Cyclopedia of Magic by Henry Hay

Cyclopedia of Magic is a wonderful book. It's primary quality stems from its alphabetical organization. It was written to provide the magician with a wide and solid background of magical knowledge. It provides definitions, descriptions, biographies and some routines on hundreds of magic topics. It is for the most part a compilation of material contributed by magicians such as August Roterberg, Charles Bertram, Eddie Joseph, Ellis Stanyon, John Mulholland, T. Nelson Downs and many others.

The ebook starts with a User's Guide which describes the purpose of the book, and an index to the contributing authors.

A

• Acquitment: definition
• Afghan Bands: short explanation
• Amateur Magicians: definition and article
• Anderson, John Henry: 1814-1874; bio
• Angle-Proof: definition
• Animals: Short article with comments on Rabbits, Pigeons, Dogs, etc.

B

• Ball Manipulation: Long article, covers various Palms, Passes, and vanishes. Refers readers to Burling Hull's Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation
• Ball of Wool: article, trick described
• Bambergs, The: bio. Eliaser 1760-1833; David Leendert 1786-1869; Tobias 1812-1870; David Tobias (born 1843); Theo (Okito) born 1875; David (born 1904)
• Bellachini (Sam Berlach): 1828-1885; bio
• Billet And Message Reading: article with discussion of the One Ahead, Impressions, Transparency, etc.
• Bird-Cage, Vanishing: definition
• Black Art: defined, with an article on the Black Art Table and its construction
• Blackstone, Harry: bio
• Blindfolds: article with description of various forms
• Blitz, Signor Antonio: 1810-1877; bio
• Book Test: article with explanation and various approaches
• Bosco, Bartolommeo: 1790-1863 bio
• Bradawl or Ice Pick: defined
• Breakaway Fan: defined
• Breslaw: died 1783 bio
• Bullet Catching: article
• Business Methods: publicity article

C

• Cake Baked In a Hat: article
• Card Box: Defined
• Card Frame: article
• Card in Cigarette: defined
• Card Index: defined
• Cardini: bio
• Card Manipulation: longer article covers Back Palm, Bottom Dealing, Break, Changes, Crimp, Double Lift, False Count, False Shuffle, Jogs, Flourishes, Forcing, Glide, Glimpse, Mexican Turnover, Palming, Second Deal, Shifts, Slips, and a card worker's bibliography
• Card Marking: longer article covers principles, dot & puncture, manufacture, shading/tinting, line and scroll work, and marking while in play
• Card Setups (The Rosary Deck): New packs, 8 Kings, Si Stebbins, explained along with several tricks
• Cards, Flap: defined
• Cards, Key: Article with several types described
• Cards, One Way, Pointer, Divided: description of three card location approaches
• Cards Up the Sleeve: routine described
• Card Through Handkerchief: described
• Card Vanisher: several types described
• Carter, Charles J: 1874-1936 bio
• Changeover Palm: defined
• Changing Bag: defined
• Children's Shows: article with recommendations
• Chinese Magic: defined
• Chinese Wands: described, multiple versions
• Ching Ling Foo (Chee Ling Qua): 1854-1918 bio
• Ching Ling Foo Water Can: defined
• Chopper Effects: defined
• Chung Ling Soo (William Ellisworth Campbell): 1861-1918 bio
• Cigar Manipulation: Article covers multiple sleights
• Cigarette Manipulation: for lighted or unlighted cigarettes, also covers holders
• Clock Dial: Described
• Coils: defined
• Coin Box, Okito: defined
• Coin In Handkerchief: defined
• Coin Manipulation: article covers Palms, Changes, Handkerchief Folds, Palms, Passes, Sleeving, and a coin works bibliography
• Coin Tray: described with a routine
• Coins, Folding: described
• Coins, Shell: described
• Comedy: Article with advice
• Comte, Louis Christian Emmanuel Appollinaire: 1788-1859 bio
• Costume: article with advice
• Costume Trunk Trick: described
• Culpitt, Fred: died 1944, bio
• Cups and Balls: Article covers palming, cup and wand moves, and East Indian cups

