Garter; another one, calling himself L'homme masqué, wears Court dress with a black mask covering the upper part of his face. In these two cases, however, the swallow-tail coat, an important adjunct, is retained. Again, I have seen a conjurer attired as Mephistopheles, a very smart costume, and to a certain extent appropriate, but entailing too much trouble for the majority of performers. I have also been present at an entertainment where the magician, a very clever performer, was attired in evening dress, but wore a short dinner jacket. In these last two cases, the swallow-tail coat was, of course, dispensed with, a decided improvement, as it adds greatly to the bewilderment of the audience as to how the conjurer obtains and disposes of the various articles he uses.
Where the ordinary dress coat is used, each tail is provided with a large pocket, known as a profonde, the mouth of which is on a level with the knuckles, and slopes slightly to the side. These pockets, which are usually 7 in. square, are lined with buckram, and sewn on rather full, to keep them constantly open. They are used to contain “loads” for hat tricks, etc., also to vanish articles, such as watches, eggs, or balls....
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HERRMANN'S BOOK OF MAGIC, Black Art Fully Exposed
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940015511420 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | OGB |
| Publication date: | 09/28/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 1 MB |
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