D

• Dancing Handkerchief: described
• De Kolta, Joseph Bautier: 1845-1903, bio
• Devant, David (David Wighton): 1868-1941 bio
• Dice: Article covers changing dots, Die Through Hat
• Die Box, Sliding: described
• Diminishing Cards: Described
• Divinations: Class of effects in which performer discovers which of several similar objects has been concealed or what order they have been arranged in
• Doebler, Ludwig Leopold: 1801-1864 bio
• Dollar Bill Tricks: A torn and restored bill described, and the bill to lemon
• Doll's House: Frederick Culpitt's illusion described
• Dove Pan: described
• Downs, Thomas Nelson: 1867-1938 bio
• Drawer-Box: described
• Droppers: defined
• Drumhead Tube: described
• Duck Vanish: described

E

• East Indian Magic: Article
• Egg and Handkerchief: effect detailed in a couple of approaches
• Egg Bag: described, with some details of De Biere's egg bag. Includes a general approach to a routine, but no details.
• Equivoques (Conjurer's Choice): described
• Escapes and Releases: includes short discussions of The Jacoby Rope Tie, Handcuff Escape, Sack Escapes, The Mail Bag, Straitjacket Escape, Escape from Paper Cylinder, Packing Cases, and Siberian Chain Release
• Exposures: short article on ethics

F

• Fake: defined
• Fawkes, Isaac: died 1731 bio
• Fish-Catching: defined
• Flagstaff: described
• Flash Paper: defined
• Flower in Buttonhole: defined
• Flower Productions: Described in longer article
• Forcing: defined
• Four Ace Tricks: Covers Charles Bertram's Method, and seven other methods
• Fox, Imro (Isidor Fuchs): 1852-1910 bio
• Frikell, Wiljalba: 1818-1903 bio
• Funnel: Described

G

• Gambling Methods: longer article on cheating with cards and dice
• General Card: defined
• Gimmick: defined
• Goldfish Bowls: described
• Goldin, Horace (Hyman Goldstein): 1873-1939 bio
• Grandmother's Necklace: described
• Gyngell: died 1833, bio

H

• Handkerchiefs Prepared as Vanishers: described, including the Die-Vanishing Handkerchief and more
• Hands: how to treat
• Hat Trick: detailed description of Joseph Michael Hartz' production of items from a hat
• Heimburger, Alexander: 1818-1909 bio
• Heller, Robert (William Henry Palmer): about 1826-1878 bio
• Herrmann: family of magicians bio
• Hertz Carl (Laib Morgenstern): 1869-1924 bio
• History: article on the history of magic
• Hoffmann, Professor Louis (Angelo John Lewis, MA): 1839-1920 bio
• Hofzinser, Johann Nepomuk: 1806-1875 bio
• Holders: several ball and egg holders described
• Hoods: as used for coins, cards, etc.
• Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz): 1874-1926 bio

I

• Illusions: defined
• Impromptu Effects: pointer to books with impromptu effects
• Indian Basket Trick: described
• Indian Mango Trick: described
• Indian Rope Trick: described
• Inexhaustible Bottle: described, with various improvements
• Invention: article, includes a chart with Magical Technics, info on patents, etc.

J

• Jap Box: described in detail
• Jumping Peg: described

K

• Kellar, Harry (Harold Keller): 1849-1922 bio
• Kellar Tie: rope release described

L

• Lafayette (Siegmund Neuburger): 1872-1911 bio
• Laurant, Eugene (Eugene Greenleaf): 1875-1944) bio
• Leroy (Jean Henri) Servais: 1865-1953 bio
• Levitations: several stage levitations described, the floating ball
• Linking Rings: a full routine is described
• Literature of Magic: article on historical writings
• Load: defined
• Lota: described

M

• Magical Effects: general description of magical effect types
• Makeup: described
• Maskelynes, The: family bio
• Mechanical Decks: Describes Strippers, Cornered, Forcing Decks, Svengali, Mene Tekel, etc.
• Merry Widow: described
• Mind-Reading: general high-level discussion, with an example two-person code
• Mirror Principle: described
• Miser's Dream: routine described
• Mulholland, John: born 1898, bio
• Multiplying Billiard Balls: briefly described
• Muscle Reading: article on mind-reading
• Music: article on choosing music

N

• Needle Trick: threading needles in mouth described
• Nest of Boxes: described
• Nicola, the Great (William Mozart Nocol): 1880-1946 bio
• Night Club Shows: article

O

• Organizations: SAM, IBM, Magic Circle, etc.
• Organ Pipes: described

P

• Pantomime: article
• Passe-Passe Bottle: described with routine
• Patter: article
• Phantom Tube: defined
• Phillippe or Philippe (Phillippe Talon): 1802-1879 bio
• Pinetti, Giuseppe, De Willedal: 1750-1800 bio
• Pistol: gimmicked pistol described
• Plant: defined
• Powell, Frederick Eugene: 1857-1938 bio
• Practice and Rehearsal: article
• Presentation: article on the rules of presentation
• Programs: article on building your program
• Psychology: article on deception
• Publicity: article on advertising
• Pulls: several varieties described

R

• Rattle Box: described with a routine
• Rice Bowls: various methods described
• Ring: defined
• Ring On Stick: briefly described
• Rising Cards: methods include threads, De Kolta method, with routine described along with various other approaches
• Robert-Houdin: 1805-1871 bio
• Robin, Henri (Dunkell): died 1874, bio
• Rope Tricks: defined
• Routine: short article

S

• Salting: defined
• Sawing a Woman in Two: briefly described
• Selbit, P.T. (Percy Thomas Tibbles): died 1938, bio
• Servante: described in good detail
• Shell: defined
• Shell Game: briefly described, reader is directed to Jack Chanin's Hello Sucker!
• Shower of Sweets: children's effect described
• Silent Acts: defined
• Silk Tricks: Describes various tools such as False Fingers, Wands, Production from a Match Box, Multiplying Tube, Productions, Color Changing, Knots, Sympathetic Silks, etc.
• Slate Tests: writing on blank slates described
• Sleeve Up His: defined
• Sleight of Hand: defined
• Spelling Master: card effect described
• Spider: defined
• Spirit Effects: article
• Sponge Balls: very briefly described
• Stage Settings: Article on setting the stage for stage shows, with bibliography on Stage and Theater
• Steal: defined
• Stodare, Colonel Alfred (John English): 1831-1866 bio
• String Tricks: Includes brief discussion of Perambulating String, Pricking the Garter, Snare, etc.
• Sucker Gag: defined
• Sun and Moon Trick: handkerchief trick described in detail
• Switch: Defined
• Sympathetic Coins: A Coin Matrix type effect described

T

• Table Tricks: defined
• Talk: defined
• Tambourine: production utility described
• Telephone Trick: briefly described
• Thimble Tricks: Decent article describes production, multiplying thimbles, and thimble passes
• Thirty Card Trick: Cards transfer from one pile to another
• Thread, Black: defined
• Three-Card Tricks: Three Card Monte describe in fair detail; Mexican Three Card Monte; Slow Motion Method
• Thumb Tie: release described
• Thumb Tip: defined
• Thumb Writer: Defined
• Thurston, Howard: 1869-1936 bio
• Torn and Restored Paper: various methods described, including Torn Cigarette Paper
• Torrini (Count Edmond De Grisy): bio of this fictional character
• Tourniquet: defined
• Transfixed Pack: two card effects described
• Traps: defined
• Trunk Trick, Substitution: stage effect briefly described
• Tumblers: Bottomless, Mirror Glass, others described
• Turban Cut and Restored: described

V

• Van Hoven, Frank: 18??-19?? bio
• Vanishing Performer: described
• Vest-Pocket Magic: defined
• Volunteers: Short Article

W

• Walking Through a Brick Wall: described
• Wands: Article with discussion of production, coin wand, auto-gravity wand, Cigar Wand, Swallowing Wand, and Vanishing Wand
• Watch Tricks: Several tricks described including the Watch Mortar, The Watch Winder, and Watch It! Refers readers to Samuel Berland's Tricks with Watches.
• Wax: defined
• Williams, Oswald: 1881-1937 bio
• Wine and Water: briefly described
• Wyman, John: 1816-1881 bio

Y

• You Do as I Do: Briefly described, with reference to Hilliard's Greater Magic and Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks